Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Flaxseed Oil for Great Skin and Health
I was introduced to the great benefits of Flaxseed oil while browsing through a Whole Foods store by one of their representatives. I am always looking for natural health and beauty enhancing foods and supplements and while discussing with the rep, she pointed me in the direction of Flaxseed oil and she stated that the oil is loaded with alpha-linolenic, essential fatty acids that promotes healthy skin, hair, nails and even supports hearth health. Convinced, I purchased the 365 Organic Filtered Flax Oil and incorporated it into my daily routine. I take two tablespoons of the oil, it has a nutty flavor which isn't too bad, and it can also be sprinkled over salads and other dishes to absorb the taste.
After taking the flaxseed oil for about a week or so, I noticed a difference in the way my skin felt all over. It felt much more soft and silky than usual. After the third week, I noticed a more dramatic effect, my face had a very beautiful glow and the texture had greatly improved. For those with dry skin, flax seed oil, flaxseed oil can be mixed with honey and applied over the face for a great moisturizing treatment, oily skin types like myself might not like the oily feel of topical application but internally it does wonders for health and skin.
Flaxseed oil is extracted from the seeds of the flax plant and it is an excellent source of Omega 3s, essential fatty acids and lignans, chemical compounds that have been shown to provent certain types of cancers. According to The University of Maryland Medical Center, Omega 3 acids are essential to human health but it is not produced by the human body and has to be obtained from food. Omega 3 has been shown to prevent and treat conditions such as menstrual problems, HBP, heart disease, diabetes, skin disorders, eating disorders, certain cancers, bipolar disorders and others.
Here's to good health!
Enjoy!
Shea Radiance, Organic African Skin Care Products
>> Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Shea Radiance is a line of organic, skin and body products comprised of natural, African ingredients such as Sheabutter, Camwood and Baobab oil. Along with the fact that the products are eco-friendly and sustainable they are also yummy and deliciously scented and whipped in a luxurious, creamy mousse.
Shea Radiance was founded by Nigerian couple, Funlayou and Shola Alabi. One thing that immediately struck me when I viewed video interviews with the couple is the passion and committment they have to skin care and helping their local, African communities and that is what it is all about.
The website to find their products is www.shearadiance.com. I am excited to try the products and I will be doing a review on their products very soon.
Glowing Skin with Sugar!!
>> Monday, December 21, 2009
To achieve glowing skin, it is necessary to exfoliate at least 2x a week to help your skin shed dead skin cells and reveal the healthy skin underneath. There are many ways to exfoliate, and a simple and natural way to exfoliate is with....Sugar!
Yes, Sugar granules are gentle on the skin and will help slough off those dead skin cells.
What you will need
* 1 tbsp of sugar
* 1 tsp honey
* few drops of grapeseed oil (can be subsituted with other types of carrier or essential oils)
1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl
2) Cleanse face thoroughly and wipe off excess moisture. You can also steam your face
3) Apply mixture gently all over face and neck in a circular motion (sensitive skin types, be very gentle)
4) Wait ten minutes
5) Rinse off and pat dry
6) Follow with tea tree oil and Shea butter.
Those with sensitive skin might want to do this twice a week.
Enjoy!
Quick and Easy Natural Daily Detox for Healthy Body and Glowing Skin
>> Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Lemon and Water Detox
Detoxing is a great way to cleanse the body internally and rinse off build up and toxins. Ridding the body of these toxins will leave you feeling healthier and refreshed and give the skin a glowing effect. Your body and your skin are interrelated and if one is happy, they are both happy and if one is feeling uder the weather, there are good chances that the other will too. So detoxing is a great way to keep your insides and out feeling refreshed.
There are many ways to detox. There are programs, pills, teas, diets and even the dreaded buttocks sucking. Well here is a simple, natural detox that can be used on a daily basis.
What you need:
* 24 ounce water bottle. Water is excellent for detoxing because it dilutes the toxins and flushes them out of our body.
* kettle and stove
* 2 organic lemons cut in half with seeds plucked out. Lemons are high in fiber and other antioxidants.
* 1/3 cup of pure clover honey. Besides tasting fabulous, honey has many health benefits, it is filled with antioxidants, and has antibacterial and antifungal qualities. Honey has been used for centuries in beauty treatments because it can leave the skin glowing.
