Just Ask David

Anyone who has a stressful career or works long hours knows the feeling of desperately needing a vacation. You feel overwhelmed, run-down, and out of fuel.

Blogger and editor of ESSENCE magazine Tanya Christian knows all about relaxation vacations and even has a list of her favorite spas around the globe. “I think it’s important to get away and take some time for yourself to recenter, get focused, and just say, ‘You know what? I’m just not doing anything. I’m going to relax.’”

Tanya joins Just Ask David to share the benefits of taking a beauty and wellness retreat and recommend a few of the best spa treatments she’s ever gotten anywhere.

Why Try a Relaxation Vacation Package?

The health and beauty benefits from the various spa treatments offered around the world are more than strictly what the spa offers. “Studies have shown that there are great benefits to going to the spa,” Tanya adds. “Your stress levels are decreased, you feel more in tune with your body, fewer sick days, fewer hospitalizations. So there are a myriad of benefits to doing it.”

Listen & Follow Tanya Christian Online for More Spa & Wellness Ideas!

What’s your dream relaxation vacation package? Visit Tanya on Wordpress and Facebook or follow her on Twitter @TanyaAChristian and Instagram @tanyachristian for travel ideas around the globe!

Everyone who’s hopped on the fitness bandwagon in the last few years knows about SparkPeople.com.

But for those of you who don’t know, the SparkPeople app and website are valuable resources for all things health-related.

The CEO and founder of SparkPeople.com Chris Downie joins Just Ask David to let us know why he started SparkPeople and how it’s changed fitness forever.

What is SparkPeople?

SparkPeople has everything you need to learn how to eat better and get in shape -- from calorie counters, workout routines, healthy recipes, and nutrition expert panels. But where did Chris Downie get the idea for such an ambitious project?

“As a kid, I had anxiety,” Chris shares. “I didn’t like that, so eventually I put together this self-improvement program that took, on one side, the best of health and fitness, and then on the other side, the best of goal-setting, leadership, behavioral psychology… This big lightbulb went off in my head to just mash all of this stuff together.”

But Chris didn’t realize how great SparkPeople’s potential was until members started noticing results in a big way. It finally hit him when he received a phone call from a coworker in Cincinnati. “She ended up losing fifty pounds and telling me that I changed her life.”

Since then, SparkPeople has grown into a vast fitness community that has helped thousands of people improve their health.

Use SparkPeople to Help Change Your Lifestyle!

Making the choice to live a healthier lifestyle isn’t an easy one to make. That’s why SparkPeople is thriving - having the extra tools and support really makes the difference.

Visit SparkPeople.com today and gain access to thousands of recipes, fitness tools, and opinions of health experts - free! You can also like SparkPeople on Facebook or follow @SparkPeople on Twitter and Instagram!

If you’re a parent, you know that finding hygiene products for kids is a difficult task. Getting kids to brush their teeth, take a bath, or put on sunscreen every day isn’t an easy thing to do.

Renowned beauty editor and mom of two Alyssa Hertzig shares her own advice for beauty and health products for kids that they’re sure to love. And Alyssa knows her stuff - she’s edited for the likes of Allure, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, and her latest project, Total Beauty.

The Best Products for Kids are the Most Fun

Luckily for parents, there are plenty of interesting health products for kids that will motivate them to maintain their hygiene.

Alyssa suggests opting for special hygiene products for kids to make them more excited about getting clean. Look for things like colorful sunscreen or bath fizzies for kids -- they’ll be sure to think of bath time as fun. “Go for flavors, go for fun shapes, go for colors,” Alyssa says, though she warns that some kiddy products may not always be as effective.

Be Confident That You’re Always Buying the Best Products for Kids

To learn more about beauty and health products for kids, visit Alyssa’s blog, the Sparkly Life and follow @alyssahertzig on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out the Sparkly Life Facebook page!

As we move toward a more technologically advanced world, sustainability has become an increasingly important topic. Personal care products, clothes, food, electronics -- manufacturing these things all require resources and potentially create waste.

Many of us are doing our part by recycling and finding ways to be more energy-efficient. But what is the fashion and beauty industry doing to be more sustainable?

Fashion Me Green editor and writer of the book, Wear No Evil Greta Eegan joins us to talk about sustainability in the beauty industry.

Sustainable Clothes

3-D printing is an incredible and versatile tool that higher-ups in the fashion industry are experimenting with to make clothes. A 3D printer creates a tangible, three-dimensional object from a computer file. The most important thing to note about 3D printing is that no waste is created in using it.

