Recipe for Beautiful Skin is Sweet as Pumpkin Pie

If Cinderella had known her pumpkin could be transformed into these wonderful concoctions, she would have opted to walk to the ball

DALLAS, TX (Nov. 22, 2005) – Beautiful holiday skin starts with sugar, spice -- and everything nice.   Not just for your palate anymore; sweet holiday treats help skin look as good on the outside as pumpkin pie feels on the inside.  And, when guests pamper themselves at L’image Plano, the proceeds go toward a very sweet cause: the North Texas Food Bank.

L’image guests can order up a Pumpkin Perfect Facial for $85 and savor the taste of doing something good for themselves and for others during this holiday season. 

Enriching pumpkin extracts smooth and hydrate the skin, while pumpkin’s restorative enzymes and natural extracts pamper the skin and enliven the spirit. Guests pay $85 for this luxury, with $15 going directly to the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), which seeks to eliminate hunger by distributing food and grocery products through a network of nonprofit organizations while providing education and increasing community awareness. L’image Plano also will be collecting canned good donation for the NTFB.

Everyone wants to face the holidays looking their best, and pumpkin is a great way to start.  Pumpkin has the highest concentrate of Vitamin C and beta-carotene of all vegetables. It stimulates circulation, promotes healing and provides vitamin nutrition.  It is light and gentle, ideal for all skin types, but especially well suited for sensitive or irritated skin – a gourmet treat for your face!

For those who prefer to mix up their own facial treats as a holiday feast for their skin, L’image Plano offers a few do-it-yourself recipes:

• Cranberry Savory Facial Wash The acidity in cranberries works as a mild astringent and toner. (The Greeks considered them to be an aphrodisiac and it is a natural cleanser for excess oils!) Steep one tablespoon of dried savory leaves crushed in boiling water in small bowl for 15 minutes.  Strain liquid and set aside.  Puree 1⁄2 cup cranberries in a blender, and strain fruit from liquid.  Discard fruit and save juice.  Combine the savory and water and add cranberry juice.  Soak into cotton pads and press against face for 15 minutes, avoiding eye area. Remove pads and rinse with warm water.

• Body-Smoothing Apple Polish Chop, then mash, one large, overripe apple that is peeled and cored. Stir in one cup of sugar.  In the shower, rub mixture on dry spots, such as elbows and heels. Rinse and follow with lotion. Malic and alpha hydroxyl acid found in apples and sugar are dead-cell sloughers.

• Ginger and Brown Sugar Body Scrub Mix two cups of brown sugar with one cup of olive oil and a small amount of ginger. Mix well.  Using circular motions, exfoliate your body, paying extra attention to rough areas. Rinse with your favorite body wash or shower gel and towel dry. You now have holiday worthy skin!

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) was named 2001 Food Bank of the year by America's Second Harvest. NTFB procures donated surplus food and transfers it in usable quantities to over 400 nonprofit agencies in 13 North Texas counties, including Kids Cafes, after-school programs, residential treatment programs, food pantries, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, senior citizen centers, low-income daycare centers and other social service centers. During the past fiscal year, NTFB agency food pantries distributed food to more than 48,000 families per month, and on-site feeding programs served over 500,000 meals and snacks per month. Every dollar donated to the North Texas Food Bank provides $11 worth of grocery products for the hungry. Only three cents out of each dollar is used in administration and fundraising; 96 cents is used in food distribution. The North Texas Food Bank has distributed more than 293 million pounds of food since it was formed in 1982.

Located in Preston Park Village, at 1900 Preston Rd. in Plano, L’image Plano is the image of luxury as a boutique salon and spa, offering excellent service and creativity to its clients in its services ranging from hair styling and coloring to massage, nail care, waxing, tinting and a host of clinical services, including microdermabrasion. To book a free consultation with any of the dedicated beauty experts at L’image Plano, please call 972.964.7577.  For more information about L’image Plano, please visit www.limageplano.com.
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