A French Touch Salon

The finest in Parisian skin care on the central coast.

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Your At-Home Facial

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Are you caring for your skin outside of the salon? Chances are there’s room for improvement. Your at-home efforts are equally important as your monthly appointments. We’ve put together this mini facial program for you to get the most out of your skincare.

Do this routine once a week for beautiful, glowing skin throughout the New Year:
Tip: It is best to do this after a shower, as the steam has opened your pores.

Step One: Glycolic Cleanser
You’ve already learned how important glycolic is to your skincare routine. For a deep cleanse, make sure your product has this active ingredient. Cleanse your face and rinse thoroughly before moving on to Step Two.
Try: Jan Marini Bioglycolic Cleanser

Step Two: Scrub
Cleanser doesn’t completely clear your skin of all the build-up and debris from dead skin, oil, and dirt. A scrub breaks up what clogs your pores and causes breakouts. Remember that your face isn’t the only part that deserves a good scrub! Clogged pores can happen anywhere dead skin builds up. Also, keep exfoliation to only once a week to avoid drying out your skin. It’s important that your scrub gently exfoliates your skin’s surface. Some scrubs can contain harsh beads that tear your skin.
Try: Sothys Desquacrem

Step Three: Mask
A mask is a deep cleanser to get the last bits of any debris in your skin, then tightens your pores for radiant skin. A mask will make your skin softer, lighter and cleaner instantaneously. Allow mask to dry, and rinse off thoroughly.
Try: Sothys’ Refining Peel-Off Mask

Step Four: Moisturize
Follow your mini-facial with your usual moisturizers and creams. Voila: radiant, beautiful skin with long lasting results.

Now that you have the tools for your at-home facial, make the commitment! You will be amazed with the results.

Make a resolution for your skin: Don’t Pick!

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For your New Year’s resolutions, we hope you saved some time for your skin. Skincare is equally important in bettering yourself, as say, a gym membership. The good news is that proper skincare takes a lot less work than attending spin class! Here are two resolutions to start now:

Don’t Pick
Instead, use an exfoliating scrub twice a week! Clogged pores are caused from dead skin cells mixing with oil and dirt, which then attract bacteria causing inflammation and breakouts. But instead of picking at your breakouts, use a scrub to slough away bacteria and dead skin, which will clear your skin fast.
Products we love: Sothys Desquacrem (deep-pore scrub, $31), or Spa Cells facial sponge, a honeycomb sponge used with your cleanser to gently scrub away dead skin. This is a great inexpensive tool ($12) to clear pores. You can now buy Spa Cells at the salon!

Wash your face at night
We have plenty of clients who through changing this one habit, cleared their skin instantly. Many women don’t realize the effects of not washing your skin at night. Make it your resolution to wash at night! You will be amazed with the results.

Need more skincare resolutions? Call the salon for a skin analysis!

5 Ways to Add a Little Shimmer to Your Holiday

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The holidays are times for family, friends, and joy…in theory! We all know how stressful the holidays can get with all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and traveling. The list never seems to end! It’s important to set some time aside for yourself to do the things you love most. Whether you want to enjoy time with friends and family, give back to others, or spend some much needed time alone, make sure to add a little shimmer during your holidays!

5 Ways to Add a Little Shimmer

1. Give To Local Charities: One that we suggest is the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, which helps organizations all over the County: soup kitchens, after school programs, senior centers, recovery centers, food pantries, residential centers, as well as homeless shelters. For every $1 donated to the SLO Food Bank, they can distribute the equivalent of 7 meals to hungry children, families, and seniors on the Central Coast. So whether you donate your money, food, or time, you’ll add a little shimmer to your life by helping those less fortunate.

2. Make Time for You: By making time for yourself this holiday, you’ll be able to give more back to those around you. So do what you love, or try out some of these ideas: read a good page-turner, relax in a bubble bath, or take a walk every day. Of course, make time for your facial regime as it’s important to stay consistent with your skincare, even when you’re busy.

3. Wear a little shimmer: It’s amazing what a little change in makeup routine can do for your complexion and for your spirit. Shimmer doesn’t have to be overwhelming but the right amount can give your cheek bones a glow, make your beautiful eyes stand out, or draw attention to your lovely lips. If you’re a little timid, stop by the salon and we’d love to give you some tips. Also, make sure to stop by this Thursday, Dec. 2 for our open house Add A Little Shimmer to Your Holiday event from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m!

4. Enjoy A Parisian Getaway: Step into our salon at any time to slip away into your own Parisian Getaway. Our sitting room is always open to guests. In December, we’ll be entering all of our guests into a raffle to win a le Pere Noel (Father Christmas) Facial to enjoy on the day before Christmas Eve.

5. Treat yourself to a peel: Finish off the end of the year by peeling away any rough layers of skin and debri, revealing fresh, shimmering skin for the holidays.

If you want a little more shimmer, we’d love to see you at our upcoming events!

Add a Little Shimmer to Your Holiday
Thursday, December 2nd
3:00pm – 7:00pm (open house)
Drop in with your girlfriends during this open-house evening of makeup artistry with skincare professionals from Colorescience Pro Minerals!
For further details:
visit our Facebook event page, or call 805.785.0340

Advanced Skincare Solutions from Sothys
Thursday, December 16th
2:00pm – 6:00pm (open house)
Stop by for your personal skincare consultation with Sothys’ National Trainer, Jean Stewart, who will tell you why all skincare lines are not alike, what makes Sothys so popular among French women, and more.

