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Looking Good in Later Life 34
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Anyone who has looked after her (or his) appearance over the years has the edge in later life compared to ravers who burned all their candles at both ends.
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A vast industry is out there to help with all and
every beauty concern. In this column every month laterlife.com will report on ideas
and products, old and new. All with the focus on maturity of course.| Helen Franks gets rejuvenated
Bharti Vyas is the guru, a woman with a deep knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine and owner of a pair of magic hands. Now, I must confess that I am not a high-maintenance person. I don’t go in for massage or facials, or manicures or colonic this and thats. I visit the hairdresser once in three months, and have only recently given up doing my own tinting. However, who could resist a Harmonising Facial by Bharti? It sounded like something with a chorus of birds in the background. Actually it wasn’t. Bharti greeted me with great enthusiasm. She asked questions about diet, general health and lifestyle. She made shrewd comments about my personality and character. All these things, she said, affected the way she would treat me. (I have no way of knowing if this was true, but see later for results.) It wasn’t only a facial. It was a whole-body experience. That, I suppose, is where the Harmonising bit comes in. She gave me a thong to wear, and a towel to cover the bits she wasn’t working on. I was oiled all over, including the scalp, and then plastered with various unguents and emollients, ending with a light tanning lotion. Before she started on my face – which was more or less the same routine – I was clad in these funny boots to aid circulation. Flowtron boots were originally designed for post-operative use, for people who are bed-bound, to reduce danger of blood clots. Bharti uses them for lymphatic drainage. Yeah, they felt nice, sort of tingly. You need time (as well as money) if you want a Harmonising Facial. The whole business took one and a half hours, what with the chat and everything. I decided to surrender to the moment. “How do you feel?” asked Bharti, when the one and a half hours were up. “Walking on air,” I replied. My skin felt silky and smooth, and looked it too. After a scrutiny at the mirror, I reckoned she had taken off a good ten years. Many of my lines and wrinkles were ironed out. My skin looked radiant. My hair, though, looked completely wild. Bharti advises her clients to wear a scarf or hat when they go home, and get their hair done afterwards. Would I do it again, knowing there would be a bill for £120 second time around? I think I might, but only for a very special occasion or if I felt exceedingly stressed. When I said this to Bharti, she replied, ‘Ideally, after fifty, the body needs an MOT every month to see real results. Think of it as an investment – better than a new outfit or jewellery in terms of energy and rejuvenation.’ She could be right. Cherie Blair and a lot of other well-known people seem to think so. I have been trying out some of Bharti’s facial products at home. This is definitely high maintenance, involving half a dozen pots of creams and potions for cleansing, a gentle face polisher, nourishing, moisturising, etc. The contents of the pots are unfamiliar, some of them brown and thick or creamy and slippery. They have the feel and look of being reassuringly natural, free of chemicals, perfume or colouring. I can’t honestly say that they – or I - have the Bharti magic touch. My lines and wrinkles are fully visible. But my skin feels smooth and looks luminous. Details and prices can be found on Bharti's website (The following is a shortened version of the Bharti Vyas information leaflet) Bharti top- to- toe treatment - the Harmonising Facial The Harmonising Facial includes locating all pockets of tension in the body and releasing them, by stimulating circulation. The therapy involves a combination of hands-on therapies including Ayurvedic and aromatherapy oils; heat therapy, acupressure, lymphatic drainage and friction massage are also employed. Whatever the skin needs on the day will be provided. The massage techniques Lymphatic drainage The lymphatic system massage incorporates activating vital acupuncture pressure points, located on the face and scalp. The massage helps to relieve any tension.. The treatment also employs the use of Flowtron boots to help stimulate circulation - see more on this below. Ayurvedic friction massage A quick, but not deep, massage that helps stimulate blood circulation and strengthen the immune system - and give the skin a vibrant glow. Aromatherapy massage Aromatherapy massage includes the use of pure essential oils to enhance physical and mental well-being. The Ultimate Face Balm is fused with a unique blend of essential oils including jojoba, tea tree, and chamomile and carrot oil to create a balancing effect on the skin. The technology Microdermabrasion Microdermabrasion is an accelerated form of exfoliation (the removal of dead cells). Aluminium oxide crystals are blasted onto the skin, with a controlled pressure, through a plastic tube. The peeling effect achieved accelerates the repairing of scar tissue, reduces the thickening of skin and pigmentation problems. It will also help strengthen the skin. A cold laser is then waved over the skin. This helps speed up the skins healing and rejuvenation process. Myolift A great tool which helps to lift and tone facial muscles. Pads are placed on large and small facial muscles and electrical impulses are passed through them. This causes the muscles to contract and relax, giving them the equivalent of a good workout. Immediate results can be seen, so this treatment is perfect if someone has a special evening planned. Flowtron Lymphatic Boots These inflatable boots intermittently compress and decompress. This helps to boost the lymphatic system and ease painful legs.
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When
you are offered something called a Harmonising Facial by a famous beauty
guru (one who has, it is said, treated Cherie Blair and various celebs), you
don’t say no.
Previous editions of Looking Good in laterlife Edition 1 (including a visit to Estee Lauder) Edition 2 (including a visit to Clarins) Edition 3 (including a visit to Medestea Internazionale Edition 4 (including a visit to Martha Hill Skincare) Edition 5 (including a visit to Harrods) Edition 6 (including a visit to Belgravia Centre) Edition 7 (including a visit to Vichy Laboratoire) Edition 8 (including a visit to Avene Spa) Edition 9 (including fashion tips) Edition 10 eyebrows, eyelashes, sun and skin Edition 11 (including a visit to Lasercare Clinics) Edition 12 - Lasercare Clinics offer their expertise on common skin conditions Edition 13 - Ageing skin in the new millennium Edition 14 - A visit to Helen Sher Edition 15 - More from Helen Sher and Lasercare Clinics Edition 16 A visit to Champneys London Clubs Edition 17 - Seeking Cosmetic Surgery Edition 18 - Does hair dye cause cancer? Edition 19 - How not to look
like mutton dressed as lamb.. Edition 20 - What cosmetic dentistry can do for you - Part one Edition 22 - What’s new at Estee Lauder? Edition 23 - Lancome - a perennial favourite Edition 24- The latest from Clarins Edition 25 - East meets west with
Shiseido Edition 26 - Nutrimetics Edition 27 - Nutrimetics - Special offer Edition 28 - Nutrimetics workshop Edition 29 - Exfoliation
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Previous Visits laterlife.com occasionally visits one of the great cosmetic houses, up-and-coming beauty collections or other organisations of interest to the more mature visitor.
Edition 1 Estee Lauder Edition 2 Clarins Edition 3 Medestea Internazionale Edition 4 Martha Hill Skincare Edition 5 Harrods Edition 7 Vichy Laboratoire Edition 8 Avene Spa Edition 11 Lasercare Clinics Edition 14 - Helen Sher Edition 16 A visit to
Champneys London Clubs
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laterlife interest Don't forget to take a look at the rest of the features sections of laterlife.com: laterlife interest containing a variety of articles of interest for visitors to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new journalists. It includes both one off articles and also regular columns of a more specialist nature such as healthwise and talkback Also don't forget to take a look at our regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT by IT trainer and author Jackie Sherman. To view the latest articles and indexes to previous articles click on laterlife interest here or above. To search for articles about a certain topic, use the site search feature below.
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