http://www.thefabulouswoman.com/Beauty.html

I am writing a column for The Fabulous Woman Magazine and here is my first article for Spring 2009.

"Foxy Talk Beauty Tips"

Spring is in the Air! by Kim Granger

Spring is in the air. Spring means green shoots of baby grasses, sunshine melting the last bits of snow, and colorful blossoms peeking out and spreading color and joy. Springtime is a time to renew and refresh not only our homes and yards, but why not take time to refresh and renew our skin... our bodies? The pleasant weather lends opportunity for outside activities such as walking or perhaps bicycle riding. There is nothing better than a walk in the mild spring air while taking note of all the freshness and new vegetation. By taking time for exercise you are filling your lungs with air and getting lots of oxygen which is very cleansing and healthy. It makes me feel so good when I do this. It is very beneficial to have a good sweat too. By drinking lots of water, going on brisk walks and allowing yourself to sweat out impurities you feel healthy and refreshed. But while taking care of your insides is important we also want to take time for the outside of your body as well. Why not take some time to go through all of your beauty regimen products and check the dates and toss out anything that is overdue or not smelling too good anymore. When you take care of your skin you want to be sure that whatever you are putting on it is fresh and clean. If you need to purchase new products it is a good idea to write the date that you opened it on the container with a sharpie. This way you can keep track of how fresh it really is. Another way to take care of your skin is to exfoliate regularly. Exfoliation leaves your skin feeling smooth, clean, and looking radiant as well as preparing it for any actives you may want to feed it. Sea kelp bioferment is a wonderful active for feeding your skin after exfoliation. It can be used as is or added to other products you have. There are a number of ways to exfoliate and you may want to utilize more than one. There are physical or chemical exfoliators. The physical ones can be ground apricot seeds, ground oatmeal, a nubby wash cloth or microdermabrasion crystals which can be used either with a machine by a professional, or a home machine, or just with water and your own fingertips. Chemical exfoliation can be alpha hydroxy acids, fruit acids, lactic acids from a yogurt mask or salicylic acid creams and washes. These all come in different strengths depending on an individual's needs. I myself, like to use a mild salicylic wash once or twice a week, a yogurt and honey mask once a week, and water and fingertip method with the microdermabrasion crystals once a week. My skin is super smooth and is much more receptive to the actives that I use. With proper exfoliation dead skin cells are removed and leave the skin smooth and fresh...a perfect canvas for your makeup. Makeup will always look best when your skin is clean, exfoliated, and moisturized. So how about it ladies!! Let's all get out there and get some sunshine and exercise, renew and refresh our beauty products taking care to rid our cabinets of out of date products, and exfoliate our skin all over for a brand new fresh spring clean!