A French Touch Salon

The finest in Parisian skin care on the central coast.

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Succulent Soothers: Why We Love Sothys!

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

succulentsAmerican Spa recently featured an article titled “Succulent Soothers”, which discussed the uses of succulent plant extracts in skin care.  At first, I couldn’t get the image of a few potted plants that my mom has upstairs on a table in our living room: succulents?  Like cactus?  No way.

Way!  As it turns out, succulents have worked miracles for humans for ages, dating back to the Native Americans living in desert areas.  They unlocked the secrets of the greenery that was able to thrive under such harsh environmental conditions, and used extracts from these prickly plants to treat illness, and dermal afflictions, as well.  Succulent extracts, especially from the Prickly Pear Cactus and the leaves of Chaparral , can treat blemishes, warts, eczema, cold sores, and contact dermatitis (an allergic reaction in the form of a rash, resulting from contact with our skin).  Much more than this, though, skin care brands like our much-loved Sothys have included these extracts because of the miracles they work in hydration, and even anti-aging.

prickly pearPrickly Pear, which was featured in the article, is said to have tons of “super-antioxidants that protect the skin from the arid climate and help minimize fine lines and wrinkles.”  Sothy’s Marketing Manager, Soraya Thonier, says that prickly pear cactus extract also boosts cell turnover and exfoliates to reveal smooth skin, while its antioxidants “neutralize free radicals and protect against future cellular damage and premature aging.”  Prickly Pear is used in Sothys’ Firming Body Cream, as well as the luxurious anti-aging Secrets line: our Secrets de Sothys Global Cream, Eye Contour Serum, Secrets Intense Lip Crème, and Global De-Stressing Serum.

chaparralChaparral Extract is used in their Hydra Protective Cream and Hydra Protective Softening Emulsion, and possesses many of the strengths that the article boasts about, including the power of maintaining the skin’s by increasing its “capacity to hold moisture, protecting the skin from dryness.”  These products both work to moisturize and nourish the skin, then protect it from the abuse and elements it faces every day (climate extremes, pollution, you name it!).

So now when you hear succulents, rather than picturing a spiney, homely-looking cactus, think of a natural skin treatment that hydrates the skin (and seals that hydration in!), fights free radicals, nourishes, and provides anti-aging, all in one bottle.  Combine that with the soft, luxurious feel of Sothys creams and serums, and I think we’ve made our point!

Alors, stay thirsty, mes amis!

Bisous,

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Among the Stars in Beverly Hills

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Sun.  Sand. Stars. Sothys!  This past weekend on a trip to sunny Southern Califonia, Patricia had the opportunity to visit another prominent esthetician’s salon, which has risen in popularity in the L.A. area to talk about balance, brows, beauty, and the powers of SOTHYS.  

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Meet Anastasia Soare, who has made quite an accomplished name for herself with her innovative brow styling technique, attracting clients including Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Jada Pinkett Smith, Penelope Cruz, Sharon Stone, and others.  Her popular salon in Beverly Hills, aside from featuring  Anastasia’s Golden Ratio brow shaping (which emphasizes proportion and balance to enhance natural beauty), also almost exclusively features SOTHYS facial treatments and products.  

SOTHYS is a name that is near and dear to our hearts for it’s high quality and beautiful results; even the name “Sothys” is tied to the idea of supreme beauty through mythology.  SOTHYS tells us about it’s namesake:

“SOTHYS was the name the Ancient Egyptians gave to the brightest star in the sky; she symbolized to them eternal beauty…the brilliant and precious star shone brightly throughout the skies, grasping the awe of people on clear blue nights. She was the most beautiful and luminous star of them all. Her unique distinction, unlike the other stars, captured the admiration and fascination of all.  It is the name that the SOTHYS group boasts today, evoking eternal beauty and radiance. Faithful to its mythical muse, the SOTHYS group passionately dedicates itself to beauty.”