* 2 tbsp Organic flaxseed oil (optional and can be purchased at natural foods stores). Flaxseed oil is high in fiber, about 6grams of fiber in 3tbs and it is also rich in omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty oil that will leave your skin soft and glowing.
1) To start, bring the water to boil and let it cool down to lukewarm temperature.
2) Pour the lukewarm water into the 24 ounce bottle
3) Take the lemons and squeeze into the water bottle
4) Add the honey
5) Put the lid on the bottle and shake vigorously until all contents are well mixed.
6) Now drink up and instantly feel cleansed and refreshed.
7) Follow by taking the flaxseed oil, it has a nutty flavor which isn't too bad. If you don't care for the taste too much, just add over cereal, salads or your favorite dish.
8) Follow this detox with a diet rich in natural fruits and vegetables. I also like to follow with green tea and honey.
Enjoy and Good Luck!
Olive Oil, Beauty Secret of Mediterrean Women
>> Friday, December 18, 2009
For centuries Egyptian and women in the Mediterrean region maintained flawless, beautiful and glowing olive skin using the legendary olive oil. Legends such as Cleopatra were notorious for exemplifying beautiful skin and she was noted to use olive oil in her beauty regimen.
Olive oil is rich in Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin E has been long used to treat dry skin, soften wrinkles and reduce the appearance of scars. Regular use of olive oil will keep skin soft and moisturized and prevent premature aging. Olive oil can also help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
If using olive oil for topical use, please use only extra virgin oil! Pure and light olive oil have been chemically processed and will not have the beneficial effect on the skin. Also, olive oil will work better for those with dry skin, as it might be too heavy for those with combination or oily skin.
How to use:
1) Apply directly onto face and body as a body oil and wipe off excess
2) Use in the concotion of masks. Mix with avocado and mud and apply to face for a hydrating treatment.
3) Rub over elbows, knees, sole and other rough, dehydrated parts of the body.
4) Apply over cleansed nails to keep them smooth and strong
5) Apply to cleansed, dry, damaged hair to moisturize and strenghten
6) You can also add extra virgin olive oil in bathe water along with sea salt and soak in it.
7) I also love to use 100% extra virgin olive oil soaps, which can be purchased at most health food stores, international stores or online.
Tea Tree Oil for Blemish Free Skin
What will I do without my bottle of tea tree oil! I recommend that if you suffer from oily, acneic or combination skin, or if you have normal skin (lucky you!) and you want to keep those blemishes from occuring, then you should grab a bottle of tea tree essential oil.
Tea tree oil has been used for ages to treat all types of skin issues because of its antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial qualities. Tea tree oil comes from leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, which is unique to Australia and New South Wales. It has a strong, herbal scent and has a cool, tingling effect when applied topically.
I recommend purchasing tea tree oil from natural or health foods store such as Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage or pharmacies and look for premium grade, 100% pure tea tree oil.
To use:
1) Cleanse face and pat dry
2) Apply using fingertips on cotton ball all over entire face focusing on the problem areas
3) Let the solution dry before applying exfoliating treatment.
4) I use tea tree oil day and night, however for those with sensitive skin, you might want to limit usage to once a day.
5) If you have a ripe pimple, simple dab a few drops of tea tree on that bad boy and let the oil work its magic. Also if you cannot resist popping the pimple, make sure to coat the popped blemish and the areas surrounding it with tea tree to prevent bacteria from spreading to other parts of the skin.
In addition to being great for the skin, tea tree oil is also wonderful to use on flaky scalp!
Glowing, Beautiful Skin with Shea Butter
For many years African women have used Shea butter for variety of skin care purpose ranging from keeping the skin moisturized to treating acne problems. The Western world is now starting to catch on the benefits of natural Shea butter and you can see the ingredients in a variety of skin creams, body butters and anti-aging serums on beauty and cosmetic shelves and it is because Shea butter can work wonders on the skin!
