Here are 5 awesome Epsom salt bath benefits for you to try out at home.

1. An Epsom salt bath can help you recover from injury:

Epsom salts can heighten your body’s natural healing abilities while also assist in preventing injuries. Whether you are trying to unwind after a hard day’s work, or you’re preparing to head to the gym, the combination of warm water and Epsom salt can help to loosen tight muscles and provide relief from muscle fatigue which may aid in preventing injury due to fatigued or tightened muscles.

The Epsom Salt Council has more magnesium salt benefits here.

2. Epsom Salt Uses: It can detoxify and deodorize:

Epsom salt uses can also help clear your skin. Your skin is a truly remarkable organ. In addition to regulating body temperature and providing protection from the elements, it is also porous and is able to pull in vital nutrients and minerals on contact. This can, unfortunately, mean that skin is also at risk for absorbing unwanted toxins and metals from the environment as well. Through a process known as reverse osmosis, An Epsom salt bath can aid in the removal of these toxins as you soak in the bath. Epsom salts also boast deodorizing properties, perfect to freshen up before a night out, or after returning from the gym.

3. Magnesium salt can improve your immune system:

Epsom salt or often referred to as Magnesium salt can also help your immune system. Magnesium and sulfate, the primary ingredients in Epsom salt, both aid in a biological process known as vasodilation, or the dilation of blood vessels which decreases blood pressure. This same process can also assist in creating white blood cells, which is your body’s natural defense against colds, the flu, and infections. If you take an Epsom salt bath weekly it can help your overall well-being.

We like these Epsom salt bath benefits from Natural Living Ideas.

4. An Epsom salt bath can help relieve headaches and migraines:

Since we’re on the topic of vasodilation, let’s talk about headaches. Not only can a soak in warm tub loosen tense muscles, but Epsom salt’s ability to dilate your blood vessels can also relieve built up pressure associated with headaches and muscle cramps.

5. Relax your body with Epsom Salt:

Really, what more can be said about being able to relax after a long, hard day? In addition to the muscle relaxing benefits of a hot bath on its own, the magnesium in Epsom salt can help your body to produce serotonin, a neurochemical essential for promoting feelings of happiness and relaxation.

For more beauty tips and health and wellness ideas on Stagetecture, take a look at this remarkable aspirin mask!

5 Essential Tips for Clearer Skin this Season

Skin Care Tip: Change Your Pillowcase Often

Whether you’re a stomach sleeper, side sleeper, or back sleeper, or you rotate positions throughout the night, your pillowcase collects dirt, sweat, and oil from your hair and skin every night. When your pillowcase isn’t washed frequently, this build up can transfer back to your face, clog your pores, and cause your skin to breakout.

Try to use pillowcases made from a natural fabric since it won’t transfer oils as easily, and replace your pillowcase with a clean one every two or three days. Also, keep in mind that dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener can leave behind a waxy residue that can clog your pores. Therefore, it’s better to avoid using these products when you wash your pillowcases.

How to Get Clear Skin – Try to Exercise More Often

Exercise isn’t just good for your muscles; it’s good for your skin as well. While we all have busy lives, if you can carve out 30 minutes for physical activity every day, it will do your skin a lot of good. Whether you go for a short walk, take a bicycle ride, or hit the gym, exercise increases blood flow throughout the body so that more oxygen can get to your skin.

Just make sure that you wash your skin before and after you work out. While it’s obvious you want to remove sweat from your skin after your workout, you also want to make sure you take off any dirt or bacteria on your skin before you exercise, so it doesn’t mix with your perspiration and get into your pores.

Drink Plenty of Water to Avoid Dry Skin

Your skin is an organ and just like every other organ in your body, it needs water to function properly. Without the right hydration, your skin becomes tight, dry, ashy, and flaky. On the other hand, water plumps up the skin so scars, wrinkles, and pores become less noticeable. Water also helps your body and skin flush away toxins. When you drink water, it reaches the internal organs before it reaches your skin. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re drinking enough throughout the day. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day.

