Health

Local and Online Resources While Social Distancing

March 31, 2020

We provided a list of some resources in our blog post about COVID-19 but since then we’ve heard a lot more great ideas so our intent is to keep updating this blog post with new resources, both local and online, for ways to stay occupied, to learn new things, to teach the kiddos, and help the local community.

For general news and local updates related to the virus, Keller Williams has a Daily Greenville site with all of that information.

If you want to help local businesses in general

The Chocolate Moose in downtown Greenville has started a website called Kill COVID not Small Biz that lets local restaurants and retail shops provide information about current hours, online shopping and/or gift cards, and other ways that the Upstate community can support each business during this time.

If you want to cook more (or better)

Make some homemade pizza while staying home

Want to learn to make pasta and yummy Italian Food – Check out https://nonnalive.com/ – this is a paid class but seems like it would be super fun.
Christina at Atlantic Institute posts a lot of things going on in the community – The Turkish ladies did an online cooking class last week and I think they’re going to be doing another one soon.
Maybe be creative with your cooking! Use Google or Pinterest and try something different. My friend Angela just did a challenge with her Dave Ramsey group in February to eat everything out of her pantry and freezer without going to the grocery store. She had to get pretty creative and not everything was a huge success but it was a challenge and I thought pretty cool.
Michelin-Star Chef Massimo Bottura is live streaming his family dinners on his Instagram account so those who are stuck at home, just like he is, can also enjoy a delicious meal while improving their cooking skills. He’s called the series “Kitchen Quarantine” and is recording in English to reach as many people as possible.

If you want to eat in

So many restaurants are offering delivery and take out. In addition to the list on the Kill COVID Not Small Biz website, here are a few small places you might not know about:

Kuka Juice – Love these ladies. They have a delivery service, as well as pick up. You can also get a free kids lunch! Go check them out.
Sunbelly Cafe
My neighbors, Palmetto Fine Foods

Really just too many to name, maybe go out of your comfort zone and try something new. We are pretty stocked at home so we are cooking away.

If you want to work out

If you enjoy yoga, check out Greenville Yoga – they are now doing their classes via Live Streaming and you can pay for classes as you go along.
Jaidra with Niad is teaching her bellydance classes online! So if getting to class was hard now you can check it out online fro the comfort of your home. Pricing is on her site.

If you miss nature

You can do virtual tours in the National Parks thanks to Google Earth.
Maybe take a virtual safari in Africa and then check out books online from the library if you can to learn more.
Take a virtual tour at Cincinnati Zoo
Or right down the road at the Georgia Aquarium
Noni Chick – We visited the Real Noni Farm last year and it was so interesting. Every year they have albatrosses that come to give birth and raise their chicks and every year they have a contest on what to name one of the chicks and you can participate and maybe win a free gift!

If you love the arts

Logos Theater in Taylors is offering 2 shows online – I love their plays and look forward to watching this at home since my live version was cancelled.
Shelter at home with streaming episodes of Austin City Limits. The beacon of live music is opening its archives as a gift to music fans during the current live music moratorium.
So now that I have my Hoopla App I can listen to audiobooks (you can also watch movies or TV, listen to music, read comics and Ebooks) from the Library for FREE! Great books I have listened to:
- The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar (based on historical facts about women that flew planes during WWII)
- The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (based on a true story)
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (based on a true story)
- I am starting the Narnia Series now – I needed something lighter after the last 2 books! I loved them but they are on the heavier side. Radium Girls and The Tattooist of Auschwitz were amazing stories about strength, perseverance, survival and happiness. Yes, even happiness was found by many of the Radium Girls and Lalo.

If you have kids to entertain and educate (in addition to above ideas)

My rabbit is enjoying a facial during the Bear Hunt

Dolly Parton has announced a new weekly video called “Goodnight With Dolly” which will feature Dolly reading a series of Imagination Library children’s books.
The author of Pete The Cat goes live at noon on Instagram! I believe it’s every weekday.
These virus test kits are something you have to pay for but I thought it was cool to explain what is going on now.
Go Bear Hunting – This looks super fun and is based on a Children’s Book.
Pull out those old board and card games that may have been collecting dust these last few years as we are always on the run and don’t slow down.

If you want to tackle your home and yard

Do home repair projects that you have been putting off! Grab your paint today or any supplies today, make use of your time.
Time to clean out those closets and drawers! https://konmari.com/ or see a Google search for Konmari tricks.
Get those garden beds ready for planting! Read ideas on the Clemson Home and Garden website.

COVID-19 Resources and What We’re Doing at the Moon

March 17, 2020

Good Afternoon Raspberry Moon Fam,

Before we get into the serious stuff, Sláinte is Táinte (“slawn-che iss toin-che”), meaning “health and wealth” in Gaelic!

