Be a makeup artist

I joined the beauty industry quite by chance. My first love is health and wellness. But seeing how the two are closely related, I have grown to enjoy beauty as a career and business, complementary to health and wellness.

I took a course in makeup as an introduction to the industry, and as they say, the rest is history. It is a useful skill to have, especially when you have young daughters, as I have proven to be very popular with their classmates. Friends are also appreciative when I became the stylist of choice for their dinner and dance events.

Do you put off taking that first step because you thought, “it’s too difficult” or “I could never make a living doing what I love”? At the academy, we often get questions about possible career options in the beauty trade. All of us are very passionate about the industry and have run successful businesses in the industry. Certainly it is not always glamourous, but if you have the passion, we have the answers.

 If you are willing to make an effort to learn something new, talk to us today. Tel: +65 6534 8298 or check out our website http://www.proacademy.com.sg/ for details on all our courses.

All the best. Be happy.

Alicia Chong – Head of Academic Board

What goes into a product?

Sitting in front of me are 2 bottles of massage oils from two different brands; both reputable brands which I am not going to name due to confidentiality issues. Somebody asked me which bottle is worth the price, given that both are rather pricey. Bottle A is touting itself as a “skin care & massage oil with vitamins” while bottle B markets itself as “body treatment oil”.

Given that both descriptions do not provide an accurate gauge of their efficacy, I look at their ingredient lists. On bottle A, it is listed Paraffinum Liquidm (Mineral oil), Laureth-2, Sweet Almond (Prunis Amygdalus dulcis) oil, Parfum, Tocopheryl acetate, Retinyl palmitate, Sunflower & many other ingredients too long to list. While on bottle B, I see Sesamum indicum (Sesame) seed oil, Prunus amygalus dulcis (Sweet Almond) oil, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) oil, Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) oil, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) oil, & also a long list of ingredients including Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

It is a known fact that the ingredient with the highest percentage is always listed FIRST in the ingredient list, followed by other ingredients in decreasing proportions. Thus on bottle A, I have mineral oil as the majority, followed by Laureth-2 which is an emulsifying agent, then with Sweet Almond oil, Parfum (which is a most likely synthetic fragrance in this case) & other ingredients. On bottle B, I see a whole range of natural skin-enhancing oils, starting from sesame oil, sweet almond oil down to vitamin E in the list.

Looking through both ingredient lists, one bottle I am paying for a mineral oil-based formula while the other bottle I am paying for a plant-based formula. Which one would I buy? Personally I would purchase the latter as it is more natural without the dreaded mineral oil component.

Many people have argued that mineral oil should be good for the skin since it is used extensively in some baby products, i.e. baby oil, etc., & baby skin is delicate, therefore, such products should be beneficial for adults too. However, we must not forget that baby skin is “balanced” & moisturized; having mineral oil in the preparation is simply to seal the skin against moisture loss & external irritants, such as, urine, etc. When used on adults, mineral oil seals up our pores, depriving our skin of moisture, which is the element that our skin requires. Mineral oil clogs up our pores as their molecular weight is heavier than those of the vegetal oils, therefore preventing them from passing through the skin barrier. On the other hand, as the molecular weights of vegetal oils are lighter, they are able to penetrate into our skin easily, thereby, providing the necessary moisture & nutrients to the skin.

Hence, when one buys any product, look at the ingredient list to determine whether the product is as good as it seems. Ignore the fanciful tag lines on the labels, look at the fine print & make your informed choice.

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

All About Aromatherapy

D.I.Y Aromatherapy

Basic 1,2,3 Make Up Workshop

PRO GLAMOUR EDUCATION SERIES

Develop your own makeup routine with the help of our PRO Trainer!
Learn important makeup techniques such as selecting and applying foundation,
using concealer and how to contour/highlight, as well as be taught on how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes women encounter during makeup application.
You will be guided on acquiring the knowledge and skills to apply makeup to the one face you know the best - your own.

