Sunday, November 6, 2011

Combat Dark Under Eye Circles

Combat Dark
Under Eye Circles

Treatment for Dark Under Eye Circles

Grated potatoes can lighten under-eye circles. Potatoes contain an enzyme called catecholase, which is used in cosmetics as a human skin lightener.

Run one spud through your food processor and stuff the raw mash into a piece of cheesecloth.
Apply to the area directly beneath your eye � don't let the potato juice come in contact with the eye itself � and leave for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wipe away the starchy residue

Shea Butter Soap

Make Your Own Shea Butter Soap
By M.S. Beltran

At bath time, nothing is more luxurious or nurturing for your skin than an all-natural bar of Shea butter soap.

The Shea (Mangifolia) tree is a wild tree found in Western Africa that produces a tasty fruit. The fruit contains large seeds with oils that can be extracted to produce shea butter, a white to light yellowish color cream with a similar texture and consistency as butter.

Shea butter has been utilized by native Africans for more than a millennia. Shea butter contains unsaponifiable fats, which do not turn to soap and retain their moisturizing properties. It is completely non-toxic (in fact, unprocessed, it can be used in cooking) and gentle enough for use on the face, for babies or people with skin conditions. Shea butter is a natural moisturize, offers UV protection, and is even thought to help the skin make its own collagen by stimulating the tissue. It has been long used by healers for things like skin cracks and ulcers, small wounds, dry skin, eczema, dermatitis, and to sooth aching muscles. Because of the way shea butter restructures the skin, it has even been used to help with stretch marks, and in anti-aging formulas.

Because of the natural latex found in shea butter, people with latex allergies should do a test patch on the skin before using any shea butter products. Many people with latex allergies are not effected by shea butter, but some are, so it is better to be safe than sorry. But other than that, shea butter is a wonderful product to use on your skin. And the best way to take advantage of all-natural shea butter is to create your own home-made shea butter soap.

Shea butter is available in some craft stores that sell soap-making products, as well as many by soap and cosmetic supply companies. It is relatively inexpensive, as you can obtain an ounce for only a few dollars, and need only a couple of tablespoons in order to create two to four bars of soap. It also keeps well; refrigerated, it can last more than two years. But not all products are created equal. Many companies refine shea butter, or extract it chemically, which essentially takes out many of it's beneficial properties. Other companies bleach it, or add coloring and fragrances. For the best product, try to obtain shea butter that is all-natural and without additives. The more pure the product that you work with is, the better your results will be.

In order to make your own shea butter soap, you will need:

All-natural Castile (olive oil based) soap
distilled water
2 tbsp all-natural, unprocessed shea butter
1 tbsp finely ground almonds (optional, but a nice addition for a gentle exfoliating soap with a nice scent)
A grater
A double boiler, or a small pot that can be placed inside of a bigger pot
Small plastic food containers for molds
A mixing spoon
A drying rack
Begin by setting some tap water to boil in the double-broiler or big pot. Grate your castile soap until you have two cups full. Add this to the inner double-boiler, or the small pot, with � cup of distilled water. Melt it over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the soap is completely melted and stringy when you pull up the spoon.
Remove it from the heat. Add the shea butter and almonds, stirring gently until the mixture is well blended. Pour into small plastic food containers and let dry and harden for several hours. They should pop out when completely hard.
Place on the drying rack and allow soap to set for 3 weeks, turning regularly throughout the day to prevent the bars from warping. Then, simply wrap them in plastic wrap to preserve them, or use them in your next bath.

Epsom Salt

A Beauty Enhancing Element � Epsom Salt

By Kathryn M. D�Imperio

Affordable, available and easy to use, Epsom Salt provides the beauty-conscious with a wealth of fun and healthy home remedies and beauty treatments.

�In Grandma�s day, Epsom Salt was largely used as a laxative. That�s no longer the case,� says Jim Hill, a member of the Epsom Salt Council. �Epsom Salt, a pure, time-tested mineral compound, is actually Magnesium Sulfate, which absorbs easily through the skin and boasts a whole host of modern-day uses, from beauty to health.�

Epsom Salt occurs naturally, although most of what we buy in the stores has been manufactured. Even still, the Epsom Salt retains its pure, natural and healing characteristics.

To take advantage of the health and beauty related functions of Epsom Salt, the Epsom Salt Council suggests the following tips:

To exfoliate:

Mix together two cups of Epsom Salt and � cup of petroleum jelly. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil for a pleasant fragrance. Apply the mixture to gently scrub away old cells and encourage a healthier-looking complexion.

