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Friday, June 10, 2011

Coffee & Plum Exfoliation

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of fine ground coffee
3 Plums
1 Teaspoon of Honey

Benefits of Ingredients:
Coffee exfoliates and revitalizes your skin. It also has anti aging benefits
Plums are a very effective antioxidant
Honey is an excellent humectant

Directions:
Mash the 3 plums into mush. Mix the plums with the teaspoon of honey. Finally add the tablespoon of fine ground coffee. Apply the mix onto your face gently. Let it sit for 10 minutes then scrub off delicately.

This little DIY recipe will help you get rid of old dead skin cells.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Four Skin Care Tips to Remember

There are 4 simple tips we want to give you that will help is you skin care regimen.

First and foremost, wear sunscreen. Sunscreen serves two really good purposes. It helps to protect our skin from extremely dangerous and deadly cancers and it also helps prevent our skin from aging so fast.

Daily application of sunscreen is quite common, but we have all made little application mistakes that leave our skin exposed to those harmful UVA & UVB rays. We must make sure that we apply sunscreen to all areas of our skin that will be exposed, such as our feet, chest, hands, neck, and even our ears. If you are going to be swimming or will be sweating a lot, you should apply sunscreen at a minimum of every 2 hours (once an hour preferably). We would recommend you use a sunscreen that has no less than an SPF rating of 30. One common myth you should remember is just a myth is that cloudy days are supposed to be safer from the sun. They are NOT safer! Some studies have shown that sunburns are more easily obtained on cloudy/overcast days than on sunny days.

One of the most simple tips for all of you is to sleep. Sleep is FREE skin care. Good restful sleep helps to keep you from becoming exhausted and exhaustion helps to show age lines more than most anything else. Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, suggests lack of sleep has a significant effect on our energy level and our happiness. She adds that setting a specific bedtime, ensuring your room is dark, chilly, and clutter free, avoiding activities that make you alert, all will help provide you with an environment conducive to a sound sleep.

Do you know what the three minute rule is? It is a lot simpler than you think. Simply remember to moisturize within three minutes after showering or bathing. Damp skin helps to lock in moisture and there is no better time then when you are still somewhat damp yourself. It still is necessary for you to find out which moisturizer is right for your skin type.

Would you ever brush your teeth with a brush that is dirty? The same should go for all of your beautifying brushes. These brushes create an ideal environment for bacteria.  Good Housekeeping gives us a tip to rinse them with water and then add a drop of gentle shampoo to create a lather. Next, wash them well and use a clean dry towel to ring out the water and allow them to air dry. For liquid  product tools, Bella Sugar  suggests that we make sure to wash these tools daily and for those tools we use with powder products we should clean them every two weeks.


Our final tip for you is to eat foods that have skin healthy nutrients. Just remember, whatever is good for your health is good for your skin. Vegetables like spinach and broccoli are rich in Vitamin A that helps with cell production and turnover for smoother skin. Salmon, tuna, and trout are some of the fish that contain high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids that help battle inflammation. Inflammation produces free radicals that in turn contribute to aging by attacking collagen. Vitamin C, which is most common in oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are very important in the production of collagen. Protein packed foods like chicken and pork contain zinc and iron. Zinc helps with cell synthesis and exfoliation, so our skin does not have that dull appearance. Iron is needed by our red blood cells to carry oxygen to the skin. That helps to give our skin that glow we all want.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Egg Facial Mask

Ingredients you need:

1 egg
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tbs honey

Directions:

First, beat the egg in a small bowl. Next add the ½ cup of coconut oil and 1 tbs of honey. Keep beating this mixture until the mix has the consistency of mayonnaise. You can then take a spoon and put the mix into an old toilet paper roll with it sitting upright in a small bowl. Take the bowl and put it in the freezer overnight. To use, just peel away the cardboard from the old toilet paper roll. Now you just roll and smooth the frozen stick over your face. Leave it on your face 5-10 minutes then wash it off with warm water. You can keep the stick covered with plastic wrap and keep frozen between uses.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

How Often Should You Use a Facial Masque in Spring?