However, drinking isn’t the only way to add water to your skin. As soon as you step out of the shower or bath, apply a hydrating moisturizer. Your skin is still porous so the moisturizer absorbs better and helps lock the water into your skin.

Limit Sun Exposure

While sun is an important source of vitamin D, it also causes plenty of issues for your skin when you get too much. Being outside between 7 and 9 a.m. is the ideal time to get those helpful rays. Anytime after that, and you want to avoid the sun as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

This is when the sun is at its peak, and the harmful UV rays that can cause wrinkles, skin damage, and cancer are at their strongest. If you can’t avoid being outside during this time, try to wear clothing that covers most of your skin, and make sure you apply sunscreen with SPF 45 or higher. Style Caster has great tips on how to get clear skin.

Know Your Skin Type

From oily to dry to a combination of the two, nobody has the same skin type. However, it’s important to know and understand what type of skin you have so you can tailor your skin care routine to meet your needs. You can learn about skin care with Amway, figure out what your skin type is, and create a plan that gives your skin everything it needs to be clear and healthy.

From a clean pillowcase when you sleep, to a few extra glasses of water, if clearer skin is your goal, work these five tips into your everyday routine to see results.

For more beauty tips on Stagetecture, look at this DIY Aspirin & Aloe Vera Gel Face Mask

In my household I have 2 teenage sons and a husband who all frequent the gym, have after school sports and are constantly getting sweaty! In the past two months I’ve introduced you to Clarisonic‘s SMART Profile system that helped me pack my travel bag with My #ClearlyClarisonic Travel Bag Essentials Checklist and helped my daughter keep clear skin after her karate practices. Today I bring you their unique system that is specifically for men’s skin.

Clearer Skin: Men’s Gym Essentials with #ClearlyClarisonic

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The Alpha Fit Sonic Cleansing system is engineered for Men’s Skin:

Clarisonic Video: See how Alpha Fit works:

Alpha Fit benefits to men’s skin:

Clarisonic Video: Getting Started with Alpha Fit

How to Use the Clarisonic Alpha Fit:

Discover why Clarisonic’s Alpha Fit is perfect for men’s skin:

• Clarisonic has over 40 patents protecting our unique technology, which includes:
• Oscillation: the back-and-forth movement of the brush head over 300 times per second – perfected speed for skin elasticity and cleansing effectiveness
• Fluid forces: through oscillation, water is pushed from the brush head into your pores washing them clean
• Men’s skin is different. Alpha Fit by Clarisonic is engineered to get men’s skin cleaner and healthier looking – clearing away dirt, sweat and oil.
• Alpha Fit cleanses 6x better than hands alone while prepping face and neck for a closer, smoother shave.

We’d love for you to try it and let us know how your teenage son’s and men in your life enjoy it. If the men in your life are like mine, they won’t ask to use your Clarisonic they will just try it when you’re not home! HA! So why not get them an Alpha Fit, especially made for their skin?

Follow Clarisonic on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, Instagram and use the hashtag #ClearlyClarisonic to share with other users around the world.

Last month I introduced you to the benefits of Clarisonic with the post: My #ClearlyClarisonic Travel Bag Essentials Checklist. This month the Clarisonic SMART Profile System was put to the REAL Test… my 10 year old daughter who is in karate and always comes home with major oily and grimy skin! To say the least she is…well a Tom Boy… no frilly, girly dresses for her, she loves to play hard and show off her high block at karate with the other boys! I always tell her to wash her face when she gets done with karate, but she doesn’t like taking a washcloth, the cleanser, a towel and all of the other lotions I give her to karate practice.

Teaching My Karate Tween about Clear Skin with #ClearlyClarisonic

Helping Kids Keep Cleaner with Clarisonic:

All Images: Stagetecture

I really like how convenient it is for kids to carry Clarisonic’s SMART Profile System because it fits easily into a gym bag, along with the cleansers, and a towel and they are set.