TOPICS WE WILL COVER INCLUDE:

• Selecting of makeup equipment
• Primers, Foundation & Colour Selection
• Types of Concealers
• The Art of Contouring
• Eyeshadows, Eyeliners & False Eyelashes
• Cheeks & Lips

NOW ON PROMOTION! ONLY $38!

Duration: 3 hours

Click here for the schedule

For more information, please email to : info@proacademy.com.sg

AROMATHERAPY & PREGNANCY

Pregnancy is a time of great joy &, yet, can lead to a lot of unexpected discomforts for the would-be-mothers as the body is undergoing tremendous physiological changes during this period. How could these mothers-to-be helped to go through this period comfortably without resorting to chemicals or synthetic medications? Aromatherapy with its wide arsenal of essential oils & carrier oils would be a plausible alternative. However, there are a lot of negative misconceptions over the use of essential oils during pregnancy, which are being perpetuated in books & over the internet. I hope this article would put to rest some misgivings on the use of aromatherapy for pregnant women out there.

An internet search on the dangers of using essential oils during pregnancy yields information like “Avoid high doses of lavender oil during pregnancy because it is a uterine stimulant”. Apparently there is a high concern on the safe use of essential oils during pregnancy as essential oils have low molecular weight which allows their molecules to by-pass the blood-brain barrier, therefore, would have no problem in passing through to the developing fetus.

Particular risks that would apply to the first trimester are an increased risk of miscarriage & risk of fetal malformation. However, these risks do not go away after the first trimester, hence avoiding a reproductively toxic substance to the first trimester only makes sense if there is evidence to support this guideline.

There are certain classes of essential oils that are contraindicated for use during pregnancy, however those oils are generally not available to the public. Other essential oils that might be accorded a precautionary status are generally those that have varying camphor content or oils which are emmenagogues or menstrual stimulants. Bartram (1995) defines emmenagogues as “plant substitutes for hormones that stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more gonadotrophic hormones. Herbs that initiate & promote the menstrual flow. Most are uterine tonics & stimulants to restore normal function of the female reproductive system. Not used in pregnancy, except when a practitioner has good cause to do so in the first few weeks.”

In the case of Lavandula angustifolia (true lavender) which has a slight camphor component, various researchers have given it a “class 1” rating indicating it is generally safe to use, with no contraindication for pregnancy or breastfeeding. The Complete German Commission E Monograph also “approved” officially the use of L. angustifolia essential oil with no side effects & contraindications. This includes internal use of 1 – 4 drops (20-80mg) of the essential oil as a daily dose (Blumenthal et al 1998).

Although camphor is neither reproductively toxic or abortifacient except in almost fatal doses & a lethal human dose is approximately 200mg/kg. No adverse fetal effects were seen from feeding camphor to pregnant rats at 1000mg/kg/day, or pregnant rabbits at 681mg/kg/day (Leuschner 1997) & a person would have to ingest 24kg of essential oil to reach that level.

Hence, to use aromatherapy blends or even essential oils for inhalation purposes in the recommended dosage would not have any adverse effects on the fetal development under normal circumstances. However, proving safety in pregnancy is always a challenge, but all the indications have shown that essentials oils are generally safe to be used during pregnancy, provided the recommended dosage is adhered. While it pays to be careful but erring too heavily on the side of safety has a downside, that is, it creates fear, doubt & confusion.

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer
All about Aromatherapy
Pre & Post Natal Care

Makeup Styles & Trends

TOPICS WE WILL COVER:

ü  Spring 2012 Face & Lips

ü  Spring 2012 Eye shadow Technique

ü  Spring 2012 Eyeliner Technique

ü  Spring 2012 Lashes Style

2-hour workshop includes a demonstration and hands-on practice guided by our trainer.
Basic makeup materials will be provided for use.
Click here for the schedule

For more information, please email to: info@proacademy.com.sg

Love your dental visits, I do.