Shea butter is the natural fat extracted from the seeds of shea tree, the shea nut and the tree is distinct to 19 countries across the African continent. The processing of the Shea from extraction to usable form is still done manually by the local woman and the process is quite laborious involving intense crushing, boiling and kneading. Natural, unprocessed shea butter comes in ivory white and buttery yellow colors depending on the season and region extracted.
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It is noted that Shea butter is an anti-inflammatory agent that can reduce irritation and treat a variety of skin problems such as acne, darks spots, wrinkles, dry skin, sunburns, rashes and many more. Shea butter is also noted to have slight sunscreen capabilities and works wonders on moisturizing dry hair while preventing breakage. Shea butter is also the primary ingredient in the concotion of the African black soaps, which are known to treat acne blemishes and a range of other skin problems.
I have been using shea butter with great surprise that a product that we find in our own back yards can be much more effective than many of the pricey, fancy labeled commercially produced products. It is important to note though that shea butter comes in natural and processed form. The processed form is what you will find in many deparment and beauty shops. However, I prefer to use unprocessed shea butter and find it to be more suitable for my skin.
Unprocessed shea butter can be purchased at http://www.agbangakarite.com/ and I love the fact that their shea butter is fair traded so you can shop with confidence that the local women are fairly compensated for all their hard work. I have also ordered from http://www.nasabb.com/ and I am also a fan of their 100% natural black soap. I'll be doing detailed reviews on particular products from those websites in the near future so stay tuned.
Unprocessed shea butter is thick in texture and so I like to mix it with essential oils to soften it up, and the essential oils helps the skin as well. Since my skin is oily and I suffer breakouts, I mix my shea butter with tea tree oil and lavendar oil. Those with dry skin might want to mix with it essential oil of chamomile. Also since I have oily skin, I use the mixture primarily as a night cream and in small quantities, and don't worry it will not break you out and in the morning my skin feels so soft and looks clearer.
How to use:
1) Apply shea butter after cleansing and toning your face
2) Use as a night cream
3) Apply all over body and focus heavily on elbow, knee and heels
4) Apply to lips to keep them soft and moisturized
5) Apply to hair after conditioning to lock in moiture (excellent moisturizer for natural hair!)
After several days of using shea butter, your skin should feel and look soft with a happy glow.
Reduce Oily Skin...Reduce Breakouts Naturally with Zinc!
>> Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Did you know that Zinc, a natural supplement that can purchased at local drug stores can help control oily skin and tame breakouts?! Read on...
As an avid sufferer of skin breakouts and extremely oily skin, I have searched and tried everything under the sun to control the greasiness and pimples. Oily skin can be attributed to a variety factors, the main being an imbalance of hormones as a result of overproduction of the androgen hormone in women. Androgen is basically the male hormone and both males and females produce the hormone, however men obviously produce high quantities of androgen. Women who produce excess of the androgen hormone will experience symptoms of oily skin, acne breakouts, excess hair growth, baldness and other. Acne breakouts is also attributed to poor diet and skin care regimen.
A lady who experiences hormonal imbalance is often treated medically with prescription birth controls or antibiotics. While these do work to an extent, they are not natural treatments and for long term care and treatment, it is often better to use nature's cures.
So how does Zinc work? Zinc is a mineral that plays a key role in balancing hormones, which is a major factor in excess oil skin production and appearance of acne. Zinc will assist the body in balancing hormonal activity and therefore reducing excessive oiliness and breakouts. However for Zinc to work, it has to be taken daily in doses ranging from 30mg-100mg daily, to avoid zinc toxicity, it is recommended that we do not take more than 100mg daily. In addition, there are (2) forms of zinc that have been shown to be more successful in normalizing hormone production and they are zinc gluconate and zinc monomethionine also known as OptiZinc. Further, beware of certain foods and supplements that can inhibit the effectiveness of zinc and their intake should be limited. Zinc inhibitors phytic acids, soy proteins and copper.
One important thing to note is that zinc alone will not completely eradicate your acne, a proper diet and skin care regimen will further remove toxins from the body and keep the skin looking and feeling clean and fresh. Keep skin cleansed at least twice a day with proper exfoliating treatments and adopt a fresh diet filled with green foods (i.e vegetables) and fruits while reducing sugar and fat intakes. Also drink lots and lots of fresh water and avoid stress.
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