Sometimes we forget that the skin on our scalp needs our love and attention just as much as the skin on our face and bodies — in fact, a healthy scalp means healthy hair!

A scalp massage with nutrient rich scalp serum will nourish your scalp evenly and fully. It may even prove a great way to wind down and relax.

At SHIZUKA NY we incorporate head and scalp massages into most of our facials including: Signature Micro Facial, Classic Facial, Geisha Facial, Lifting Facial, Lightening Facial, Microcurrent Facial, Ionizing Facial, and Omedeta Maternity Facial.

Request a facial appointment with head and scalp massage here >>

Check out the WebMD Slide show about hair health here >>

If you want to sweat without the physical activity, check out far infrared saunas. Unlike traditional steam saunas, infrared saunas use the same rays that come from the sun, with the UV rays filtered out. The infrared light heats you up from the inside out, leading you to sweat out impurities while you relax and decompress. We offer 1 hour private infrared sauna sessions that include a steam shower at your perusal. When you purchase 10 sessions up front, you get the 11^th on us.

Check out more information about our Far Infrared Sauna here >>

Request a Sauna appointment here >>

Kardashian Khaos Grand Opening - December 15, 2011

Ever wondered what you’d look like with Kim Kardashian lashes?

Our Full Set with frequent touch ups won’t give you that exact “falsy” lash look but we can get you pretty darn close!

See our current Spa Deals here >>

Check our Eyelash Extension page for maintenance guidelines and FAQs >>

Makes sense to us!  Simply, give a quick wipe of hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to the outsides of your phone a few times a week to keep any acne-causing bacteria at bay.

Check out a few more day-to-day acne prevention tips from the Mayo Clinic:

• Avoid heavy foundation makeup. Choose powder cosmetics over cream products because they’re less irritating.
• Remove makeup before going to bed. Going to sleep with cosmetics on your skin can clog tiny openings of the hair follicles (pores).
• Clean make-up brushes regularly. Be sure to throw out old makeup and clean your cosmetic brushes and applicators regularly with soapy water. *Shizuka stresses the importance of this because brushes can transfer bacteria back and forth from powder to skin.
• Shower after exercising or doing strenuous work. Oil and sweat on your skin can trap dirt and bacteria.

Read more acne-prevention tips from the Mayo Clinic here>>

What’s helped you prevent acne? We’d love to hear from you, share your comments below>>

Check out the latest mention of our Halloween Week Special – Geisha facial here! There’s still time to take advantage of our exclusive Halloween Week spa deals. So hurry, offers end October 31^st, 2011!

While the idea of a daily facial seems unlikely, especially for those constantly on the go, there are a couple things you can do daily to keep your skin happy and healthy this season.

As the weather gets cooler and the air dryer, it’s important to remain mindful of the foods we eat. It’s difficult to determine the exact correlation certain foods have on skin conditions, but for most, a slight change in the way we eat can bring a drastic improvement to our skin. Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City, says, “Everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being, but the outer fabric of your body as well. The healthier the foods are that you consume, the better your skin will look”.

To ensure you’re getting enough essential vitamins to nourish your skin from the inside out, we’ve compiled a list of seasonal winter foods to look out for the next time you go grocery shopping. For ultimate skin protection, we’ve paired them with our vitamin-infused topical serums and potions for a customized mini-facial everyday!

Reduce wrinkles, curb inflammation, improve skin tone, increase collagen levels: Eat foods rich in Vitamin C like sweet potatoes, red peppers, pineapple, oranges, and dark green leafy vegetables. Vitamin C is best known to strengthen your immune system but can also protect your skin’s cells and tissues from premature aging. Apply our C-Mollient Gel for a Vitamin C boost and Beech Tree & Ginseng Daily Moisturizer.

Soft, smooth, radiant skin: Eat foods rich in Vitamin E like fortified cereals, almonds, turnip greens, tomatoes, pine nuts, and avocado. Vitamin E helps fight off toxins in your body and acts as a powerful antioxidant. Apply Shea Butter Ultra-Rich Body Cream to immediately hydrate and sooth any area of your skin, excellent for all skin types.

Build up anti-aging defense mechanisms in your skin, even skin tone, reduce skin irritation and itchiness: Eat foods rich with Beta Carotene like carrots, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli and spinach. Beta Carotene promotes cell growth and increases immunity. Apply Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel to naturally exfoliate dead skin cells, and for mature skin apply Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel which is infused with both Beta Carotene and Vitamin C.

Reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles and skin discoloration: Eat foods rich in Vitamin K like olive oil, scallions, Brussels sprouts, kale, asparagus, broccoli, and pears. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting and bone health but also helps heal skin discolorations and scarring. Apply Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum to under eye circles and our RosaGel (also infused with Vitamins C and E) to reduce the appearance of redness and small capillaries.