Clarisonic’s Benefits for Kids, Tween, Teenagers:

I don’t know about your tween or teenager but mine is lucky to run through the shower or splash a drop of water on her face! So when I told her to try it out she loved the bristles and how it lathered on her face. She said her skin felt like it could breathe afterwards. (That’s a good thing… right?)

• Clarisonic is safe, gentle & effective
  • Clarisonic devices cleanse 6x better than hands alone
    • Smart Profile, our top-of-the-line device, cleanses 11x better than hands alone and can also be used with body and pedi brush heads for a head-to-toe sonic cleanse
  • Safe to use twice daily
  • Only takes 60 seconds to cleanse – after all your teen won’t spend more time than that!
  • Clarisonic helps to improve skin conditions like acne and rosacea and helps with kids’ hormonal skin.

The Clarisonic kit came with:

• Clarisonic SMART Profile System with Dynamic Facial Brush Head, Turbo Massage Body Brush Head, Refining Skin Polish, Refreshing Gel

Even in the karate bathroom she can wash up quickly with Clarisonic

Here’s a Clarisonic Video to show you how easy it is for kids to use:

You can watch the Clarisonic videos here:

The best part about the Clarisonic system is that it’s helped me convince my daughter how important it is to keep clear skin after exercising, playing, and getting grimy in the hot and sweaty Florida heat. Once she felt the difference on her skin I will be surprised if she ever goes back to just a wash cloth and little water again!

Next month I’ll show the men how to pack for the gym, travel, or the office with the Alpha Male Clarisonic device made especially for them.

Clarisonic Community:

Are you a long time user or want to give it a try? We’d love for you to tell us your past experiences or what you’re looking forward to with the SMART Profile. Follow Clarisonic on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, Instagram and use the hashtag #ClearlyClarisonic to share with other users around the world.

Over the past 18 months I have had the pleasure of traveling A LOT for Stagetecture. From international travel (Spain, Italy, and Germany) to Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, NYC and other US cities – I feel I have perfected my travel carry-on toiletry bag! As we all know the 3 ounce rule for all of your carry-on toiletries can often be a challenge, and squeezing in just enough to keep yourself clean while traveling for 20 hours is definitely not the highlight of traveling.

I’m excited to pair up with Clarisonic today in their #ClearlyClarisonic program showing how your skin, body, and travel lifestyle will be improved with their SMART Profile System.  Take a look at my checklist to pack in your carry-on bag that don’t take a lot of room, and can help your skin stay clean while globe trotting!

My #ClearlyClarisonic Travel Bag Essentials Checklist

The essentials to pack in your toiletry carry-on bag:

• Clarisonic SMART Profile System* with Dynamic Facial Brush Head, Turbo Massage Body Brush Head, Refining Skin Polish, Refreshing Gel
• Nail Kit
• Dental Floss
• Toothpaste/Toothbrush
• Sewing Kit
• Q-Tips (Cotton Swabs)
• Lotion

Benefits of Clarisonic SMART  Profile System:

Over the years I remember my mother using Clarisonic and she had given me one years ago and I never  kept up with changing the batteries.  So I was excited to see the SMART Profile model features a USB charger plug-in adapter! Love it. Take a look at this video to see how the Clarisonic SMART head technology works:

Clarisonic Videos can be seen here:

Traveling and the importance of taking care of your skin:

Between the constant temperature, environmental, and air quality changes your skin go through while traveling, having the Clarisonic SMART Profile System can help get your skin cleaner, and keep it staying cleaner longer. Here’s some handy facts on why Clarisonic has sold more than 10 million devices and is recommended by US dermatologists.

Clarisonic is safe, gentle & effective

• Clarisonic devices cleanse 6x better than hands alone
• Smart Profile, our top-of-the-line device, cleanses 11x better than hands alone and can also be used with body and pedi brush heads for a head-to-toe sonic cleanse
• Safe to use twice daily
• Only takes 60 seconds to cleanse (who has time for more?
• Clarisonic helps to improve skin conditions like acne and rosacea, plus reduces signs of aging.