This St Patty’s Day is a little different than most, but some downtime never stopped the Irish and on St Patty’s Day everyone has a little Irish in them! So Sláinte is Táinte to you and your family. Stay safe and healthy.

I saw this Guinness commercial and really loved it so thought I would share it with you.

Stay healthy and safe my friends,

Nicole

Check out my article from when my Mom and I went on a pineapple tour in Hawaii! It’s got some fab tips on why you should add pineapple to your diet, and if you decide on fresh pineapple, learn how to pick the right one and how to store it to get the best flavor! I love the frozen Kirkland brand pineapple from Costco. It smells like you have just cut into a fresh pineapple.

My Plans at The Moon

Right now, I am planning to stay open and help create a place to rest and take your mind off things. I will continue to wipe down the room after every client and we are wiping down the handles and shop every day. There are diffusers being used with 4 Thieves in most rooms. There is hand sanitizer in the bathroom and in my room.

Please wash your hands a lot! Sing Happy Birthday twice while washing to really clean your hands well.

It is so hard to do this BUT try to stop touching your face, eyes and nose. You don’t realize how much we do this all day!

Please check your appointment time – you receive reminders via email and some clients received texts based on your preference. If you decide you would like to reschedule please do so as soon as possible.

How Do I Stay Home Yet Stay Sane?

This is going to be a challenge for a lot of people to stay home, keep the kids entertained or not go stir crazy.

This is a great time to take advantage of reading, playing games, being creative, spending time to just regroup and just resting. Getting proper sleep is one of the best and cheapest things you can do to stay healthy. Your body needs time to regenerate so be sure to go to bed at a decent hour and get up after 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

I mean seriously, how often do you get a chance to just take it easy? I know this all can be scary but let’s see what kind of things you can do to increase your well being and how creative you can be!

Here are some ideas for you to sort of keep things business as usual:

If you enjoy yoga, check out Greenville Yoga – they are now doing their classes via Live Streaming and you can pay for classes as you go along.
Do you have a library card? You can download audio books, movies, music, comics, Ebooks, television.
Pull out those old board and card games that may have been collecting dust these last few years as we are always on the run and don’t slow down.
Do home repair projects that you have been putting off! Grab your paint today or any supplies today, make use of your time.
Time to clean out those closets and drawers! https://konmari.com/ or see a Google search for Konmari tricks.
Get those garden beds ready for planting! Read ideas on the Clemson Home and Garden website.
Maybe be creative with your cooking! Use Google or Pinterest and try something different. My friend Angela just did a challenge with her Dave Ramsey group last month to eat everything out of her pantry and freezer without going to the grocery store. She had to get pretty creative and not everything was a huge success but it was a challenge and I thought pretty cool.

We are pretty stocked here for a while but I am planning to get creative with things we have had for a bit we need to use up and I want to get the freezer cleaned out!

Of course the Salvadorian LOVES beans! LOL this is what I came home to the other night.

He said when all we have left is beans I don’t get any since I was picking on him about it! (Ummm this doesn’t include the rice, pasta and beans we already had though we would have needed them at some point any how. LOL)

Some COVID-19 Resources

I know everyone has been inundated with Coronavirus information. I have been listening to this MedCram medical Course that is really in layman’s terms. The doctor does a fabulous job explaining things. I do better with this kind of information. I hope this helps you understand more about the disease and what actions to take.

According to a video I just watched on MedCram here are some things that you can be doing to help keep others in the community safe:

Get a Thermographer – know for sure if you have a fever! A fever is 100.4 F or 38.0 C
If you have a fever – DON’T GO to the hospital UNLESS you need to. Your signs to know if you should go to the hospital include: Shortness of Breath, Severe Cough, Sleepiness.
DON’T HOARD MASKS – Regular surgical masks don’t prevent you from getting Coronavirus! The surgical masks are used in the hospital to help prevent a SICK person from spreading disease! The N95 masks are NEEDED for Hospital workers. If they are not able to get supplies then they are more at risk and we need all of the hospital staff to stay healthy so they can do their job and take care of those who get sick!
CALL BEFORE you go to the hospital! If you show severe signs such as shortness of breath, chest pain or are super sleepy then you should go to the hospital.

There is just tons of good info on the Med C ram site so just go check it out. The course is free and easy to understand, but you might need to create a free account first to view.

10 Things You Can Do to Manage Your Health at Home

if you have possible or confirmed COVID-19

Graphic courtesy of the CDC website.

If you’re not sure what products to use to clean and sanitize, the EPA website has a comprehensive list of cleaning agents that are effective against the virus. (Clorox and other familiar cleaning products are listed starting about page 5.)

Fifteen Days to Slow the Spread

These are new guidelines put out by the White House and CDC yesterday (3/16/2020):

Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.
If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.
If your children are sick, keep them at home. Contact your medical provider.
If someone in your household has tested positive for the Coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.
If you are an older American, stay home and away from other people.
If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition—such as a significant heart or lung problem—stay home and away from other people.