This is a great question. First off we have to remember that none of us have the same skin type. One of you may have oily skin, and another of you may have dry problematic skin. With that being said, the two of you shouldn’t be treating your skin the same.

Facial masques come in many forms and perform different tasks. One thing that works for all types of skin is exfoliating twice per week. By getting rid of that dead layer of skin, you help to keep your skin looking fresh and healthy. Exfoliation also helps to pull the toxins out of your skin that cause problems. Something else to keep in mind for your exfoliation routine is to make sure you skip at least one day between treatments.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Cucumber Wrinkle Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 Cucumber
1 Egg White
2 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Directions:

Take 1 cucumber and wash thoroughly. Cut the cucumber in halves. Do not peel the half of cucumber. Cut it into cubes. Take the cubes and blend together with 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, and ½ cup of olive oil. Once blended together take the mix and apply to areas you wish to treat and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Gently wipe clean with tissue

Friday, April 8, 2011

Its Sandal Time! Are Your Piggies Ready?

It has been a cold winter and we are already talking about wearing Sandals? Well, spring is upon us once again and we want to help you get those piggies ready for putting on those sandals.

If you take the following steps you will have your feet ready for spring.

First you should soak your feet in warm water for about 20-30 minutes. Using Epsom salts in the mixture will help relieve aching muscles and loosen dead skin. Once you have completed the soaking process, you should use a pumice stone to help remove the old skin and then rinse your feet off.

After you have dried off your feet, trim and file your toenails. To avoid ingrown toenails you should trim and file them into a square shape. Using a cuticle stick, push the toe cuticles back. Never cut the cuticles with scissors because they help keep bacteria from entering your skin.

Once you have completed attending to your toenails, use alcohol to clean them off. Then you can polish them with a clear basecoat. Let them dry and then you can apply regular nail polish, any color you desire, on your toes. Added suggestion for you here, once the nail polish has dried use a top clear coat. This will help keep your toes looking beautiful for a longer period of time.


Using your favorite lotion will help you have pretty bare feet. Slather the lotion all over and then cover your feet with gallon size freezer bags. Take a hair band or rubber band to secure the bags on your feet. Keep the bags on your feet for 15-30 minutes. When you remove the bags, you will have extra smooth and soft piggies.


In the winter months our feet can really suffer. Sometimes a much more intensive treatment is needed. Our suggestion is an intense exfoliation. You should start at night before you go to bed by rubbing vegetable oil onto your feet. Cover your feet with socks. When you get up in the morning, shower as normal then you will need to file off the rough skin. Next you will need to rinse your feet, then dry, and finally add a thick heavy lotion. Within a few days of this daily treatment, your piggies will be ready for Sandals.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Skin Softening Body Scrub

Ingredients:
Lemon Juice from 1 Lemon
Shaved Lemon Peel from 1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Honey
5 Tablespoons of Raw Sugar
Directions:
Squeeze fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon. Take the lemon peel shavings and place them in a mixing bowl with the lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons of Honey and 5 tablespoons of sugar. Mix the ingredients together. Once you have gotten into the shower and your skin is damp from the water, scrub the mix over your entire body. Leave the mix on your skin for maximum effectiveness for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, rinse off with warm water and pat your skin dry with a towel.

This body scrub will leave your skin feeling ultra soft to the touch.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Coffee Body Scrub

This exotic body scrub is fabulous for helping you wake up in the morning!
Ingredients:
2 cups of coffee grounds
½ cup of sea salt
2/3 tablespoon of almond oil
Directions:
Place the ingredients into a mixing bowl and blend together. Once you are in the bath, or shower place the mixture directly on your skin once it is moist. Rub the scrub into your skin and allow it to be absorbed into the skin for 5-10 minutes. After it has set for the allotted amount of time, rinse off with warm water.
The mix will exfoliate are rejuvenate your skin, not to mention the aroma will awaken your senses.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Season is changing, Is your skin care regime?