Smoother, naturally hydrated skin: Eat foods with Hyaluronic Acid like fish and poultry. Hyalauronic Acid helps to hydrate and tightly bond skin cells together. Apply our HydraPeptide Gel for deep skin hydration and Glycolic Purifying Peel for both exfoliation and hydration, for normal to oily skin.

Healthy glowing skin: Eat foods rich in complex B vitamins like whole grains, poultry, fish, and eggs. B vitamins helps build healthy cells and can help even out skin tone. Apply Cassis Ultra Replenishing Cream to protect the skin from noxious chemicals in the air and improve resilience. Its ‘ultra’ components include Vitamin E & Hyaluronic Acid to boot.

Check out our current Spa Deals here>>

Can’t make it to the spa? Check out our online store>>

Hey Shizuka NY Insiders!

With Halloween right around the corner, you’ll scream at these Halloween Week Specials, good October 24th – 31st, 2011. Appointments are going fast, so reserve your spa TREATment now by requesting an appointment online, or calling (212) 644-7400.

Geisha Facial, $90 (Reg $180) Save 50%!

Halloween beauty never looked so good! Save a whopping 50% on this exclusive facial, seen on TV broadcasts and magazines internationally for harnessing the unique Japanese geisha tradition of cleansing the skin with nightingale droppings. This 50 min. facial also includes cleansing and light pore extraction using products from the all-natural Shizuka New York Skin Care System, a camellia oil facial massage and a green tea Collagen Mask.

Gel Nail Manicure – solid color, $38 (Reg $50)

Show off your Halloween spirit with our solid color Presto LED gel nails. Better yet, bring in a sample of your costume and let us create a custom color just for you. Mix things up a bit with festive stamps, hand drawing and glitter for an additional $10 and up.

50 min. Shiatsu or Swedish Massage , $80 (Reg $105)

Almost as sweet as a bagful of candy, our Shiatsu and Swedish massages will leave you feeling rejuvenated minus the empty calories! Treat your body and spirit to a 50 min. massage by one of our highly skilled massage therapists.

Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel , 1.7 Fl oz/50mL – $56

If you don’t feel like carving pumpkins this year but still want to indulge your festive side, try Naturopathica’s best selling Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel. By utilizing pumpkins’ powerful carotenoid antioxidant qualities, this refining peel is formulated to slough away dead skin cells for a clean, clear and radiant complexion. For an additional $30, sample it by asking your esthetician to add it to your favorite facial (already included in some). Or, simply take some home for yourself and let your skin glow like a jack-o-lantern all year round!

Spa deals are available October 24th – 31st, 2011. Schedule your appointment now by using our online request form or call (212) 644-7400.

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!

Our famous Bird Poop Facial was introduced as one of all natural and unusual facial!
 

(Please be patient as video loads.)

owner Shizuka Bernstein says her geisha facial – which includes the use of purified bird droppings — is in high demand.

“The ingredients in the droppings have a natural enzyme and it exfoliates, it breaks down the top layer of the skin, so it’s a good exfoliation,” Bernstein said.

But Day wasn’t so sure.

“Anything that is a leftover or a by-product especially in feces of another animal I would be very hesitant to use on my skin,” she said.

For centuries, geishas used the droppings to remove makeup and revitalize their skin. Bernstein incorporated the idea to make it a substitute for clients who didn’t want to use harsh chemicals on their face.

Mixed with rice bran and applied to the face, the bird droppings emit an “organic” aroma, but first-time client Jennifer Teman didn’t seem to mind, and she’s looking forward to her next visit.

“It smelled a little funny, but I was expecting that… I would recommend other people to do it because it’s definitely a different kind of a facial to get,” Teman said.

The geisha facial takes about 60 minutes and costs $180.

The Geisha “Bird Poop” Facial was on ABC News Now  Health on July 8, 2010. Also included in this segment titled “Bizarre Beauty Secrets” was the wacky Fish Pedicure where tiny garra rufa fish literally nibble the dead skin off your feet.

Bizarre Beauty Secrets was hosted by ABC’s Tanya Rivero and also featured Dr. Susan Evans, a Los Angeles dermatologist. Other weird beauty rituals shown were leech therapy and skin care treatments made of volcanic ash, beer, and papaya.

Shizuka Bernstein of Shizuka New York Day Spa was invited on set to view the taping and you can also see her behind the scenes photos on this blog!

If you still haven’t done it, you can enter to win a FREE BIRD POOP FACIAL through today!

Uma Thurman is looking fabulously flawless on the cover of W Magazine.  Inside you can get the scoop about her two children, NYC townhouse in the Village, and her upcoming movie “Motherhood.”  So is Uma’s stunning cover look the result of meticulous skin care or Photoshopping?  You be the judge.

As for Uma’s beauty tips, she has stated her need for a good night’s sleep as well as her regular exfoliation.  Those both sound like great ideas to us!