Clarisonic is patented & recommended

• Clarisonic has over 40 patents protecting our unique technology, which includes:
  • Oscillation: the back-and-forth movement of the brush head over 300 times per second – perfected speed for skin elasticity and cleansing effectiveness
  • Fluid forces: through oscillation, water is pushed from the brush head into your pores washing them clean
• Clarisonic is the #1 most recommended skin cleansing device by US dermatologists
• Clarisonic is used by spas, estheticians and make-up artists around the world.

Clarisonic Love

• There have been over 10 million devices sold around the world, reflecting happy customers who love to share their secret for transformed skin!
• All of us at Clarisonic celebrate that beauty is more than skin deep – and that when you have clean, clear, soft skin, your confidence shines through.
• Clarisonic is designed, innovated and assembled in the USA.

Want to try Clarisonic SMART Profile System?

Here’s a 20% off Code for Stagetecture Readers!

Clarisonic would love to have you try the system, or upgrade your old one. Follow the Clarisonic Stagetecture link here and type in “STAGETECTURE20” at the Promo Code area upon checkout to receive your 20% off discount. Hurry this offer Expires Nov. 15, 2015.

Clarisonic Community:

Are you a long time user or want to give it a try? We’d love for you to tell us your past experiences or what you’re looking forward to with the SMART Profile. Follow Clarisonic on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, Instagram and use the hashtag #ClearlyClarisonic to share with other users around the world.

In a few weeks I will show you how Clarisonic works great for teenagers and men too!

Tips for Creating Good Feng Shui in Your Home

Image via: Traveling Home

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Clean and Declutter your Home

Seasonal maintenance tips are great for the general upkeep of a home. However, some homeowners are looking to create an environment that is both balanced and harmonious. The practice of feng shui is one such method that is based on five elements. They include wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each element is then represented by a specific color. The color brown is reflective of wood. Red, yellow, orange, purple and pink symbolize fire. Earth colors include sandy/earthy, light brown and light yellow. Metal is equivalent to white and gray. Water symbolizes blue and black. While the elements and colors are important when mastering the art of feng shui, you can get your home ready by ridding it of clutter. This means clearing out your closets, drawers, garage and attic and disposing the contents that you no longer want in your home. The cleansing process is a sort of therapy that allows a homeowner to lighten the load that they have accumulated in their lives. The first step is essential when it comes to creating a harmonious environment, so you don’t want to skip it.

Provide Quality Light and Air

Homeowners typically concentrate on important aesthetics such as well-maintained wood floors, freshly painted rooms and curb appeal when it comes to making a home feel lived in and loved. However, light and air are important elements when you want to instill good feng shui energy into your dwelling. Basic tips include opening the windows and doors to let natural air into the home. You can also use an air-purifier or real plants to freshen up the quality of your air. Natural light comes from windows, doors and full-spectrum lighting. When it comes to window coverings, you want to do everything possible to brighten your home naturally.

Image via: Dwelling Ideas

Define Your Bagua

The bagua is used by masters of feng shui in order to determine the nine preferential locations of a home. Classical school bagua and BTB grid are two of the main methods used. Once you have defined your own bagua, you’ll be able to connect the specific areas accordingly with your life. For example, Southeast feng shui areas are typically connected to bringing better money energy into a person’s life.

Master the Elements

In order to create the right balance in your home, you want to master the elements. For those looking to attract prosperity into their lives, feng shui elements such as water and wood placed in the Southeast areas of a dwelling work best. If you’re in search of better health and wellness, wood types of feng shui elements placed in the East can aid with these improvements.

Birth Elements

Feng shui birth elements show you what colors are best used in decorating when it comes to creating a nourishing and supportive environment. If your element is fire, you can introduce various expressions of color that include pink, magenta, purple, red, orange and yellow. Since wood feeds the fire, you’ll also need a supportive wood element.

Image via: House Ideas

Kua Number

Kua numbers are used in feng shui to help determine your success directions. This will help you to achieve better energy by position the various furnishings in the appropriate direction. If you find that your kua number is 1, the best directions for you will include North, East, Southeast and South.