As a young child, I suffered from teeth overcrowding. I was afraid to visit the school dental nurses who were not gentle and I saw scheduled dental visits as sheer torture. I avoided dental braces as I was convinced that I should not let dentists inflict more torture than what I had received in school.

At age 23, I decided that my wisdom teeth (yes, all 4 of them!) were a nightmare to live with, and made the grand decision to have them removed. I needed to be brave to survive it. Thankfully, I found an ex-classmate who became a dentist and was gently persuaded that the experience would be most manageable. I have since removed my fear of dentists.

A year after the wisdom teeth were extracted,I was asked to consider dental braces as a solution for a 'bite' issue. After years of living with bad teeth, I decided to take the plunge and consulted an orthodontist in orchard road. 3 years later, I owned a perfect smile and have never been happier flaunting it.

I make regular dental visits annually and make sure that my two young daughters have healthy teeth and practise good oral hygiene. Good teeth last a lifetime.

Smile. Be happy.

Alicia - Head of Academy Board

P/S consult our Aromatherapy Principal Trainer Cedric Chow for tips on how to make your own mint mouth rinse or dental wash. He can also prescribe remedies for effective management of pain and fear.

THE POWER OF VOICE

Lately I have realized the unsatisfactory status of my life & it prompted me to look into what actually went wrong. Having done some soul-searching, I decided I wanted to make changes in my life to rectify the unsatisfying situation I am in. Initially I was seized with a deep sense of dread of what may happen to me, if I were to disturb the status quo; but to remain stationary would mean stagnation in my life. To move or not to move, I feel I am between a rock & a hard place psychologically.

Just as I feel myself sinking into psychological despair, I started to tone the vowel AH to release the ‘tension’ I felt in my heart. Initially I felt silly doing that in my room but as I continued to tone the vowel, I felt my heart expanding energetically. The more I tone, the more I feel positive & happy. 20 minutes of toning later, I emerged a happier person with a clearer vision of my direction. I know I am making the right decision.

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

Understanding Crystals & Stones

Your hair needs nutrients too!

Hair is not something that we cannot live without, however when you lose it, the feeling of devastation might set in. Imagine me doing the signature scream from ‘Home Alone’ the movie, when a barber informed me I was balding while trimming my hair. It was then that I realized that hair is part of our identity; it is something that we can change (length, style, colour) to make us different from others. Losing hair usually also meant that our body is sick, either physically (under-nourishment) or mentally (stress).

Just like your skin, our hair needs to be well hydrated to stay strong and supple. Now there is one more reason for you to drink enough water a day. Other nutrients that your hair would need are proteins, iron, zinc & vitamin B and C. You can take supplements for these but if you are able to get these nutrients from your daily meals, why get supplements? Below are examples of food that are able to give you the nutrients needed for healthier hair.

• Whole grains. These contain zinc, iron and vitamin B and they digest slower which makes you feel full longer thus helping you to eat lesser as well.
• Red meat and poultry are good sources of protein, iron and vitamin B. (Avoid the fried ones though)
• Eggs are not only yummy but they are packed full of vitamin B and protein. When I say eggs, I mean the yolk as well because they contain high biotin content which is an important component for strengthening hair and nails.
• Nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts contain healthy fats and hair-friendly minerals such as selenium and zinc. (As usual, avoid the fried and salted ones)
• Vitamin rich fruits like tomatoes, citrus fruits, carrots and mangoes are essential for healthy scalp.
• Many people dislike broccoli for various reasons. But there is a reason why this is often regarded as a super-food. It contains rich amount of vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, potassium and calcium. Health benefits of broccoli have been known to prevent colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease and calcium deficiencies.

It will definitely take a while for the foods you eat to affect your hair but it will definitely benefit you in the long run with not only healthier hair but better health too!

Food for the skin?

