Vital Balance Body and Beauty

If you’re a Vital regular, then you know that we always have a pot of beautiful Bestow tea out in reception for you to help yourself to. We also provide it after a Massage or a Bliss Facial. We have either the warming hibiscus & cinnamon Eternitea, or the lemongrass peppermint & hibiscus Generositea. What you may not know, is what these teas actually mean to us.

Not only are the delicious, but 100% of the profits from the sale of Generositea go straight to the Cambodia Charitable Trust. The Cambodia Charitable Trust is an amazing organisation dedicated to providing free quality education for young Cambodian children – especially girls.

The Cambodian education system was systematically destroyed in the 70s during the Pol Pot regime, with most of the teachers being executed. When schooling resumed in the 80s, there was a severe deficit of quality teachers, and widespread poverty. Education is one of the strongest levers for social change. The Cambodia Charitable Trust (CCT) is helping to break the cycle for the children of Cambodia. A quality education is lifting young girls out of sex slavery, and young boys out of slave labour.

The CCT is producing approximately 1600 new graduate teachers per year and is holding professional development workshops in 17 different provincial teacher training centres. CCT is also currently directly financially supporting 16 schools.  

So how is the CCT directly supporting these schools?

1. A school in need is identified. These schools have no working bathrooms, the buildings are run down and dirty, the teachers have very few resources to teach from, and the students have no stationary.
2. The CCT then works closely with their network of locals who work directly with the schools and the community to identify what it is that is needed.
3. School improvements begin: the classrooms are repainted and repurposed as needed, including a fully stocked library, a preschool classroom, a playground built from local materials, a vegetable garden & fishpond, and a remedial classroom.
4. School supplies are provided for the poorest children, including uniform & stationary.
5. The poorest children are sponsored by the CCT. This incentivises the parents to send them to school, as they are not needed to bring in income in another way now. This also deters the prospect of human trafficking, as parents will not be taken in by the promise of a ‘better life’ for their children.
6. New graduate teachers are supported. New graduates are provided with a ‘teaching pack’ containing: paper, pens, scissors, glue, games, maps, a ruler, a compass, a protractor and more. These materials give new teachers a much needed head start.
7. An English language teacher is employed. Being able to speak English as well as Cambodian opens many more doors for Cambodian children, connecting them to the wider world.

Here at Vital Balance, we fervently believe and support the work that the CCT is doing. That is why we offer Generositea to all our clients, in the hopes that you will purchase a tin and support the CCT too. 100% of the profits that Bestow makes from Generositea go directly to the CCT, helping to further their mission. It doesn’t hurt that the tea is also delicious!

We all want to have perfectly glowing and hydrated skin, and there’s lots of information out there on how to get it. Dry brushing is an amazing method to assist with exfoliation and rejuvenation of skin, but before you grab a brush and go to town, read on to learn how to get the most benefits without damaging your skin.

First of all: what actually is dry brushing? Dry brushing is the act of exfoliating the body with a dry, stiff bristled brush. There’s lots of claims that dry brushing helps with all sorts of imperfections, but what’s actually true? It’s important to have all of the information so you can start your dry brushing journey with the right expectations.

Dry brushing does unclog your pores and is excellent for exfoliation. It is especially excellent for dry rough skin as it is quite an intense exfoliation process, leaving you with glowing smoother & softer skin.

It is also incredible for promoting increased blood circulation and lymph drainage, the manual motions helps to kickstart your body and detoxify your skin. When you dry brush you are stimulating your nervous system, this can leave you feeling invigorated – similar to after a massage.

Even though dry brushing is an intense form of exfoliation, it is gentler on your skin than exfoliating in the shower. Hot water can inflame your skin, and strips away oils that keep your skin hydrated. Exfoliating in the shower can cause redness and itching.

So, what brush should you use? To see the full benefits of dry brushing you will want a natural stiff bristled brush with a long handle. The stiffness of the bristles will depend on your skin’s sensitivity and tolerance. The long handle allows you to reach more difficult areas like your back.

Now that you know what brush to use, it’s time to move on to the actual how-to.

1. Using a natural bristled brush, start from the feet or ankles and work your way upward in long, fluid strokes on limbs.
2. Next, move the brush in a circular motion on your torso and back.
3. Since this process can be a little too much for sensitive areas like the abdomen, breasts, and neck, lighten up the pressure as needed.
4. A few overlapping swipes per area is all you need. If you go over the same area for too long, you can cause irritation or bleeding.
5. Dry brush once a day and shower immediately afterward.

Don’t brush over moles, raised bumps, or any wounds – including sunburn! If you notice redness, inflammation or swelling, stop right away. Don’t dry brush your face, the skin is too sensitive.

Now that you know what to do, stop in at Vital Balance and pick up your very own dry brush for $22! If you have any further questions please feel free to call us and ask!