These guidelines build on the CDC’s general recommendations to help prevent spread of the virus. Americans should continue practicing strict personal hygiene, including washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds at a time and wiping down surfaces in the home often.

Even if you are young and otherwise healthy, you are at risk—and your activities can increase the risk of contracting the Coronavirus for others. Everyone can do their part.

Please stay safe and healthy out there!

Lychees from A to Z

July 2, 2019

Lychees are a yummy fruit grown on the islands of Hawaii. When we were in Hawaii last month we didn’t get to do a tour that was just about lychee but we did see a few trees that were full of beautiful fruit. It’s summer so it’s the perfect time to enjoy these little bursts of flavor.

Growing Lychees

Lychee/Litchi is a tropical fruit native to low elevation lands of China, Taiwan, South East Asia and of course Hawaii. The little clusters are usually oval or round and grow on a slow-growing, medium-sized evergreen tree. They are covered with a red-colored, rough-textured, easily removable rind. Inside is a sweet translucent ball of yumminess but it has a seed that you for sure don’t want to bite into.

According to Kaye Family Farms in Hawaii, lychee can be grown in almost any type of soil from sea level to 2000 ft elevation. They love well drained, acidic soil. They also love humidity in the summer for the fruit and cold in the winter for the flowers. Hawaii has so many microclimates that picking the right area to grow lychees is very important. It does make me think they should grow well in South Carolina but I think maybe the frost is what would kill them? Maybe we will give it a try.

Lychee in Skincare

Some of the benefits of lychee in skincare are a great source of skin-friendly nutrients like thiamin, niacin, and copper. Thiamin assists the body in metabolizing fats and protein for healthy skin. Niacin boosts the hydration levels in the skin while copper, in small quantities, helps to speed up the healing of damaged skin. All these benefits make lychee a super fruit for your skin.

Lychees are extremely juicy and helps keep the body hydrated. Of course this means healthy, hydrated skin. There is no chance of dehydration when you consume this fruit.

The Health Benefits of Lychee

According to Top Food Facts, lychee also have the following health benefits:

All the rich fibers helps maintain digestive health. It helps to keep the stomach clear of harmful toxins, and prevents the problems of constipation. It also has the ability to cleanse the colon. Furthermore, the lychee is a natural diuretic, and helps relieve pain caused due to kidney stones.
The high vitamin C content in it makes this fruit extremely beneficial for our bone and skin health. Moreover, it strengthens the body’s immune system, and the ability to fight different types of disease.
Lychee fruit extract is great for those looking to lose weight around the abdomen, and for those who aim to improve their metabolism.
Supposedly it helps against potential heart attacks. It clears out blood clots and keeps the cells healthy.
It contains fatty acids that are essential in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. This means, it aids the digestion of other healthy foods.
Lastly, instead of opting for a cola, or a cup of coffee, or a sugary treat for an energy boost, try having a couple of lychees and see the difference it makes to your overall energy levels.

Lychee is an amazing source of Vitamin C. It provides about 72 mg of this vitamin per 100 grams! It is a great source of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Eating Lychees

How do you eat these little guys? Peel and eat of course, or add them to a fruit salad, or enjoy it with ice cream. Top a cake with pieces of fresh lychee.

You can even add it to flavor your stir fried vegetables. It’s like having the best of both worlds! I think I need to eat a ton of these!

And of course you can enjoy it in a facial treatment with our Pineapple Lychee Facial!

For more information:

Interesting facts about Lychee fruit

WTH Do All These Words Mean I Can’t Pronounce!

May 24, 2019

Have you ever looked at an ingredient label and thought WTH does all this mean?

And then some companies advertise the whole “If you can’t pronounce it, then it is bad for you!” Well, that’s not exactly true.

Here are some large words you may find on your skincare bottles and what they actually refer to.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – this comes from coconut and is used as a thickening agent and is a great emollient.
Dihydrogen Oxide – Means 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen – Anyone remember a tiny bit of High School Chemistry? Also known as Water!
Phenoxyethanol – this is actually a preservative that is globally approved, is non-irritating, non-sensitizing and is used to help prevent bacteria growth. Yeah who wants nasty critters running amok in their skincare? Not me!
SD Alcohol – is made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is a species of yeast. It has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times according to Wikipedia. This is more commonly known as baker’s yeast or budding yeast. This is used because it mixes so well with water and allows the formulator to add active ingredients that otherwise would be insoluble into the end product.
Sodium Hydroxypropysulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer – Holy Smokes could this be any longer!? This is a natural plant derived surfactant made from coconut oil and corn syrup. It is renewable and gentle to the skin.

