Why Look After You use Organic Shea Butter for Reflexology

When I trained in Reflexology during 1994-5, trainees had to use cornflour or talcum powder to work on the feet.  These were very drying for both mine and my clients skin and once I qualified I opted to use Aqueous cream as this product stayed on the skins surface adequately to work on the feet throughout the session.  A few years later, however, I learned that the parabens used as a preservative in Aqueous cream can have a disruptive effect on the body’s endocrine system which was not good for me or my clients and I resolved to quickly find an alternative.

It needed to be a product that moisturized the skin effectively whilst at the same time being rich enough to leave a slight residue on the skin during the treatment so that I could carry out the necessary Reflexology techniques without straining either my hands or my clients’ skin.  Following some months of experimentation with different raw natural butters and oils from a company in Leeds I came to prefer the texture and richness of organic shea butter to work with.  Organic shea butter gets to work deep in the skin and leaves it feeling soft, smooth and refreshed. It is high in vitamin A and E and suits all skin types, additionally shea butter is also an excellent moisturizer. Apparently it also provides protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

The Leeds company I bought organic Shea butter from initially proved to be unreliable as an ongoing supplier and a search on the internet just before Christmas 2009 brought me to a pleasant, helpful discussion with Akoma Skincare.  I ordered a kilogram of the fair-trade organic shea butter to try and was blown away with the quality of the product which is incredibly rich and has an amazing clean, sweet aroma quite unlike any others I had tried working with.

Ethically Akoma also tick all the boxes for me too, as the product is fair-trade and organic.  Akoma Certified Raw Shea butter is produced with great care and pride in Ghana by the Akoma Cooperative Multipurpose Society. It has also been certified organic by the Soil Association and certified Fairtrade by the Fairtrade labeling organization (FLO).

Akoma Organic shea butter is processed from nuts gathered from the karite tree grown in Bolgatanga Upper East Region Ghana, raw shea butter is often referred to there as karite butter. It is known to be soothing and valued for its therapeutic properties, it helps renew cracked, aged and damaged skin and can help heal bruising and soreness.

 Akoma products are all high quality – I also use their organic coconut oil and red palm oil in cooking.  For Akoma Website Link Click Here

Reflexology - A Stroke patient

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEgqaD_28xM&feature=youtu.be
The above link is an inspiring short film from Kevin and Barbara Kunz about a stroke patient who was treated with Reflexology.  It reminded me of a Residential Home I used to visit to carry out Reflexology treatments. I never used to know who wanted a treatment until arrival and on this particular day I was asked to treat a lady who had had a stroke some months before.  She had been given painkillers but they had not touched the pain and she was crying with it and was very anxious and fearful.  I carried out a gentle treatment, using some Precision Reflexology and Linking techniques.  She gradually became calmer whilst I was working and relaxed, breathing more deeply.  She told me on my next visit that the pain had eased and had not returned, and she continued to enjoy treatments at each visit.
http://www.positivehealth.com/article/reflexology/reflexology-for-stroke - this link is a case study about a client who had suffered a stroke from Polly Hall, a fellow member of the Association of Reflexologists

Look After You run small retreats only - so that each individual has plenty of TLC and physical space to relax in.  Ty Sidonie is a newly renovated house in the small village of Gare De Motreff in Central Brittany.  The venue is accessible from local airports Dinard and Brest and the seaport Roscoff.  Our press release has photos of the house and garden.  What about some Look After You time?

The Detox Retreat menu is prepared for you and relevant supplementation will be provided.  Each Retreat participant will receive a complimentary Reflexology session. The house is opposite an old railway track which is now a walking and biking track, providing access to the Montagnes Noires (The Black Mountains).  The patio and garden are pleasant places to relax, and a small river runs past the bottom of the garden where dragonflies gather in abundance.

The Retreat is booked from 6^th to 9^th July, 2010 and costs £300.  Full nutritional and naturopathic guidance will be given during your stay and pre retreat guidance will be given on how to make dietary changes so that you gain full benefit from your juice detox.  Please contact Suzy on 01977 612008 or email to suzy@look-after-you.co.uk if you are interested and would like a full itinerary.