Fortunately, taking a few small steps can help you look your best when you’re wearing your favorite summer styles.

Stay hydrated. This isn’t just a matter of drinking plenty of pure water, though that helps, of course. “Eating dark green leafy vegetables and drinking fresh vegetable juice are a great way to get hydration,” Florian Barker says. They’ll also provide you with vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy glow. “Nutrition is one of the most important things that is going to make your skin look fantastic,” says Florian Barker.

Weave relaxation into your lifestyle. Finding ways to de-stress can reap huge dividends for your skin, even if you can only spare a half hour a few times a week. Whether you opt for meditating, doing yoga or taking time for a good laugh with friends, it’ll show on your face. “They’ll all have a cleansing and detoxifying effect on your body,” she says.

Create a simple skincare routine. If you don’t have much time to primp, concentrate on using three high-quality products: a cleanser, an exfoliant and a moisturizer. “If you want to really keep it simple, those are the most important,” Florian Barker says. Exfoliating is one of the most overlooked ways to look younger and healthier. “It brightens the skin and removes dull surface skin cells,” she explains.

Not sure which products are best for you? An esthetician at Willow Stream Spas can help guide you.

Indulge your skin. Booking a facial at a spa can help you heighten the effects of healthy lifestyle changes and jumpstart your skin care regime. One customer favorite at Willow Stream Spas is the Advanced Age Correcting Facial. “That is one facial I will definitely recommend if someone wants to get themselves on the right track with a skincare program,” says Florian Barker.

Need to remove impurities in the skin? Try the Customized Deep Cleansing Facial. And if you’re in the mood for luxury, you won’t want to overlook Ultimate Caviar Facial , which includes health-boosting ingredients such as green tea, seaweed and shea butter.

To prolong the effects of your facial after you leave, try Kerstin Florian Caviar Age Defense Serum, to be sold exclusively through Willow Stream Spas in August and September. “We have studies showing that after 56 days of use, it decreases the depth of wrinkles by 27%,” says Florian Barker. Coupled with a healthier, more energizing lifestyle, it should help you keep your summer skin looking better than ever.

The closet part is normal, a nice old-fashioned tradition.  When the weather begins to warm up, cleaning and paring down the stuff you’ve accumulated over the winter is a no brainer. It’s good to be lighter in the spring.

A good scrub is a spring cleaning tradition here at Willow Stream.  And you can give yourself an effective and natural home-made skin exfoliation in your own private oasis whenever the spirit moves you. Here are some simple at home scrubs from the experts of Willow Stream. All you need are a few ingredients you probably have on hand right now.

A Simple Oatmeal Facial Scrub

1 cup of instant oatmeal
1/2 cup of clover honey
1 egg white

Crush the oatmeal with a rolling pin or a large wooden spoon. Mix in the honey, and then the egg white. Massage the mixture on your face. Leave it on for 3 to 4 minutes then rinse it off with warm water. Your skin will feel baby soft, and you’ll want to repeat this treatment once a week to keep your skin glowing. Follow with a daytime moisturizer. We recommend Kerstin Florian 24hr Creme.

The Coffee Body Scrub

2 cups of fresh ground coffee (not brewed)
1/2 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of baby oil

Mix them together. Then get in your shower, wet your skin, apply the mixture, rub it in gently, and shower off.  You will feel wonderful all over, and ready for spring.
It is thought that coffee constricts the blood vessels, which is why it is in many eye creams. It is an anti-oxidant and thought to help heal the skin.  Follow with moisturizer. We recommend Willow Stream Energy Body Butter.

NOTE: It is best to not use a scrub just before an important event because a scrub can sometimes leave temporary blotches.

The damage sun can do to eyes and the tender skin around the eyes can be quite dramatic. Skiers and snowboarders know this so they wear sunglasses or tinted goggles on the slopes. We recommend carrying Kerstin Florian Rejuvenating Eye Creme in your purse for a quick refresher. It helps fight lines and wrinkles while firming the skin and reducing the appearance of dark eye circles. It also reapplies over makeup without smudging.

