Tips for Reducing Stress & My De-Stress Routine

Hi – welcome to my blog if you’re new! On this blog I plan on posting my monthly favorites, in-depth skin care topics (plus whatever else you guys request!), in addition to supplemental information to go along with my videos. Videos take me an embarrassingly long time to make, and since I don’t do youtube full time, I’m limited to only one video a week. With this blog I can be in touch more often and talk about more of the topics that you’re interested in! Please sign up on the top right of the page to get emails when a new post goes up.

Today’s post is supplemental information that goes along with my de-stress routine. If you haven’t seen my de-stress routine video yet then here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTRnSDg2j-I

EXERCISE

Exercise always makes me feel better. When I’m feeling down or stressed I really don’t want to exercise but I know I ALWAYS feel better when I do, so I make myself go. I have been obsessed with Pilates lately and go to a studio called Club Pilates – they have them all over the US and I highly recommend them http://clubpilatesstudio.com

Also, I did my full fitness routine in a recent video that goes into more detail here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdsO9_U39-M&list=UUVKFs0cesQUEGtn8gQmhbHw the only change since I made that video is that I now go to Pilates class three days a week and do my at home routine 1 or 2 days a week.

SUPPLEMENTS

If you’ve seen a lot of my videos you will know I’ve mentioned these supplements at least three times now. That’s only because they help me tremendously and not many people know about them! And every single person I’ve introduced them to has thanked me profusely. Yes ….they are that amazing!!

~ GABA supplement – this helps your body naturally cope with stress and anxiety. I take 500 mg daily (on an empty stomach! This is key) at around 5pm – I will take 2 on days that I’m under a lot of stress. http://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Gaba-500-veggie-caps/dp/B00014D8VI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403126520&sr=8-1&keywords=solgar+gaba+500mg

~5-HTP –This helps boost your mood by naturally stimulating serotonin production. I take 100 mg in the evenings around 7 or 8pm on an empty stomach. http://www.herbsdirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=3350&gclid=CjwKEAiAh7WkBRCQj-_zwZvk52ISJADj7z8CvuiL0DpUKlmaAPIEEtypdSXp0V44SeQ8_MunfYGC2xoCEqDw_wcB

If you deal with anxiety or any mood issues I ***HIGHLY*** recommend you read a book called “The Mood Cure” that’s how I learned about amino acids and how they affect our brain http://www.amazon.com/The-Mood-Cure-Program-Emotions–Today/dp/0142003646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403126555&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mood+cure

PAMPER ROUTINE/ SKINCARE

My mom’s skin care company is called Vasseur Skincare and I’m testing a new hydrating mask she’s working on that contains hyaluronic acid, argan oil, camilla oil, and glutathione (all super star hydrating ingredients). I will let you know when the product launches – it’s freaking amazing it made my skin feel like a newborn baby!! She’s still making some last minute adjustments before it launches.

I don’t often go into detail about her skin care company but in case you are interested the main thing that makes it different is that all products contain the highest concentrations of active ingredients on the market. For example, the other hyaluronic acid (HyA) moisturizers that we’ve researched contain between 2-8% HyA, whereas ours contains 15%. The vast majority of skin care only contains small concentrations of the active ingredients that provide results and include a lot of fillers and additives, which make the products less potent. Vasseur products include more of the ingredients that produce results for the skin and none of the junk – NO chemical preservatives, synthetic fillers, additives, parabens, sulfates, toxins or animal cruelty.

Also, Vasseur products are made fresh bi-monthly so that the ingredients remain active and alive. Most skin care on the market is designed to have a shelf life of 2-5 years so heat, stabilizers and aggressive preservatives are required to extend their shelf-life. The negative impact on the product is that most of the beneficial nutrients are destroyed. And the longer skin care sits on the shelf, the more inactive its ingredients become. Vssseir products only have natural preservatives and are mailed to you within weeks of being freshly made so the ingredients are in their most active, potent form. Think of this as the difference between buying processed, prepackaged food versus fresh farmer’s market vegetables.

These are my current favorite skin care products for winter (I have oily/acne prone skin but currently dealing with winter dryness)

Olive Oil Cleanser – this cleanser is extra hydrating (good for the dry winter months) and the oil helps dissolve makeup. Also, fun fact, oil dissolves oil so it helps gently get rid of surface oil and bacteria on your skin. http://www.vasseurskincare.com/olive-oil-cleanser/

Mandelic acid serum – this is THE BEST acne product I have ever used. It’s a slow form molecule so that it penetrates slowly into the skin, which means that it does not dry out the skin or cause irritation or redness like so many other acne products. My holy grail skin care product, cannot live without it. http://www.vasseurskincare.com/mandelic-acid-serum/

Gold Serum – powerhouse eye treatment that prevents and reduces eye wrinkles. I like that it comes in a rollerball so that it’s super easy to apply. I am so hooked on this stuff I use it 3x a day! http://www.vasseurskincare.com/gold-serum/

Supermoist – powerful moisturizer, great for dry winter months. Also contains several anti-aging antioxidants (DMAE, ester C, Alpha Lipoic Acid) so it also smoothes skin and refines pores. And the smell from the sweet orange extract is AMAZING!!! http://www.vasseurskincare.com/super-moist/

DIY Bubble Bath

I also had a DIY bubble bath in the video that I cut out because, in short, the bubble bath didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. I was looking for BIG bubbles that lasted and I found a recipe using honey, almond oil, soap and egg whites but it didn’t produce the big bubbles I wanted. It was a great hydrating treatment though and the recipe is below if you’re interested. I did some more research and it seems that good old-fashioned shampoo (with sulfates) produces the best bubbles. But since I only use sulfate free shampoo (because it’s an irritant) I didn’t have any on hand to test. And apparently adding one egg white to the mix will help the bubbles last for your entire bath. I hope you guys have better luck than I did!!

HONEY VANILLA BUBBLE BATH RECIPE

• 1/2 cup light almond oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup mild liquid hand or body soap (Dr. Bronner’s is my fave)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

MUSIC APP

The music app I mention is called Songza. I keep waiting for them to make me pay for it but (at least for now) it’s a completely free app with no commercials – they have an apple and android version. I love their playlists – they have them based on mood, activity and genre. For my relaxing baths I listen to the “Classical Sunrise” playlist.

BOOKS

I am a big reader and I put all the books I read on goodreads, so you can follow me there if you’re interested 🙂 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/870443-brittany

MOVIE

The movie that I mentioned is called The Secret. I will admit the movie is a bit over-dramatic but the message is simple and profound. If you are in a bad place in your life watching this movie will help shift your paradigm about your life and your problems. I probably re-watch this at least 5-6 times a year and now it’s streaming on Netflix so there’s no excuse not to watch it!!

Okay that’s it for today, let me know if you have any questions I’m happy to answer. In the meantime, please find me on Twitter and Instagram

TWITTER: ‪https://twitter.com/vasseurbeauty

INSTAGRAM: ‪http://instagram.com/vasseurbeauty

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xx Brittany