For a facial:

Mix � teaspoon of Epsom Salt into a deep cleansing cream so you can reap the benefits of this mineral deep inside your skin. Massage the mixture onto your skin and then rinse with cool water. Pat dry.

To accompany a pedicure:

Before you go to the trouble of painting your nails, soften your feet by soaking them in a bathtub or plastic basin with warm water and Epsom Salt for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The salt will help to smoothen your feet, giving them a relaxed and refreshed feel.

Relaxing bath crystals:

Mix two cups of Epsom Salt with a few drops of a delightful fragrance to create a custom bath crystal. To dress up your bath crystals, add a few drops of food coloring or � teaspoon of glycerin. Store the crystals in an airtight container.

Soothing spa treatment:

After showering, the Epsom Salt Council recommends massaging handfuls of Epsom Salt over wet skin to exfoliate the body. �It's the same treatment many upscale spas use, without the upscale price!�

For a tranquil soak:

Fill your bathtub with water at a comfortable temperature that you enjoy. As you�re filling the tub, add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water (if it is a standard-sized bathtub � make adjustments for larger tubs). Soak for at least 12 minutes, three times a week for best results. As an extra treat, the Epsom Salt Council recommends adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil for an invigorating aroma.

Visit www.epsomsaltcouncil.org to learn more about the beneficial uses of Epsom Salt. You�ll learn everything from how to coax out a splinter to a soaking relief for sore and tired muscles.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive Skin Gentle Exfoliant
By Beverly Smith

For a gentle sensitive skin exfoliator, mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup milk, two teaspoons baking soda, one tablespoon olive oil and five drops of tea-tree oil in a bowl, then apply to your skin.

Problem Hair

Natural Treatments For Problem Hair
By M.S. Beltran

Is your hair dry and brittle? Is the color dull and lackluster? Forget expensive commercial products that can do more damage than good to your hair; treat your hair yourself, using all-natural ingredients found in your own kitchen.

DO-IT-YOURSELF CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT

Would you believe that most commercially bought cholesterol hair conditioners contain alcohol� the very thing that dries out hair? Instead, grab a cup full of mayonnaise, some plastic food wrap and throw a couple of towels in the drier on high.

Work the mayonnaise into your hair, starting by massaging it into the scalp and roots. Then draw it through to your ends until your hair is thoroughly coated. Pile the hair on top of your head. Take a couple of feet of saran wrap and wrap it around the top of your head to contain the mayo.

Take a pre-heated towel from the dryer and wrap it around your head over the saran wrap. The heat will aid with deep conditioning. After about 10 minutes, change to another heated towel and leave that on for another 10 minutes.

Remove the towel and plastic wrap and shampoo your hair as usual. Done once a month, this cholesterol treatment will keep your hair soft and shiny.

* Tip: if your hair ends are very damaged from chemical treatment, you can do this once a week. If your scalp is naturally oily, you might want to only add mayo to the hair ends for weekly treatments.

QUICK SOLUTION FOR OILY HAIR

If your scalp is naturally oil, you probably have to shampoo your hair daily to keep it from looking greasy or stringy. If, however, you are running short on time or need a quick lift in the middle of the day, grab a box of cornstarch and a large, clean blush brush.

Pour some cornstarch out onto a dish and dip the brush into it. Then, with a comb, part your hair in the center and brush the cornstarch onto your scalp and roots. Make another part 1/4 to � inch off-center and repeat. Continue this method down one side of your head, then from the center and down the other side.

Go about your business for about 10 minutes while the cornstarch soaks up the excess oils in your hair. Then, take a brush and brush out your hair, ridding it of the cornstarch flakes.

FOR A COLOR ENHANCER:

If your own natural color, or your color treated hair, begins to look drab, all you need are a few ingredients from your garden or local produce store to brighten it up.

Begin by boiling one quart of water. In a piece of doubled cheesecloth, add the following:

for brunettes� a handful fresh rosemary sprigs (bruise by crumpling in your hand)
for blondes� a handful of dried chamomile
for "orange tone" redheads� a chopped-up carrot
for "berry tone" redheads� a chopped up beet

Tie up the ingredient in the cheesecloth and toss into the boiling water, removing it from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag. Shampoo and rinse your hair as usual. Then, pour the warm (not hot) color-enhancing rinse over your hair. As a final rinse, use a quart of cold water. Once a month treatments will keep your hair color vibrant.

BUILD-UP REMOVER

Often the culprits of drab coloring and lackluster hair are all the styling products that we regularly use. They begin to build up and dull the shine and tone of our hair.