Lately I have tried a “medical-grade” skincare, a.k.a. pharmaceutical, which is said to be extremely effective as compared to the conventional skincare products we see in the market. One day after the product demonstration, I discovered that my skin has become extremely tight, dry & thin; my entire topmost layer of the epidermis has been stripped off! Repeat use of moisturisers simply does not make the skin feel any better. Finally I decided to turn to my trusty aromatic pals for help …. I used a tiny amount of Jojoba carrier oil for its emollient effects together with Frankincense & Lavender essential oils for their cell-renewal properties, to “slather” literally upon my entire face, allowing the rejuvenation oils to seep gradually into my “parched” skin. Immediately within 30 minutes, I could literally feel my entire face softening down. I used to wonder why we are not using natural products, such as, essential oils, etc., in the rejuvenation of our skin when it is an extremely economical way of providing our skin with all the necessary nutrients. While natural aromatherapy skincare products may not the “miracle skin product”, they are truly a viable alternative that we could look into as part of our skin care regime.

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

All about Aromatherapy

DIY Aromatherapy

A healthier you is a happier you.

2011 had been a disaster as far as my health was concerned. I had experienced a prolonged and painful bleeding from anal fissures in the first half of the year, followed by a car accident in the second half of the year.

As you would have guessed, I spent a lot of time shuttling between doctors (general practitioners, TCM), specialists (colorectal surgeons, orthopaedics, chiropractors) and therapists (tuina, sports massage, physiotherapists, acupuncturist). Needless to say, I spent a tremendous amount of money and time to get myself 'cured'.

Blaming on poor health and being 'old' is a very convenient excuse, but I think stress is a major culprit. A lack of exercise, coupled with a bad diet, will definitely contribute to a state of poor health.

It is now 2012. I have stopped bleeding after I made a conscious effort to cut down the daily stresses of business and work. I'm consolidating my businesses and decided that the ambition of building my business empire should not be done at the expense of my health.

An optimist by nature, I am positive that 2012 will turn out good for me. While I do not expect it to be stress-free, I am ready to deal with life challenges when I FEEL healthy and well. Be happy!

Alicia - Head of Academic Board

Learn to fight stress. Attend our wellness & Aromatherapy workshops. Check out www.proacademy.com.sg for details.

Perils of Eating Overseas

During my recent trip to Bangkok, it has drawn to my attention that the food hygiene of other countries might not be as exacting as those in Singapore, often resulting in stomach discomfort or even food poisoning in extreme cases. Through personal experience, it is not always that ‘street foods’ are more likely to cause stomach discomfort. It is amazing the number of people having stomach discomfort when dining at deluxe restaurants; it is the preparation method that matters. However, as consumers, there are very limited opportunities for us to supervise the entire food preparation process to determine the hygiene of the food we are going to consume.

If we have mild food poisoning, what can we do besides waiting for the doctor to attend to us? Firstly, take charcoal tablets to absorb whatever toxins that are produced by the contaminated food in the stomach. You should take lots of fluids, including fresh fruit juices. For drinking water, lemon essential oil should be added to help ‘purify’ it as lemon oil has strong antiseptic qualities. The following blend may be used to help rehydrate the body from excessive fluid loss from diarrhoea:

Water                                                  1 litre

Sugar                                                   8 teaspoons

Salt                                                      ½ teaspoon

Lemon essential oil                            8 drops

Do not omit the sugar or salt as they help to replenish the body from loss of sodium & glucose. Drink one glass at a time over a period of few hours, depending on the severity of the diarrhoea.

However, in the event of serious food poisoning, medical intervention is absolutely necessary. However, you may try the above method, while waiting for medical assistance. In addition, you may use the following tummy rub formula:

Thyme essential oil                                  5 drops

Lavender essential oil                              5 drops

Ginger essential oil                                  5 drops

Sweet almond oil                                      15 ml

You may substitute sweet almond oil with other carrier oils you prefer, i.e. olive oil, etc. Blend the essential oils into the carrier oil & apply in circular movements around the abdomen. Apply on an half hourly basis until relief is experienced.