Scandalous vixen Kim Kardashian of Keeping up with the Kardashians and Dancing with the Stars fame is now a contributing beauty editor at OK! Magazine.  Kim will divulge some of her personal celebrity beauty secrets and makeup tips for looking gorgeous.

She will make her editorial debut covering New York Fashion Week on September 10, and we’re all  very curious to see what she has to say!

Source: Examiner.com

Did you know…?

Shizuka’s Foaming Cleanser was featured in OK! Magazine shortly after Shizuka’s line of skin care products was introduced.

“My facialist used this during a treatment and I’ve been addicted ever since!” said an OK! staffer.

Read more about the Shizuka New York Skincare System and purchase through our online store.

Watermelons are 92 percent water in addition to being rich in rehydration salts calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, and also Vitamin C, beta carotene and lycopene which can help protect the body from UV radiation.

Cucumbers can produce twice the amount of hydration as plain water due to their 96 percent water makeup and mineral balance.

Body hydration is essential to maintaining healthy and youthful skin.  Moisturizing products can only go so far if you are not hydrating from the inside-out as well as outside-in.  Next time you think about putting cucumber slices on your eyes, you may want to consider eating them instead.

More information at the Daily Mail Online.

Here are some great anti-aging ingredients that you should look out for when shopping for skincare products:

Vitamin C

In addition to its antioxidant properties, Vitamin C is essential in the creation of collagen in the skin.  One of Shizuka New York Day Spa’s most popular skincare products is C-Mollient Gel ($63 at ShizukaNY.com) which contains Vitamin C and green tea extracts in smooth and light gel.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid has become very popular in skin care products lately for it’s ability to deeply hydrate the skin and promote collagen formation.  Two great hyaluronic acid skincare products we offer are the Hydrapeptide Gel ($66) and DCL’s Hydrating Serum ($40.70).

Did you know?…
A form of hyaluronic acid is also what is injected beneath the surface of skin in dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane.

Kojic Acid

Kojic acid is one of nature’s best skin brighteners.  It is actually a byproduct of the sake brewing process and is incredibly effective at treating hyperpigmentation (age spots, sun spots, and freckles) and creating a more even complexion.  In the KojiLac Cream ($63), kojic acid is combined with lactic acid (see below).

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body and one of the main ingredients in Shizuka NY’s new T-Zone Facial.  Lactic acid is an excellent natural exfoliant that can remove environmental debris and excess oil from the skin’s surface.  Lactic acid is one of the peeling ingredients in Shizuka NY’s Multi Hydroxyacid Daily Pads (for acne treatment) and Weekly Pads (for anti-aging).

Acne is a serious problem for many people.   Pimples and blackheads can be embarrassing even if you are not a celebrity on a magazine cover.  The Geisha Facial is an excellent facial treatment for all skin types, including acneic.  Also highly recommended for acne treatment are the Acne Facial with Intense Pulsed Light and the new T-Zone Facial.

Apparently Posh has been battling acne since her teenage years and has recently turned to Geisha Facials to treat acne:

Victoria has been regularly indulging in £100 Geisha Facials, using a paste made from nightingale droppings.

A friend told Closer magazine recently: ‘When Victoria was in Japan recently she was admiring the local women’s clear skin and discovered it was down to these facials.

‘She was intrigued and when she got back to the US she found that some New York beauty salons now offer the treatment.

‘She tried it and loved how great her skin looked.’

Hopefully Posh will get back on the Poo!

Related Stories:

To avoid that dreaded t-zone shine, look for these qualities in your summer facial cleanser or mask:

1. Absorbs oil with ingredients such as clay or mud.
2. Clarifies the skin with ingredients such as lavender, citrus and, for those with oily skin types, a low concentration of salicylic acid to cleanse the pores.

Here are a couple of good face wash recommendations:

		Shizuka New York Clay Cleanser $48, ShizukaNY.com Moroccan Lava Clay , peppermint and green tea absorb excess oil and clarify the complexion.
		Naturopathica Aloe Cleansing Gel $28, ShizukaNY.com Lavender, ylang ylang and citrus extracts tone the skin while aloe and rose soothe inflammation.

After cleansing, don’t forget to close your pores with a good toner.  Try Shizuka NY Skin Freshener ($62) or Naturopathica’s Lavender Honey Mist ($28).  Use a small cotton pad to lightly brush toner over your t-zone on clean and dry skin.  Follow with a moisturizer and sun protection.

The most important tip for summer skincare is to protect your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays by using sunscreen or sunblock daily.  Use a product with an SPF of at least 30.  Protecting your skin from the sun is vital to maintaining a youthful complexion free of hyperpigmentation, age spots and wrinkles.

The New York Times recently published an article that demystifies SPF.  Is SPF 100 over 3 times better for you than SPF 30?  You will be surprised to find out that there is very little difference between the two!