An Evening of French Beauty Secrets

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With champagne glasses filled and chocolates tasted, we began our exploration into an evening of French beauty secrets with Yvette Colombier, Patricia Kaspian’s mother and skincare expert last Thursday evening. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we thought we’d share a few of the details:

A Bit About Yvette
Arriving in Santa Barbara from the French Riviera in 1964, Yvette Colombier brought with her the French women’s understanding of how to care for and keep skin youthful. A move to Northern California’s charming Los Gatos with her husband Pierre (a handsome Frenchman!) convinced her that American women were ready for the French philosophy of healthy skincare maintenance – no longer a rare privilege.

Her Beauty Secrets Recap

  • Don’t ignore your neck and décolleté, they need product care just like your face.
  • The French use toner in place of water to remove cleanser, as water can be impure.
  • The best tool to work in products? Your fingers! Use gentle lifting movements as you work them in.
  • Eye cream: a little goes a long way! Rub your cream between your ring fingers to warm the product, minimizing the amount used.
  • Use glycolic acid on a daily basis and glycolic peels monthly.
  • Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! 99% of aging is due to sun damage. A summer glow isn’t worth compromising your beautiful skin!
  • Try an anti-aging serum before moisturizer. It has a smaller molecular weight so it boosts the anti-aging actives sending them straight to the cells.
  • Are you cheating? Washing and moisturizing before you go to bed can’t be skimped!
  • It’s never too late to start taking care of your skin. Yvette basked in the rays of the French Riviera until she realized (in her 30s!) that she needed to care better for her skin. Now look at her!

    • Highlights of the Night

    Donna was the lucky model of the mini facial demonstration.


    Judy won the raffle prize: a glycolic peel!

    It’s important to match products to your skin. We provided our guests with goodies based on theirs! Want to know your skin grade? Come into the salon for your personal analysis.

    Want to see more highlights from the event? Check it out here at our Facebook fan page!
    Eager for the next event? Stay tuned for details on upcoming Dec. 2 and Dec. 16 events!
    Next week: Save your skin. Save your life. It’s as simple as sunscreen!

    5 Reasons to Make Time for Your Toner

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    Toner is a great product to include in your skincare regimen; however, many women don’t give toner enough attention because they’re unaware of all the benefits it offers. For this reason, we’re sharing with you five reasons to start making time for your toner.

    1. It works as a moisture enhancer. Think of your skin like a sponge. When it’s wet, it will absorb more liquid than if it were dry. This is exactly what toner does for your skin; it pre-moistens it so that your skin can absorb more of the products.

    2. It removes every last trace of dirt, oil, and makeup. While buildup from your busy day is washed away with cleanser, you may not realize how much residue is still left on your skin. This is especially true if you wear makeup every day. Toner is the final step in removing all traces of dirt and oil.

    3. It balances the pH of your skin. When your pH is too high, your skin is less able to fight off bacterial infections, acne, and oil. When your pH is too low, your skin will appear dull and aged. Toner helps to balance the skin’s pH to normal levels.

    4. It reduces inflammation of the skin. Toner soothes and calms skin while stimulating blood circulation, which reduces inflammation and promotes healing.

    5. It’s “Oh So French.” French women tend to use toner to remove their cleanser because they don’t consider water to be pure enough. Toner leaves skin cleaner and fresher than simply cleansing with water.

    Now that you know how beneficial toner is, you should match your product to your skin type. This can be tricky, as toners have a variety of ingredients, so it’s important to understand which ingredients benefit your specific skin type.

    Oily

    		 Dry

    Sensitive

    Normal
    menthol and camphor to control excess oil.

    honey extract and cucumber to soothe and moisturize irritation.

    		 chamomile and allantoin to create a calming mixture.

    a mixture of St. John’s wort, witch hazel, cucumber
    Try: Sothys Lotion douce purifiante Try: Sothys Lotion douce Try: Sothys Lotion douce confort

    Try: Sothys Lotion douce satinée

    Note that your toner should never contain alcohol, no matter your skin type, because it acts as a drying agent that can damage skin.

    Still having trouble choosing your toner? Stop by the salon for a skin analysis.

    __________

    Next week: Event Recap – An Evening of French Beauty Secrets

    Peeling an onion for your turkey stuffing? Think of your skin!

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    Your skin has many layers, and just like an onion, the fresher layers are revealed after peeling back the outer layers. This “peeling” process is exactly what glycolic acid does to the damaged upper layers of your skin when you apply as an exfoliating cream or gel. But the power of glycolic is already well-known in skincare routines of celebrities. With glycolic peels you, too, can reap it’s benefits.

    WHY GLYCOLIC ACID?

    Glycolic acid is the most beneficial of all the “alpha hydroxy acids” because it has the smallest molecule. This small molecular size enables it to penetrate the skin more effectively and ultimately bring about the most dramatic and beneficial changes. We know that glycolic acid peels sound intimidating, but they are the perfect exfoliators for your skin.

    GLYCOLIC ACID IN ACTION

    While the glycolic acid dissolves the dead skin layer (or cellular debris layer), the other ingredients in these peels carry the dead flakes away and a water rinse neutralizes the remaining acid. The result is a smoother skin surface and a more youthful appearance. A secondary benefit is glycolic acid’s ability to draw moisturizers into the newly-exfoliated skin surface. It’s important to use a hydrating product after your peel to fully reap this benefit.

    YOUR FRENCH TOUCH

    At A French Touch Salon, we offer you Jan Marini Glycolic Peels. Jan Marini specializes in neutralized peels, which means immediate results with no down time. You’re resurfacing your skin in a safe, effective method.

    Next week: 5 Reasons To Make Time for Toner