Why water isn’t water on an ingredient list

So why the heck can’t they just say baker’s yeast or use a word that everyone would know? This has to do with INCI names, International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It requires that all ingredients are listed on the label; there can be no trade names or company proprietary ingredients. If a company won’t list its ingredients or tries to hide it, then you should be concerned.

Be sure to check out our blog post on peptides for a list of commonly used peptides, what they mean, and why we use them.

Peptides in Skincare

May 21, 2019

Skin Script products that include peptides

So what the heck are peptides and why do I care?

Peptides are short chain amino acids that penetrate the Stratum Corneum (the top layer of your skin). They are synthetic and made in a lab.

Peptides make skincare more functional and help ingredients perform better. They are basically telling our skin to do something. I am all for using as natural of a skincare line as possible, but we still have to have products that actually do something positive for the skin!

Below is a list of commonly used Peptides, what they do and even what Skin Script product they are used in!

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

AKA Argireline, reduces fine lines and facial tension, has a Botox like effect on wrinkles great around the eye area, forehead or even the neck. Found in: Peptide Eye Serum and Tri-Peptide Eye Cream

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

AKA SNAP 8, reduces wrinkle depth. Found in: Vitamin C/Green Tea Serum

ChroNOline

Boosts Collagen, helps to smooth and soften the skin, helps to restore and restructure the skin, great for menopausal skin. Found in: Peptide Restoration Moisturizer

Copper Tripeptide-1

Promotes healing. Found in: Peptide Restoration Moisturizer

Human Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)

Helps to divide the cells quicker – and not to worry, this doesn’t come from a human, it is a chain of 53 amino acids. Found in: Peptide Restoration Moisturizer

Kollaren

Tells the circulatory system to kick on, helps lift and tone. Found in: Passionfruit Enzyme Treatment

Matrixyl Sythe’6

Has been used for years and is considered the Gold Standard in skincare and pro-aging ingredients. It is used to soften wrinkles. Found in: Ageless Hydrating Serum – 65% Hyaluronic Acid!

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Diminishes dark circles. Found in: Peptide Eye Serum

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Diminishes dark circles. Found in: Peptide Eye Serum

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Stimulates collagen. Found in: Tri-Peptide Eye Cream

Reproage™

Improves skin roughness and resolves texture issues. Found in: Peptide Restoration Moisturizer

So there you have the peptide story in a nutshell. Lab created, skin approved!

Razor Burn and Ingrown Hairs – WTH(eck) do I do now!?

June 29, 2018

Dave Waggner is the Educator Guru at Skin Script and here are his words of wisdom about in-grown hairs or pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) which is a type of inflammation of the follicle lining affecting the beard area due to infection with the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

PFB is due to shaving, particularly close shaving—because the cut hair may retract beneath the skin surface. It can also occur in skin folds and scars. It occurs mainly in people with curly hair because the curl of the hair means that the sharp pointed end of a recently shaved hair comes out from the skin and re-enters the skin close by causing a foreign body inflammatory reaction. The follicles can easily become infected, causing PFB. So you get ingrown hairs and razor burn, those irritating red bumps on your face.

So WTH(eck) Dave, how do we fix it?

Dave’s advice is to let the beard grow for 30 days to eliminate ingrown hairs (I know we are currently in summer and that is harder to do but maybe a good idea for crazy No Shave November?) .

When ready to shave again, take the following precautions:

Ensure the skin is well moisturized.
A good scrub like Skin Script Retinol 2% Exfoliating Scrub/Mask will exfoliate the surface skin cells and reduces the likelihood of new inflamed spots.
Aim to have a 5 o’clock shadow immediately after shaving. Shave less frequently, e.g. every other day.
Either use a single blade disposable razor, or use electric hair clippers or a razor with an attachment that leaves the cut hairs long.
Shave in the direction of the follicle, not against it. Do not stretch the skin.
Sterilize metal hair clippers and electric razors using boiling water, and plastic items should be soaked in antiseptic solution.

Treating PFB from a Skin Script perspective:

Retail products: Raspberry Refining cleanser or Green Tea Citrus Cleanser, Cucumber Hydration Toner, Retinol 2% Exfoliating Scrub/Mask, Clarifying Toner Pads, appropriate weighted moisturizer, Blemish Spot Treatment (as needed) and of course, Sheer Protection SPF 30. All of these products are available at Raspberry Moon. Just Contact Us to order what you need.

Professional treatment: Need some help getting started in the right direction? Raspberry Moon offers an Ingrown Hair Facial Treatment that will begin to address these issues. Depending on the severity of the PFB we may need to do a series of Glycolic Acid Peels. Book a Man of the Hour Facial for your service and we will go over your skin issues and tailor a treatment to you.

From Skin Script:

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

From me: Ditto on the above statement and use some common sense people! Everyone is responsible for their own actions. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. If you have reaction, stop what you are doing. I hope this information is helpful.