With today’s advanced skin-care products and an abundance of day spas, it has never been easier to obtain beautiful skin. However, given the extensive menu of services, facials and prices available, how can you really choose the perfect one?

Step 1: Speak up! When you first step into a day spa, it is typical to be greeted by a receptionist, not an esthetician. Request to speak with an esthetician to discuss your concerns and clearly explain the results you hope to achieve. Keep in mind that most expensive facials are not always the best for your skin, but may simply contain new or expensive ingredients. To save yourself time, it is a good idea to research a day spa’s services and staff via the Internet.

Step 2: The plan: Although sometimes it feels like we’ve aged overnight, the truth is that fine lines, age spots and other age indicators took time to develop. Minimizing and erasing the signs of aging will not typically be achieved in one 60-minute facial. Understand that it may take up to six months and several facials to achieve your desired results.

Step 3: Saying goodbye. After your facial, it’s common for an esthetician to suggest products to use in between appointments. While it may seem like an up-sell, these products can really help. If your facial was great and your esthetician was a pro, be sure to tip.

Professional facials are no longer reserved just for celebrities. A clear, healthy face can boost your confidence and make you feel as good on the outside as you do on the insiden

Monique Berry is the developer of PlaneLogics LipAid. Connect with her at myspace.com/moniqueberry.


Total Relaxation!
A 'pamperific' prize

Bellagio Spas and Salons is offering one lucky mom a FREE “TOTAL RELAXATION” package ( a $200 value) that includes:
> A 60-minute European Steam Facial, followed by a gentle exfoliation, a customized masque, and a hand and foot massage.
> A 60-minute Swedish Relaxation Massage to ease deeply rooted tension.
 > To qualify for this gift, go to ocfamily.com and click on Moms Day Off. The winner will be notified in August.

A BIG SHOUT OUT to Bellagio Spas and Salons (salonbellagio.com) for this generous offer!


Between Us Girls…
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids?

“I have two different answers for two very different boys. For the 11-year-old, my favorite thing is to rent tandem bikes at the beach, just the two of us. We end up talking and laughing about everything! For the 7-year-old, it would have to be shooting baskets together. I’m terrible, but he’s pretty good and loves for me to see him make those baskets. We talk and laugh in between shots, and it brings us both a lot of joy.” Robyn, 49, of Newport Beach

“My son and I like to play checkers, read and play air hockey. Outdoors, we like to ride bikes to the pet store and look at pets.” Jennifer, 39, of Rancho Santa Margarita

“My husband and I enjoy gathering all the kids together in the family room and reading a novel out loud to them. We have all read some great books together that way!” Anne, 45, of Irvine

“Watch him play sports. It is a metaphor for life: trying, giving it your all, winning and losing. I like seeing him execute skills and handle the hard lessons. It is a measure of how I am doing as a parent.” Sarah, 53, of Corona del Mar

“I love talking to my children about their day. We usually do this on the way home and at dinnertime. I also love playing ball with them. My son plays baseball, and my daughter plays softball. I love playing catch and working on their skills, like pitching and hitting the ball. I love traveling with them.” Mary Lou, 43, of Irvine

“I would say … camping. When we are camping, we go on hikes, eat picnic lunches, enjoy nature and laugh; we sing, read and play games together. My family gets along the best when we are free of cell phones, TVs, computers and any other electronic devices. Camping covers so many things we can do together, depending on where we go.” Christine, 35, of Laguna Niguel

“Some of my favorite things to do with my son include tickling, playing games, going to the park and chasing. I also love to watch him play – it’s fascinating to see what kids do and what their imaginations come up with.” Susan, 41, of San Clemente

“My favorite thing to do with my children is relax on the couch and read books together.” Diana, 47, of Irvine

Compiled by Elisabeth Handley, a contributing writer to OC Family magazine.


Getting enough folic acid?

Despite the fact that folic acid can prevent some of the most common birth defects, young women still aren’t getting enough of it. Only one in three women ages 18 to 24 takes a daily supplement containing folic acid, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This age group accounts for roughly 30 percent of all births in the U.S.
   
“Everyone needs folic acid, but it’s especially important for women of childbearing age,” explains Heather Hamner, a nutritional epidemiologist for the CDC. “Folic acid has been found to reduce a woman’s risk of having a baby born with a serious birth defect of the brain and spine by 50 to 70 percent, if taken before and during the first three months of pregnancy.”
   
Because many of these brain and spinal defects occur early in the first trimester, before many women are aware they are pregnant, it’s important that all women of childbearing age take folic acid – regardless of whether or not they’re pregnant.
   
Folate is a water-soluble B-vitamin that occurs naturally in foods, including leafy-green vegetables, certain fruits, dried beans and peas. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate that is found in fortified foods and supplements.
   
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for folate is 400 micrograms per day for everyone ages 14 and older. For pregnant women, the recommendation is 600 micrograms; for women who are breastfeeding, it is 500 micrograms.
   
Here are some tips from Hamner to make sure you get all the folic acid you need:
> Include fortified foods in your diet (breads, pastas, breakfast cereals with folic acid).
> Try recipes that include folate-rich foods (orange juice, beans and leafy-green vegetables.
> Make a habit of taking a supplement that contains folic acid.


Afternoon delight
Bring the kids along, too!

Budgets are tight, schedules are tight and, if you’re like me, shoulders are tight. Few of us can escape to the sun-drenched Mediterranean shore this summer, but an afternoon “staycation” at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach’s Pacific Waters Spa … Ahhh!
   
Somewhere near the Bolsa Chica bluffs, I rolled down my car window to marvel at swaying palm trees, balmy ocean air and blue-green water. I stopped fretting over my week and became a tourist in my own backyard.        
   
The spa is a 20,000-square-foot fusion of Spanish Colonial architecture and Zen ambiance, replete with rustic woods, rich hues and handcrafted glass accents. I immediately regretted not having kissed the kids goodbye sooner, as the spa’s spacious sauna, steam room and hot tub areas beckoned, but I had only left enough time to slip into my robe and slippers before being whisked off for my treatments.
   
The worse that can be said of the spa’s 25-minute signature massage ($90) is that it induced a mesmerizing dream state from which I awakened too soon. Using a variety of techniques, my therapist customized the treatment to my needs.
   
After a few sips of herbal tea in the fireside waiting room, I was escorted into another wing for a 50-minute Sea of Life facial ($140). I sunk deeper into the heated massage table as the esthetician transformed my complexion with aromatic Epicuren spa products. In addition to the requisite cleansing, polishing, clarifying and moisturizing, I enjoyed another lapse into bliss as the treatment ended with a head, neck and shoulder massage.
   
In a few hours, I was restored. No packing, no plane ticket, no sunburn.
   
For parents who want to enjoy a day at Pacific Waters sans kids, enroll them in Camp Hyatt (camphyatt.com), a fully supervised, fun-filled program packed with pool- and beach-side activities.

> Pacific Waters Spa and Camp Hyatt
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
21500 Pacific Coast Highway
714.698.1234
huntingtonbeach.hyatt.com

S. Danyelle Knight is a contributing writer.