When looking for the perfect pair of sunglasses, keep these tips in mind. Find a comfortable pair (or several pairs) that fit your sense of style; look for lenses that filter out at least 99% of UV-A and UV-B rays; small sunglasses don’t do a good job of protecting eyes from sun damage and keeping the surrounding skin from wrinkling. You’ll look cool in your new shades and you’ll be protecting yourself at the same time. Talk about a win-win situation.

The US Surgeon General wants us to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. For many of us, walking is a great way to do that. 30 minutes of brisk walking is about two and a half miles, about 4,000 steps. Add all those steps to your daily walking around and you’ve got some serious wear and tear on your feet.

Many of our regular Willow Stream guests have learned that the best thing they can do about wear and tear on their feet is to visit a Willow Stream Spa for a pedicure. Next best is a do-it-yourself home pedicure, Willow Stream style. Here’s what that entails:

PREPARATION

• Sanitize your hands before and after your pedicure and, if you have broken skin, apply an antiseptic
• Remove nail polish
• Clip your toenails straight across, taking care not to cut too short. This will help prevent ingrown nails
• File your toenails with a medium-coarse file

SOAK

• Fill a bowl with hot water, adding, if desired: 1 cup of Epsom Salts for sore, tired feet or 1 tbsp of honey to rejuvenate dry skin. Willow Stream’s new Body Polish collection is perfect for an at home pedicure; this high quality spa product hydrates and soothes tired tootsies with a choice of scents.
• Soak your feet for 10 minutes
• Remove and lightly towel dry

SOFTEN

• Using a pumice stone, gently rub dead skin off with extra attention to problem areas such as heels and the balls of your feet
• Massage tired feet with an exfoliating scrub like Willow Stream Balance Aromatherapy Hydrating Body Scrub
• Rinse and pat dry
• Apply a heavy moisturizing cream (like Kerstin Florian Krauter FuB Balm) to soothe and cool
• Gently push cuticles back using an orangewood stick
• Remove moisturizer from your toenails with polish remover, if you’re going to apply polish

POLISH

• Apply a clear base coat, then 2 coats of your favorite color, then a top coat
• Remove excess polish from your cuticles. It dries the skin

TIPS

• Wrap the tips of your nails with polish. When applying polish, be sure to bring it over the front edge of the nail and slightly under the tip. This helps prevent chipping
• The secret to keeping nails from smudging: Dry time! Surfaces will feel dry to the touch after 10 minutes, but it actually takes an hour for nails to completely dry.
• To maintain a fresh look, add a fresh layer of topcoat every other day
• Wipe one side of the nailbrush on the inside of the neck of the bottle to ensure excess polish is removed. Then sweep the brush up the length of the nail in thin coats. Thick coats of polish bubble and peel.

A PEDI-PARTICULAR:

The word pedicure comes from the Latin words pes, which means foot, and cura, which means care. The history of pedicures dates back at least to ancient Egypt, so perhaps King Tut had the first pampering pedicure.

• Wear a hat. You’ll be more encouraged to wear a hat if you take the time to buy one that is fashionable, fun and that you look fabulous in.
• When around the pool or outdoors apply your favorite conditioner to your hair (you can use sunscreen too). Pin it up, let the sun help penetrate the conditioner to the hair shaft. Follow your day with a shower and see how great your hair looks and feels. We like Willow Stream Energy Conditioner – it’s really hydrating and smells great!
• If spending time in the summer sun remember your hair also needs protection from the sun and chlorine. Choose styling products, which contain natural UVA and UVB filters to protect your hair color investment.
• A fun, bright flower hair elastic/clip gives sun kissed tousled hair a lift off the back of your neck in the heat of the summer. Pick ones that won’t tear or break hair.
• Shampoo as needed. If summer temperatures make your scalp oily, shampoo once a day with a mild shampoo. Otherwise, skip a day between shampoos to allow hair’s own oils to act as natural moisturizers.
• Rinse away salt and chlorine. If left on the hair, salt and chlorine can make it dry and brittle. After swimming, remove chemicals with tap water.
• Give your blow-dryer a break. Instead, air dry hair whenever possible.Even better, ask your stylist to update your cut so it looks best when not blown dry.