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For nearly 60 years, these luxurious products have kept our skin looking and feeling young, firm, and refreshed for many successful years, as evidenced not only by it’s numerous and international clientele, but also by it’s high-society following.  Amid the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, L.A., and Beverly Hills, Anastasia’s salon is only one of many lovely high-in spas and salons that feature the smooth sensorial experience of SOTHYS skin care, and the stars that can be found in her salon are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big names (not to mention their professional make up artists and skin care consultants!) and SOTHYS.  Like Anastasia, we at A French Touch want to offer you the absolute best of the best for your skin in all of our treatments, which is why we only carry names like SOTHYS to fulfill your beauty needs!  We want our emphasis in skin care to stay routed in a healthy idea of natural beauty, revolving around giving your skin the comfort, hydration, renewal, and love that it needs to keep you looking and feeling your best.

Stay beautiful, mes amis!

Bisous,

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Fight the Cellulite! Part 3

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

And now to discuss the crème de la crème of our anti-cellulite treatments, our Sothys-inspired Aroma Slim Wrap!  

sothys scrubThe Aroma Slim Wrap treatment begins right after you enter the salon, with a personalized assessment of where the cellulite is, how long you’ve had it, etc. so that we can provide the best and most effective possible experience for you.  Then the pampering begins with a full body wrap designed to exfoliate and smooth your skin, leaving it feeling youthfully refreshed.  Next come the Sothys professional grade serums that are selected and applied according to the area of affected skin and the severity or longevity of the cellulite.  These serums work to breakdown the fats in the area that are straining the skin and connecting tissue, improve micro-circulation in the affected area, increase collagen production, and include polyphenols, which eliminate and prevent fat cell formation.  Finally, your hour in heaven comes to a close with the application of Sothys’ Programme Silhouette Enhancer Body Serum and Essential 24 Body Cream, which you already know a thing or two about!

Now, a few words of wisdom from our very own Patricia:

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“The Aroma Slim Wrap body treatment and the Programme Silhouette products, when used together, work to make the benefits of these Sothys treatments faster and deep acting, which magnifies and lengthens their effect.  Incorporating products like the Sothys Enhancer Body Serum and Essential 24 Body Cream is important, but really they work best when used as complimentary to the professional body treatment.”

While I urge all of you to take both physical and dietary measures to keep your bodies and your skin looking (and feeling!) young and healthy, Sothys’ luxurious products and body treatments are well worth your consideration.  Just to clarify, cellulite is not a serious medical issue, and has no actual negative effects of its own, other than its bumpy appearance on your skin.  However, being comfortable in your own skin is an absolutely essential step in looking and feeling beautiful on the inside and out; confidence and self-love should always come first, and if cellulite is getting in your way, I’m glad I could tell you about one of the finest topical treatments available.

À bientôt, mes amis—I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and remember to stay body beautiful!

Bisous,

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Fight the Cellulite! Part 2

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Now, where were we?

Ah yes—now that we’ve covered the basics concerning cellulite, let’s get to the good stuff!  How can we get rid of it?!

Sothys-Enhancer-Body-Serum   sothys_essential_24_body_cream

Luckily for us, Sothys (a name many of us know and love, thanks to Patricia!) has created a couple of wonderful products to help counteract the formation and appearance of cellulite.  First, is their Sérum Sublimateur de Silhouette (Enhancer Body Serum), which is a high-impact, 14-day treatment that works “visibly and urgently to reduce the appearance of cellulite.”  Next, is their Crème Corps Capitale 24 (Essential 24 Body Cream), whose objective is to “Create a long-lasting more beautiful body” by being an “indispensable body ally to fight against the appearance of cellulite.”  Both the serum and the cream include caffeine on the ingredients list to help with the burning of fat in a process known as lipolysis.  The Essential 24 Body Cream also includes a mix of polyphenols, which encourage the breakdown of targeted fats while reducing the formation of fat cells, all at the same time (quite a handy tool to add to your daily regimen)!

Both products have demonstrated visible effects during use and are considered effective independently, but the fast-acting serum and slower, soothing lotion work in harmony together to magnify the effects and firming benefits of both products (remember what I said a few weeks ago about strength in numbers, rather than relying on one product?) 

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This is a fantastic option, yes, but I encourage you to hang on one more day to hear about the grand finale—our Sothys Aroma Slim Wrap!  This special body treatment is the most powerful counteractive instrument we can offer which will not only help fight stubborn cellulite, but give you an opportunity to indulge in a relaxing hour on Cloud 9. 

À bientôt, mes amis, and remember to stay body beautiful!

Bisous,

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Fight the Cellulite! Part 1

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

I hope you all had a lovely and relaxing weekend!  But alas, Monday came as it always does, so I decided to break up your week with a quick three-part series with some body beauty advice!

