Do Not Underestimate the Value of Touch
In this series we are taking a more holistic look at how our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being is interlinked and interdependent. That means that how we are feeling, what we are thinking and what we think of ourselves is reflected on our skin, in our faces, on our bodies and through our posture.
It is important that we are good to ourselves and recognise that our faces need to be cared for emotionally, spiritually and physically. It is good to treat ourselves and have a holistically based skincare treatment regularly.
We live in a culture where touch is becoming less and less valued and we are touched less and less. Paradoxically, the virtual world has become more and more valued, whilst becoming at t he same time more and more isolating.
Being touched, through a professional skincare or massage therapist can help us reconnect with ourselves as well as physically working out the stresses we all carry around with us. Do not undervalue the healing powers of touch!
As skincare therapists we recognise the healing aspect of our work. At the Dermalogica Congress in Istanbul, Jane Wurwand, Founder of Dermalogica believes that skincare therapists have never been more important, as there has never been a time when we are all so disconnected from each other. How often do we touch each other with a loving heart? How often do you hug your friends and family rather than communicating over the internet facebook, myspace, or any other messaging virtual spaces, webcams, texts, telephone etc.?
Although these new forms of communication have their place, they should not replace our connections.
Jane believes that as a society we have hungry skin…hungry for touch. “We are the walking wounded of a touch starved society,” she says. Plus we are taught not to touch any longer, we are in fact taught to be a little afraid of touch, so we seek to fulfil our need to be touched elsewhere. Because we are touch starved we misinterpret our need and look in the wrong places, shopping and retail therapy, comfort eating, over eating and eating the wrong things, drinking alcohol.
“What we really need is human touch and nurturing. What we really need is a skincare therapist.” Jane believes, as I do, that as skincare therapist’s not only do we make our clients skin look better and increase their self esteem and consequently, their sense of self worth, but we also listen to them, hear them and most importantly, touch them and nurture them. As professional skincare therapist we are trained to touch people.
We believe that a small reaching out, can have enormous impact. One skincare treatment, I believe, literally can change your life. You allow yourself to be touched, you allow yourself to connect to parts of yourself that you’ve perhaps ignored by not looking after yourself. You allow yourself to nourish yourself.
Without that human touch we become more and more objectified, and we can objectify ourselves. Especially as women, we can become very caught up in our own objectification. Focus too much on criticising what we look like and we let our inner critic overtake ourselves. This is not good. And yet in my skincare practice I see beautiful people focused in the smallest skin issue.
They have amplified to such an extent it can become the main part of their negative self image. As a professional skincare therapist I believe in focusing on the positive and moving forward into healthier habits and maximising skin health. I will always tell my client the good bits about their skin, face, bone structure, as we don’t often allow ourselves see the good bits, or even accept a compliment. But we need to. We need to nourish ourselves by seeing ourselves in a loving, human way.
"The experience of being touched in a safe, non-threatening way is very powerful," says Jane , "and very healing. "
“I truly believe that what we do as professionals touches the well-being of our clients in a very deep way, far beyond making their skin feel and look better."
So put yourself first and try a skincare treatment today. See if it changes the way you think of yourself, and see yourself.
Fiona Harlowe is known as the “skin doctor”. She specialises in acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and aging skin conditions to regular complexion perfecting using a combination of high tech equipment, peptide packed products containing active plant extracts and holistic techniques.
Fiona Harlowe is a Skincare Expert & Laser Therapist who always gives free consultations. Fiona is one of the leading, authorised Dermalogica stockists on the Costa Blanca and is based at Vanilla, Villamartin. Call for your free consultation today on 96 676 5616 or 678 836 961.

So all those bulbs you planted last fall are finally popping out of the ground.
Some are already past their prime, but many are still going strong. The tulips are just starting to peep out of the ground, and a few gardeners still have some late-flowering narcissus. Even though most spring bulbs are starting to wind down, there is still some work to be done.
Most bulbs do not require much maintenance, but it is important to do the little things that help them return year after year. Now is also the time to get ready for planting those summer flowering bulbs. In preparation, let's review a little spring bulb care: If you love those tiny spring flowering crocus, hyacinths and muscari, you know that they grow well in lots of places, as long as it is a sunny spot. They can tolerate some shade, however, so if you want to plant them underneath a deciduous tree, go for it. After crocuses are finished flowering, they really do not need much work. A little fertilizer and some water if it gets really dry, and they are good to go. Over-watering can cause a bulb to rot, so go easy on the water.
The best thing about these bulbs is that they only need to be divided if you can see them starting to show through the ground. Since they are planted so shallow, this little sign lets you know when the bulbs are getting too crowded. This should only happen about every three or four years.
Hyacinths are treated almost the same way. They should be given a little fertilizer until the foliage turns yellow and the bulb starts to die back to the ground.
uscari are really a great bulb for any garden. Even though they are small, they can be a great accent in small spaces all over you garden. The foliage is so small that it does not need any work and the bulbs should just be left alone. If you feel they are getting too crowded, you can divide them, but this should only be done in the fall. Given time, muscari will slowly naturalize all around the garden.
If you love iris, you know that each species grows a little differently, but for the most part, they really do best if they are left alone. You should only divide them when it is absolutely necessary. Once they are in the ground, just let them settle and enjoy the flowers.
As for traditional favourites such as tulips and daffodils, they can do well almost anywhere and add spring colour all over the garden. Place those narcissus in a spot that gets enough sun in spring and they will do well for years. The one mistake that gardeners sometimes make is cutting back all of that foliage too soon after the flowers are gone. It is tempting, but the bulb really needs the resources provided by the foliage. Remember to allow the plant plenty of time to pull all of the nutrients back out of the leaves. When the leaves turn yellow, then you can start to get rid of them. They should not need dividing often, only about every three or four years. If you do plan on dividing them, dig the bulbs as soon as the foliage turns yellow and replant them as soon as possible. As for tulips, they can be treated almost the same. They perform best when they are placed in well-drained soil and full sun. The flowers can be removed once they are past their prime, and always cut back the dead foliage. They only need to be lifted every two to three years, so once they are settled, just leave them in place for several years.
After you have checked all of your spring bulbs, it is time to get ready to plant the summer flowering ones. Lilies, daylilies, some iris, dahlias, gladiolus, cannas, and many other bulbs should be in your garden centre now. Spring is the time for planting these summer flowering bulbs, so head out to your local nursery and see what is new, and then get planting.