“It’s sort of the modern way of applying haute couture to the masses,” Greta says. One day, people will be able to design their own clothes, plug in their measurements, and print them and wear them with a 3d printer. It’s a fun, creative, and sustainable way to truly tailor your own personal style to your own body.

Learn More About Sustainability and Nontoxic Beauty

Follow @GretaEegan on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about how to be stylish and sustainable! You can also visit her website Fashion Me Green for more information.

The beauty industry is quickly becoming a hotbed for clever innovations that cater to a diverse variety of needs. These days it seems like there’s a beauty product for every skin type, hair texture, and lifestyle.

But how did the beauty industry change so fast? Senior Editor of Cosmetics Design Simon Pitman says Millennials are driving the demand.

The Beauty Market: From Niche to Hit

“The Millennial consumer has raised the bar for expectations on products,” Simon says. As consumers are becoming more informed, what used to be considered niche in the beauty industry is now becoming commonplace or even an industry standard.

For example, there’s a new emphasis in the beauty market on “cruelty-free” products. Cruelty-free beauty products aren’t a new concept, but today’s consumers are more aware of how their products are made. So many consumers may refuse to buy beauty products that use animal testing or are produced by employees working in sweatshop conditions.

Beauty Products Just for You

The recent diversification of beauty products available on the market is also the result of Millennial trends. “[The] Millennial consumer wants a product that’s targeted directly towards them,” Simon says. “What’s happening now is microsegmentation. There’s a product for everyone. It’s no longer, ‘one size fits all.’”

That means the creation of beauty products like an oil-based shampoo to repair bleach-ravaged locks. Or even an entire organic, cruelty-free beauty line to even the tone of hyperpigmented, rash-prone skin. Finally, beauty products that you can feel good about buying!

Let the Beauty Industry Hear What YOU Think

Want to learn more about the latest beauty industry trends? Follow Cosmetics Design on Twitter @CosmeticsDesign and Facebook and get makeup and personal care news on your feed!

Have you noticed how popular Athleisure style is these days? Sure, more people are probably working out than in the past, but if you’ve noticed, people who aren’t even going to the gym are often decked out in yoga pants and a bowling bag. I’m talking about athleisure.

Editor-in-Chief of Accessories Magazine Lauren Parker joins us to talk about how Athleisure is changing the beauty industry.

What is Athleisure?

It started with yoga leggings, but now Athleisure street style is the buzz in the fashion world. This includes more tracksuits - from retro Run-DMC styles to Juicy Couture’s revived velour tracksuit or Adidas’ 3-stripes. Then there’s Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma line, which mixes pearls and lace with edge sport. It’s a huge mashup now.

Wearing Athleisure Sneakers & Accessories

“Jewelry can be a little trickier with Athleisure,” Lauren says. Athleisure is light and hands-free, so you aren’t going to be wearing statement necklaces with your yoga clothes. Tiny earrings and ear crawlers are becoming more in style because of this reason. Because functionality is such a big part of athleisure, backpacks and belt bags are back in style in a big way.

In-Style Accessories on Your Daily Feed

Men’s grooming is booming in the beauty industry -- especially during Movember. But men’s personal grooming is more than just keeping facial hair tidy. Skin care matters, too!

The Grooming Editor founder Barret Wertz returns to Just Ask David to share some of his favorite men’s grooming products and to explain the importance of protecting your skin from future damage.

The Men’s Grooming Guide for Protecting Your Skin

Barret cites sunscreen as one of the most valuable skin care products for men (and women, too!) trying to protect their skin from signs of early aging. A good way to include sunscreen in your daily grooming routine is to use it right after your aftershave so it becomes second nature.

So what other men’s skin care products should be included in your grooming essentials? Barret calls antioxidants the “side-by-side partner of sunscreen.” Antioxidants help protect your skin from other environmental factors, like pollution and free radicals. Used with sunscreen, antioxidants are incredibly effective in preventing premature aging and skin damage.

Men’s Personal Grooming Tips at Your Fingertips

Many of us have decided to go green in our own way. Some of us choose to drive energy-efficient cars and some of us are committed to recycling every week. We have a better understanding of sustainable living than we did in the past and why it is important to the future of our world.

Sustainable living expert Chriss Slevin joins Just Ask David to give us the scoop on things we’ve always wanted to ask about going green. Chriss is the Designer & Creative Director of N.Y.C. label WAYWARD and also teaches Green Design at LIM College.

Green Design: What Is It and How Can We Use It?

The goal of green design is to contribute to a healthier, safer, more equitable world. But how do we hold brands accountable for their sustainability? “Vote with your dollar,” Chriss says. And if you don’t have the dollar to spare, extend the life of a product that may not be green.

How to Learn More About Green Design and Supporting Green Brands