The weather is beginning to warm. Everything around us is changing. Are you ready to change your skin care regime?
As the temperatures rise, the need for heavy moisturizers will cease to exist and in turn you will find that a change to a lighter moisturizer will be necessary. If you really are in love with your current moisturizer you can always dilute it with distilled or plain water to thin it out.
The skin around your eyes and lips will still be effected by the dry air so you should use the thick moisturizer for those areas. Spring brings warmth but also many things that flare up our allergies and other skin rashes become more prevalent. It is important that we remain pro active with our skin care regiment to help keep these new factors at bay to help keep our allergies under control.
Here are some helpful hints you can do right in your own home to help in that battle.
Use neem water as an antiseptic facial cleanser. Take neem leaves and boil them in a covered container. Once the water is down to about 1/3 the amount, the neem water is ready. You should then use a strainer and put the water in a glass bottle and keep it refrigerated. It will be ready for use at all times. If you can’t use neem leaves, use Basil leaves in its place. Basil leaves have the same antiseptic properties that neem leaves have.
The warmth feels good to our skin. The winter months we have spent covering our skin with thick garments to keep warm. It is very easy for us to allow the direct sunlight to damage our skin without realizing the harm. Using a lotion with SPF will help protect us. A couple of other ways to help are to wear a hat and use an umbrella. They will both help keep those harmful ultraviolet rays off of our skin.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Benefits of handmade laundry detergent

Handmade all natural laundry detergent is far better for you and our environment. There are several, very simple and important benefits that we all should keep in mind.
The first and most noticeable is the savings. Comparing store bought commercial detergents and handmade laundry detergent the facts are very clear. A load using store bought commercially manufactured laundry detergent will cost you on average of 32 cents per load. On the other hand, a load using handmade laundry detergent will cost you 10 cents per load. That adds up considering the average laundry detergent costs about $30 for a container that says will give you enough detergent for 96 loads. The same amount of loads can be done with all natural laundry detergent for 1/3 of the cost. That is a huge savings.
When you start reading all the ingredients in commercially made laundry detergent you can start to feel like you have to be a scientist to understand what the ingredients are. There are numerous chemicals and additives that most of us can’t understand. Handmade laundry soap consists of 3 main ingredients and an essential or fragrance oil of your choosing. Borax, soap shavings, and washing soda are those 3 main ingredients. The best option for the soap shavings is to use all natural handmade soap and you have to remember to use washing soda, not baking soda. These ingredients are all safe for us and our environment too.
No matter how well you plan ahead, sometimes something slips through the cracks and you forget something you need. It has happened to all of us at one time or another. With handmade natural laundry detergent you have the ingredients right in your home and whenever you use the last of the detergent you have available, you don’t have to run to the store. You can make more right there in your home

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Is Hand Made Natural Skin Care a Better Choice?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the government organization the regulates what ingredients are used in making skin care items. They have done very little in that aspect. It has been discovered that many of the ingredients that are being used commercially have toxic effects on our bodies. None of the companies or the regulators of the industry have taken the time to properly test these harmful ingredients over a long term to find out what a daily exposure to them can result in.

To better understand the significance of the dangers you should know what is in those commercial products and what you could be putting on your body. Many beautifying essentials contain any of the following; Mercury, Dioxin, Nitrosamines, DEA, Cyclomethicone, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Polyethylene Glycol. All of these components have been shown to have damaging effects and in some cases they can stay in some body parts for very long periods of time. One of the most seriously effected  categories is pregnant women or women in the process of trying to get pregnant.

Knowing about the dangers that are out there makes it easier for you to purchase what is good for your skin, as well as the rest of your body.  One thing the FDA has done right is making it a requirement for manufacturers to list the ingredients they use in the product in order of highest quantity used. The safe assumption we can all make about these labels is that it can be divided into 3 parts. The first part will contain the materials that account for 90-95 percent of the product. These are most commonly emollients, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservatives.  Emollients provide moisture, humectants help keep the skin stay moist, emulsifiers bond the ingredients, surfactants bring grime to the surface so that it can be washed away, and the preservatives prevent decay. True natural, organic products contain zero preservatives. If you store them in a refrigerator you can extend their shelf life. All of the materials listed can come in at least 1 natural and 1 synthetic form. Natural is by far the better option of the 2 since many of the synthetic materials contain harmful toxins.