Formation_of_CelluliteLet’s start with an unpleasant word: Cellulite.  Eww!  We all know (and fear) what cellulite looks like, but do we really know what it is, or what causes it?  Understanding this can help us understand what all of our favorite beauty products (like Sothys, as I’ll explain in a minute!) do to prevent it!  According to MedicineNet.com, the dimpled appearance of cellulite, which is most common on the thighs, hips, seat, and tummy, is caused by fat deposits beneath the top layer of your skin pushing on and around the connective tissue within your bottom layer of skin.  The skin around the connective tissue expands to allow room for the fat cells, but the connective tissue holds certain points of your skin tighter to the muscle beneath it, causing a bumpy texture.  This confused me at first, but go with me on this analogy for a moment.  Picture a balloon filled with dry pieces of sponge.  Inside the balloon, across the middle, is a rigid piece of plastic that connects the opposite sides, so that they are held at a certain distance apart—let’s say 6 inches.  Now, start to fill that balloon with water; the sponge pieces, like fat cells, expand to hold the water, which pushes the balloon out to make room.  However, the rigid piece of plastic, like the connective tissue, holds those two points at exactly six inches apart, while the rest of it is free to expand.  Our skin works the same way when we accumulate more or larger fat cells—it makes room, but the connective tissue can’t stretch very much, resulting in the oh-so-lovely cottage cheese effect we’re all familiar with.

As several medical websites I visited were quick to remind me, having cellulite does NOT mean you are overweight—in fact, weight is only one factor among many that are believed to contribute to cellulite.  The first factor that was listed in several places was actually gender; women, because of the types of fat our bodies create and the way we carry that fat, are more likely than men to get cellulite.  Other factors include genetics and family history, a poor or eccentric, constantly changing diet, slow metabolism, lack of regular physical activity, hormonal activity, skin thickness, and age.  The simplest of preventative treatments prescribed were a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise, to limit the amount of fat your body produces, the distribution of that fat, and to keep your muscles toned.

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However, try as we might, sometimes a salad and a trip to the gym every once in a while, while still an excellent routine to upkeep (we’ll talk more about that later this month!), is not enough to keep your skin free and clear.

Tomorrow, I’m going to tell you all about the Sothys products we have that work to counteract the formation and appearance of cellulite—quite the dynamic duo they are!  Also, stay tuned for Thursday’s explanation of our marvelous Sothys Aroma Slim Wrap, which uses professional-grade Sothys products to fight and prevent cellulite, to make you look and feel wonderful, too!

À bientôt, mes amis, and remember to stay body beautiful!

Bisous,

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Body Beautiful

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Now that we’re making our way deeper into August, I thought that this week would be a great time for an announcement!  My lovely colleagues at A French Touch and I hereby declare August to be

usesothys Body Beautiful Month!

So far this summer we’ve talked a lot about protecting and caring for your face, but the rest of your skin deserves some love and pampering, too!

Some of you might be thinking, “Whoa, I can tell you all about facials, but what exactly is a body treatment?”  I’m here to tell you it’s easy—a body treatment is just like a facial for the rest of you!  The goal of a body treatment can vary, like facials do, to focus on anything from tanning, to anti-aging, to smoothing and slimming, but the overarching goal of many body treatments is to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate all of your skin, not just your face.  From exfoliating scrubs and polishes to wraps to massages, body treatments are the perfect solution to the gentle therapeutic attention your skin craves!

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Body treatments have been around for ages; the first documented body treatments were the milk baths that Cleopatra took to keep her skin soft and youthful.

We have a few lovely body treatments here at A French Touch that I want you, mes amis, to take advantage of this month!  When you come in for a body treatment, you will receive 50% off a Sothys Nourishing Elixir in one of their luxurious scents.

Sothys tells us that their Elixir is made up of nourishing oils that leave the skin soft, satiny, and delicately perfumed for your personal “sensorial escape”.  They’re perfect for that extra few minutes of daily indulgence your skin needs, and will leave you feeling relaxed, pampered, and ready to take on your day.

So, mes amis, stay tuned this month for more information about our favorite body treatments, how Sothys can show us a thing or two about showing our bodies some love, and how to stay body beautiful!

Bisous,

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