Keep Mindful of the Trinity

Adopting a feng shui lifestyle is easy, but you have to be mindful of the trinity. The trinity is based on the three most intimate places in the dwelling such as the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. By paying close attention to these important areas, you can keep your home happy, healthy and prosperous.

Try these techniques in your home to bring about balance, and a healthy spirituality throughout your abode!

For more feng shui tips on Stagetecture, click here.

How Safe is Your Older Home? The Dangers of Asbestos

Image via: This Old House

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How Safe is Your Home? The Dangers of Asbestos

I would like to introduce Heather Von St. James, an eight year mesothelioma survivor. Heather was exposed to asbestos when she was a little girl by wearing her father’s work jacket to do outside chores. Her father worked in construction and demolition, and he would come home covered head to toe in dust. Little did they know, that dust was a deadly substance, that would almost take Heather’s life down the road. Heather was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma just months after the birth of her only child, Lily. She was given just 15 months to live, but after treatments and a surgery to remove her left lung, Heather is now one of the very few survivors of mesothelioma.

This week I had the chance to interview Heather, and I asked her some questions about asbestos, and how we can keep our homes and families safe from it.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from deposits in the earth. It was used heavily in the mid century for strengthening and fireproofing things like cement, and construction materials.

How do you become exposed to asbestos?

Exposure from asbestos happens when the mineral is mined, or when products containing asbestos are disturbed or disrupted. Many homes and businesses built before 1980 most likely contain asbestos somewhere, whether it be in insulation around pipes or in attics, or in ceiling or floor tiles. These building products are only harmful if they are disturbed, as in during renovation or remodeling. Asbestos is only dangerous when it is friable, meaning  when the asbestos fibers are airborne. It is breathing in or swallowing the fibers that causes the cancer 20-50 years after the exposure.

Image via: Home Design

What are the health problems associated to asbestos exposure?

Asbestosis, or thickening of the pleura, and mesothelioma are the two most serious problems. It has also been associated with renal cancer, lung cancer, uterine and testicular cancers.

What are some symptoms of mesothelioma to look out for?

About 60% of patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma experience lower back pain or side chest pain, and there are frequent reports of shortness of breath. Some people may experience difficulty swallowing, or have a persistent cough, fever, weight loss or fatigue. Additional symptoms that some patients experience are muscle weakness, loss of sensory capability, coughing up blood, facial and arm swelling, and hoarseness.

Peritoneal mesothelioma originates in the abdomen and as a result, symptoms often include abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. Fluid buildup may occur in the abdomen as well as a result of the cancer.

Image via: Mesothelioma.com

What should I do if I have asbestos in my home?

Leave it alone first and foremost. If you suspect asbestos is present call a certified professional to come and test the item. If you do discover asbestos, have it abated by a professional company. You can find them by contacting your state environmental agency.  Do NOT attempt to remove it yourself.  Professional abatement companies have been trained with the correct procedure to remove it from your home in the safest way possible. For more information regarding asbestos in the home, please visit Mesothelioma.com

For more wellness home tips on Stagetecture click here.

4 of the Best Foods to Keep you Hydrated

Image via: Simple Truth

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day is recommended. But other than drinking water directly in a glass, you can also get water from the food you eat. These foods will keep you hydrated by providing water in your body. Here are 4 of the best foods to keep you hydrated:

1. Cucumber

This food is considered to have the highest water content of any solid food. You can mix it up with your salad ingredients or blend it with your favorite nonfat yogurt, ice cube and mint. You can also make a soup out of cucumber to increase the hydrating power of cucumber.

Image via: The Food Charlatan

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2. Iceberg lettuce

This food may have lower nutrition content than darker greens like romaine lettuce. However, when it comes to hydrating your body, the iceberg lettuce can top them all. This food should be present in your fridge, ready to be inserted in your sandwich for fillings.

3. Celery

Celery is another green leafy vegetable that should pump up your body with water. You can also get fiber from celery aside from water. Also, it contains vitamins A, C and K. These nutritional contents are great for your body.