Doing research to find out the best way for you to defend yourself against toxins and chemicals should be your first active step. Another option for you would be to choose “organic” products since these products will contain all natural ingredients. It is also good to find recipes for products online and you can make sure that nothing harmful is part of the process, especially since you can make it yourself. This does take more time, but you can make it in larger quantities that will cost you less in the long run if stored properly.


It is well known that the skin care industry will be undergoing a makeover in the near future. Until that day happens, we have to be aware of all the dangers that some products can have on our bodies and staying with all natural hand made items is definitely the way to go.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil


Tea Tree Oil contains properties that make it an effective means to cure the three types of infectious organisms. Those three organisms are fungus, bacteria, and viral. An even more impressive feat of Tea Tree Oil is its’ effectiveness fighting those infections that are resistant or have become resistant to many antibiotics. This factor makes Tea Tree Oil an excellent natural remedy for numerous bacterial and fungal skin ailments.  Just a few examples of those ailments are acne, oily skin, blisters, sun burns, athlete’s foot, rashes, insect bites, and dandruff.

This natural cure has been proven in many studies to help treat respiratory problems that range from a sore throat, cough, and runny nose to more severe conditions such as asthma, tuberculosis, and bronchitis.  Viral infectious diseases like chicken pox, shingles, measles, and the flu are also shown to be effected by using Tea Tree Oil. The body’s immune system is strengthened by Tea Tree Oil and that alone helps the body fight the infections.

One of the most effective uses of Tea Tree Oil is as a mouthwash. It kills the bacteria in the mouth that causes gingivitis and helps reduce inflamed gums. Sometimes when we have gone to the dentist our mouths become inflamed and irritated and Tea Tree Oil can reduce that irritation and inflammation.

The effective use as a mouthwash is not the only beneficial means it can be used as. Many skincare products can effectively use the benefits of Tea Tree Oil. Ranging from acne specific treatments to general hygiene products, Tea Tree Oil shows a versatility and effectiveness not equaled by any.

Shampoo is one of the venues that allowed Tea Tree Oil and its’ benefits to become better known.  Its effectiveness against dandruff and dry scalp allowed those that have known the benefits of it for a long time to have their voices heard.  Tea Tree Oil has also been used in handmade soaps, crèams, and lotions.

Sometimes when we treat ailments with manmade medicines they tend to have side effects that outweigh the benefits.  Tea Tree Oil based antiseptic solutions, creams, and ointments can work just as good or better without those side effects. Some other medicinal treatments commonly available are for Athlete’s foot, sore muscle/arthritis, and chest rubs. Higher concentrations of Tea Tree Oil can help heal canker and cold sores, treat nail fungus, blisters, and ringworm. There are also Tea Tree Oil creams that can be used to treat minor burns, rashes, insect bites and sunburns.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dragons Blood fragrance

Dragon’s Blood has a long history of being used in healing wounds and known for its antiviral effects. One of the main components in Dragon’s Blood is Taspine. Taspine has long been documented to have anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. The woody and earthy scent contains notes of vanilla and sandalwood giving you that autumn like warmth with light tones of powdery musk and Asian florals that bring out the spicy undertone. Indulge your senses with this exotic and warm aroma.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

What is a Sugar Scrub and why you should use one

First things first let’s answer the first question. What is a sugar scrub?
A sugar scrub is a total body treatment that helps to get rid of dry skin. These scrubs come in many scents and forms. The ingredients should remain similar in all of them. Sugar, vitamins, fruit oils, along with other moisturizing ingredients are what make up a sugar scrub. The sugar granules can vary in size for different degrees of exfoliation needs. The larger the granule is the stronger the exfoliation results will be.
Using a sugar scrub properly can improve your skin’s appearance and texture. The optimal time to apply the sugar scrub to the skin is when the skin is thoroughly wet like in the shower. You rub the scrub into the skin applying light pressure. Allow the scrubs benefits to be absorbed into the skin for a few minutes then rinse off with warm water.
The effective results of a sugar scrub stem from the rough texture of the granules. This rough texture helps to peel away dry and dead skin cells. Once the dry and dead layers of skin are gone, the healthy, smooth skin underneath can shine through. Moisturizing ingredients in sugar scrubs are just an added benefit that helps keep the skin soft and hydrated.
So why use a sugar scrub? Using a sugar scrub is wonderful for maintaining healthy, supple skin. Exfoliation is especially important during the dry winter months when we don’t realize our bodies are losing moisture. Beyond the visual benefits, the sugar scrub allows you to pamper yourself.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Sweet Orange & Pomegranate