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

All about Aromatherapy

Aromatic First Aid

Are oils... just oils?

I visited the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok over the last weekend while on a business trip. Along the way, I came across a shop selling herbal & aromatherapy products. I was drawn to a bottle of pure lemongrass oil. However, upon smelling the oil, I realised it smelt more like Citronella, the poor cousin of Lemongrass.  However, the owner insisted that it is lemongrass & I rested my case. Appearance-wise, both looked similar unless one looked closely at the leaves…. For those who may be interested to see the difference, drop a visit to the Spice Garden in Fort Canning Hill to take a look at some of the fascinating herbs & spices there!

Citral is one of the main chemical components found in lemongrass & citronella, in addition to other components, such as, myrcene, citronellal, nerol, etc. The only difference lies in the proportions as well as other minor chemical constituents found in the relevant essential oils. Due to the similarity in aroma & a difference in price for both plants, a lot of retailers tend to pass off Citronella as Lemongrass in order to reap higher profits! Some might even alter the proportion of the fragrant chemical constituents in citronella to match that of the lemongrass, or even increase the percentage of citral in order to make the oil smells more “lemon-grassy”.

The question now is . . . would altering the proportions of the chemical constituents have any effects on the person who uses it, since citral is found naturally in both plants? The difference lies in its proportion. Mother Nature has a reason why certain oils have certain chemical constituents in varying proportions. In the case of 100% pure citral, it will cause an immediate allergic skin reaction, while in a natural lemongrass or citronella oil, citral does not have that same devastating effect on the skin; the reason being that there are other chemical constituents within the blend that acted as a “buffer” against the harsh citral. However, when one takes away those seemingly unnecessary components, citral will cause an immediate skin reaction! Hence, when one purchases an oil, be it lemongrass or citronella, one should always check it’s botanical name, i.e. Cymbopogon citratus (Lemongrass) or Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella) to ensure that the correct oil is purchased. Never purchase an essential oil which only states its generic name, i.e., lemongrass or citronella, etc. & not its botanical name. It is always a case of buyers, beware!

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

All about Aromatherapy

Aromatic First Aid

Skin Care Seminar by Dalton

Dragon Babies

LOVE is in the air . . . . Babies in the arms

With the arrival of the highly auspicious year of the Water Dragon, 2012 also heralds the end of an era & the beginning of a golden era according to the ancient Mayan calendar. The Dragon being the most celestial creature in the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, it represents the most Yang aspect, while its elemental attribution, Water, represents the most Yin aspect of the five elements. Hence, we can see that 2012 is indeed a year of great significance in both elemental & cosmological sense.

In the Chinese culture, we see people are trying their best to have “dragon babies”, believed to have more luck & advantage over babies of other zodiac signs. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s a tip on improving your connections with your loved one &, perhaps, enhancing your chances with producing babies with aromatherapy!

Rose (Rosa damascena or Rosa centifiolia) with Sandalwood (Santalum album) are one of the best combination in aromatherapy to help improve emotional & sexual connections; these two components are vital in baby-making! Rose has been a symbol of the heart & love since time immemorial, it is a flower best epitomised in Valentine’s Day. Sandalwood, on the other hand, is an oil that has a tonifying effect on the kidneys - a pair of organs that are vital in the function of our reproductive system. When used in combination, the rose & sandalwood forms a delightful couple to bring about romance & untold bliss . .  so instead of buying roses at exorbitant prices this Valentine’s Day, why not spend on getting pure rose & sandalwood essential oils to awash you & your loved one in a bouquet of scented bliss, befitting of the Gods?

(N.B. – Please note that pure essential oils are not to be used neat on the skin.)

Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer

All About Aromatherapy
D.I.Y Aromatherapy
Aromatic First Aid