Tuesday, 04 December 2012 15:13

Engage Clients in Starting the New Year on a Healthy Path

Written by   Celeste Hilling

Stress less. Eat healthier. Lose weight. The resolutions will be plentiful as the clock strikes midnight on January 1st. The Journal of Clinical Psychology reports 45 percent of adults make one or more resolutions each year. How long do people stick with them?

  • Past the first week: 75%
  • After one month: 64%
  • After six months: 46%

Research also shows the most common resolutions are related to self-improvement or education. Bingo! There is your captive audience for coaching. Whether your clients want to find a new job, enter the dating world, or boost their self-esteem in 2013, they will need coaching. You have the tools.

Create Action Plans by Coaching
Use December as a time to pre-book your clients for a consultation in January. During that meeting, discuss their resolutions for the year ahead and make a game plan with realistic goals. Suggest they pick one thing, stick with it and achieve it before moving on to the next goal on their list.

Common Resolutions
Detoxing from unhealthy lifestyles. If your clients smoke, the resounding message is: Stop. In addition to its negative, carcinogenic effects on their body and overall health, smoking causes premature aging. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 toxins, many of which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and are taken by the blood into the skin's structure.
Lack of sleep is a big factor in unhealthy lifestyles. The National Institute of Health reports that 70 million Americans do not get enough sleep. As one of the biggest impairments to skin care is a lack of sleep, suggest clients ease into a good night's rest by turning off the television, taking a warm bath with aromatic bath salts, dimming the lights, lighting candles and practicing breathing exercises.
Before holiday parties, encourage clients to have a bit to eat – string cheese, slice of ham or turkey – to keep from overindulging. Suggest a glass of water for every cocktail for hydration and hangover reduction. And, regardless of packed schedules, coach clients to exercise during the holiday rush. Working out oxygenates the skin and body and gives us all a happier outlook.
The American Medical Association reports stress is a factor in more than 75 percent of illness today. And, the World Health Organization calls stress America's number one health problem.
Expectations of a new year often signal high stress, leading to free radical damage that shows an increase in fine lines, wrinkles, redness, inflammation, breakouts, tired eyes and sagging skin. Products with a high concentration of antioxidants slow the signs of abuse created by free radicals:

  • Vitamin A products such as retinol and retinyl palmitate;
  • Vitamins B and E;
  • 20% vitamin C serums;
  • Minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, potassium and magnesium.

Encourage clients to look for the following ingredients in products as well as the foods they eat: green tea, broccoli, sweet potatoes, almonds, cranberries and pomegranate.
Bringing back energy, beating the blues. January is a common time for an overall lack of energy and zest for life. For some, the blues go one step further and become Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). FamilyDoctor.org reports that between four to six percent of Americans suffer from the disorder, while another 10 to 20 percent may experience a mild form of winter-onset SAD.
Educate clients to use aromatic treatments and products for natural lifts. Peppermint, citrus, lavender and rosemary are known for lifting the spirits. Citrus fragrances (particularly lemon) help boost serotonin, a feel-good hormone. Be sure to send clients home with products to continue the experience.
Winter also brings a lack of vitamin D. Your average customers are females of child-bearing age; and 76 percent of that demographic is vitamin D deficient. Recent research suggests that being vitamin D sufficient may be as important to disease prevention as eating healthy and working out. Early indicators show that this deficiency may be linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, bone loss, eczema, psoriasis, and many other serious health conditions

Smarter Skin Care in 2013
Print these tips for clients, post them in your newsletter, or have it included with a holiday gift.

  1. Out With the Old
    Start January with a skin care assessment. Beauty products should be tossed one year after opening because bacteria can grow in the container and cause infections or irritation when applied to the skin. It is a good idea to write the date purchased on the bottom of new products so that you know when it has reached the end of its useful life.
  2. Simplify your Beauty
    Do you have 20 products on your shelf and no clue how to use them? Simplify to no more than three to four steps in the morning and evening. In the morning, use a mild cleanser, an antioxidant such as vitamin C, and a sunscreen moisturizer. Before going to bed, use resurfacing ingredients such as AHAs and retinols in addition to restorative peptides.
  3. Cost Per Ounce
    Shop for skin care the way you shop for food – by looking at the cost per ounce. You will find that products from spas and salons are a great bargain as they include complimentary consultations with a licensed aesthetics expert. Grocery, drug or discount stores do not offer that guidance.
  4. Concentrate on Concentrations
    Evaluate the concentration of active ingredients and ensure any treatment product has a pH below four. The human skin ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 pH. A product should be below the pH level of the skin for maximum penetration. Otherwise, you might as well be using water!

With nearly two decades in the beauty and wellness industries, Celeste Hilling is the Founder, CEO and Product Formulator for Skin Authority. Hilling is a respected speaker and media resource on skin care, healthy lifestyles, self-esteem and business. Skin Authority is respected for developing pure and powerful products without the use of parabens, added fragrance, dyes or animal testing. More on www.skinauthority.com, Facebook at Skin Authority, Twitter @Skin_Authority and @MissSkin.

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