This absolutely fabulous scent is a perfect blend of pomegranate and sweet orange. The sweet yet exotic scent will please all of the senses.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Why are all natural products best at treating Eczema?

Treating Eczema is most effective when treated both externally an internally. This two stage approach addresses the visible symptoms like the itchy, inflamed skin but at the same time nourishes the inside giving the skin the needed minerals and vitamins to help treat and prevent the outbreaks.

Keeping the skin healthy and rejuvenated starts with keeping it hydrated. The hydration keeps the skin lubricated and allows the skin to battle the Eczema outbreaks quicker.

All natural lotions that condition and hydrate the skin work best in treating Eczema externally. This treatment works best when applied while to skin is damp. Applying the lotion to the skin while damp helps optimize the absorption and aids in sealing in the moisture. Store bought lotions that contain chemicals can counteract the benefits of the moisturizing process. Those that contain man made products like petroleum jelly may in fact inflame the Eczema more. This fact just supports all natural products work better. Lotions made with natural ingredients like Aloe Vera, oatmeal, and cocoa butter work the best. They all help to create a natural barrier against irritants and allergens that bring on outbreaks of Eczema.

Natural treatments are by far better than anything man has made for us. The ingredients nature provides us to treat Eczema are much better and more effective. We must maintain hydration internally because it is just as important at treating the outside. Drinking water will help to accomplish this part of treating Eczema.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Facial Toners

 As we get older it is more important for us to take care of our skin.  Our Kiss of Youth Facial Toner can help with that. It is handmade with the more mature skin in mind. The all natural ingredients that help to tighten, cleanse deep, and reduce the appearance of the skins’ pores.

Do you have oily, problematic skin? Our pore cleansing toner is designed for you. The all natural and pure essential oils help to take care of those areas.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Does facial skin care need to be different than regular skin care?

The first thing you need to do is find out what type of skin you have. There are three basic types of skin; oily, dry and combination.  It is possible that your face may be oily whereas your legs may be dry. Would you use the same skin care products on both of them?

Oily skin is typically shiny and acne prone.  Toxins excreted through our skin tend to clog pores and create blackheads in oily skin much easier than in dry skin.  This skin type also attracts much more dirt and dust than dry skin does because of the higher amounts of sebum.  Natural cleansing products along with warm water will help clean this skin type safe and effectively.

Dry skin will have a dry, flakey appearance and even has a tightness to it. The lack of sebum, that helps to maintain the moisture in the skin, is what allows the skin to tighten when it comes in contact with cold or hot water.  Dry skin is less prone to acne than oily skin but is more vulnerable to flaking and painful skin conditions.

Combination skin is the most common of these three skin types.  This skin type has a common theme. There is an oily patch across our forehead,  down the nose  ending at the chin. This is commonly referred to as the T-zone. This combination also has patches of dry skin typically in the cheek, neck, and eye areas.  Treating this type of skin can be somewhat confusing and can get expensive if you treat  the whole area the same.  Experimenting with different natural products is the way to go here.

Having great looking skin includes more than just facial care. Our skin is the largest organ our body has. We have to take care of all of it and most of the time that requires different skin care products to do the job.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Rosemary Mint


This wonderfully awakening scent is the perfect mixture of Rosemary and Peppermint.  The natural Rosemary essential oils help to clarify the skin while the Peppermint helps to rejuvenate the skin.  There is nothing like starting your day with the natural boost that the Rosemary Mint scent gives you.