Image via: Martha Steward

4. Radish

Not only that radishes are very refreshing, but more importantly it supplies water in your body. This hydrating veggie is packed with flavors and a crunchy texture that everyone will surely love. You can add radishes in several recipes that are perfect for any occasion.

Image via: BHG

Consider these foods seriously to maintain proper hydration in your body. You can start by planting some, if not all, of these hydrating veggies in your home garden. Keep hydrated!

For more health & wellness tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Have you been getting enough sleep lately? A study from the University of Pennsylvania links sleep patterns to your diet. The study concludes that there are foods that have key nutrients which play an essential role in regulating sleep. Sounds interesting, right? These should be very beneficial to those who experience difficulty in sleeping and assess their diet.

Image via: E News Pottery Barn

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This is a welcome development to people who want to have a relaxing way to rest after a stressful day. The study concludes that there are key nutrients that you can find in several foods that will influence your sleep patterns. Check out these foods that will help you have a sound sleep.

Grapefruit

This fruit is packed with a key nutrient for a great bedtime rest – lycopene. The study shows that lycopene helps you have a great bedtime rest. Not only that, this key nutrient is known to lower the risk of cancer. You can also find lycopene in tomato, papaya, guava and watermelon. Always remember that you can obtain more of this nutrient when you eat them fresh.

Image via: The Curvy Carrot

Nuts

Aside from being a food for the brain, nuts contain selenium which will give you a sound sleep. Of course, this key nutrient is known to be very essential in immune system function. So, you get a lot of nutrients by eating nuts while watching your favorite nightly show before you sleep. You can also get selenium from fish, barley, turkey and grains.

Strawberry

The sweet taste of strawberry isn’t the only reason why you have to love it. Strawberry is packed with vitamin C that will influence your sleep patterns. This key nutrient is vital in giving you the needed sleep on the daily basis. Other good sources of vitamin C are pineapple, broccoli, citrus fruit and orange.

Image via: Pinterest via E Mac

Bear in mind that you need to have a sound sleep on a daily basis in order for your body to function well. It will not only affect your mood but also your ability to think and act accordingly. So, stay healthy and sleep thoroughly.

For more wellness & beauty tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Whether you are traveling for leisure or business, the more number of time zones you cross, the more chances you stand of being caught by jet lag. Some people are lucky and never get affected, however for many jet lag can be quite bothering and can take days to fully recover. In the meantime, you are most likely to experience the disruption of your sleep cycle. Most common symptoms of jet lag includes insomnia at night, sleepiness during the day, poor concentration, and, loss of appetite. In a nutshell, it is something you would really want to avoid, so here are some tips to fight jet lag.

Image via: Stag.ir

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Tune your internal clock

Few days before the departure, gradually change your sleeping time to coincide with your destination time. Depending on the zone you are traveling to, half to one hour change everyday will make the difference. For instance, if you are traveling from the West to East coast of the United States, you would face an approximate three hour time difference. So, sleeping one hour early for three days will help you adjust your internal clock.

Image via: And so we ramble

Stay hydrated

Drink lots of water before, after, and, during the flight. The humidity is extremely high in the aircraft and dehydration is one of the leading causes of jet lag. At the same time, avoid consuming alcohol or anything with caffeine when on board as both will only add on to dehydration.

Image credit: 2 Dogs

Consider overnight flights

This is perhaps the easiest way to avoid jet lag. You will have dinner at your normal time and will be more likely to sleep. Depending on the length of your flight, you will arrive at your destination during the daytime. Overnight flight is an ideal way to replicate your daily schedule.

Reset your watch

The moment you board the flight, reset your watch to the time zone you will be visiting. This will prepare you psychologically for the coming time change and will help to combat jet lag.

Jet lag affects different people in different ways and it may take a little trial period before you can zero down the methods that works best for you. Till then, we suggest you to follow these basic tips in order to keep the jet lag at bay.

For more travel tips on Stagetecture, click here.