Get rid of the build up by mixing 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of distilled water. This can be stored in a cabinet or the refrigerator and used every couple of weeks to keep hair squeaky clean. To use it, wet hair with warm water, or shampoo and rinse as usual. Then pour 2 cups over the scalp and let mixture saturate the hair. Finish up with a cold-water rinse.

Hair Perfume

Make Your Own Hair Perfume
By Beverly Smith

It is pleasant to perfume the hair after washing it when the hair is half dry. The following ingredients are required to make this fragrant perfume.

6 tablespoons powdered charcoal
5 tablespoons powders myrrh
1 tablespoon powdered benzoin
1 tablespoon potassium nitrate
2-3 drops oil of bergamot
2-3 drops of sandalwood
mucilage of tragacanth

Mix the powders together and sieve, and then add the oils. Add the potassium nitrate, and then sufficient mucilage of tragacanth to make a stiff paste.

Heat the mixture over a water bath and then make into little cones and dry. Just light one of the cones and let the smoke go into the damp hair.
The smell is highly aromatic and exotic.

Make Your Own Hair Perfume
By Beverly Smith

It is pleasant to perfume the hair after washing it when the hair is half dry. The following ingredients are required to make this fragrant perfume.

6 tablespoons powdered charcoal
5 tablespoons powders myrrh
1 tablespoon powdered benzoin
1 tablespoon potassium nitrate
2-3 drops oil of bergamot
2-3 drops of sandalwood
mucilage of tragacanth

Mix the powders together and sieve, and then add the oils. Add the potassium nitrate, and then sufficient mucilage of tragacanth to make a stiff paste.

Heat the mixture over a water bath and then make into little cones and dry. Just light one of the cones and let the smoke go into the damp hair.
The smell is highly aromatic and exotic.

Natural Skin Care Tips for Healthier, Beautiful Skin

When meeting someone new, most people take notice of the person’s face first. For this and other reasons, maintaining clean, healthy skin is paramount to self-esteem, confidence and even attitude.

Getting healthier skin is not contingent upon high-cost prescription medications or obsessive skin care routines. Modifying your daily routine a tiny bit and upholding disciplined cleansing habits can help to add flawless skin to the list of your best qualities.

Eat healthier
By avoiding foods that often make your face breakout, your skin will be less oily and more resistant to blemishes. Some problem foods that may cause pimples or breakouts include chocolate and other candy, French fries, fast food, pizza and soft drinks.

To get your skin in better shape, you may not have to give up everything that has negative effects on your skin, but rather, eat those things in moderation. Have greasier foods as a special treat or on rare occasion when eating a healthy, balanced meal is out of the question.

Hydrate and exercise
Drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day coupled with some regular exercise – walking, running, bicycling, engaging in sports – should have a great impact on one’s complexion. Increased blood flow due to aerobic exercise will positively impact one’s complexion with a glowing look to replace dull skin.

Not only will exercise and drinking water help skin tone and texture, but it will also make you feel more energized and great about yourself. By keeping your body in shape, you will feel less stressed and more capable of achieving those things you set out to do.

Monitor sun exposure
By using a moderate strength sunscreen, you will be protecting your skin from sun damage, skin cancer, aging and premature wrinkles. Too much sun can blister one’s lips, leaving them red, sore and charred. Sunburned skin will eventually peel most times, leaving skin areas blotchy and sensitive. The best approach to preventing sunburn and other sun-caused skin problems is to monitor how much time one spends in the sun and to avoid sun exposure by using sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater.

Practice a regular cleansing routine
Cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize – this daily routine should carry you on your way toward healthier skin. Select a gentle skin cleansing solution that works for your specific type of skin – dry, oily, normal. Using your selected product, cleanse face in a circular motion and rinse with lukewarm water, as hot water zaps skin’s moisture.

Follow the cleansing stage with an exfoliant. A granular product is often especially effective in smoothing rough areas and releasing dead skin cells, allowing the face to be better moisturized. Perfect moisturizer

After the exfoliation process concludes, use a toner or an astringent to tighten skin and remove any makeup or cleanser residue. A nice alternative to a toner or astringent would be doing a facial masque at least once a week, which tackles clogged pores while also firming skin and leaving it soft and silky.

Finally, pat skin dry with a soft towel but do not dry up all the water. Apply a moisturizer (with or without sunscreen) to help protect skin from dryness. Those who have oily skin do not have to moisturize as often as those who have dry, normal or combination skin.

By following the daily skin care routine along with drinking lots of water, exercising and protecting your skin from sun damage, you should soon notice positive results. Maintaining discipline and adhering to your goal to achieve healthier skin make the actual task at hand so much easier to accomplish.

Tags: Aerobic Exercise, Beautiful Skin, Best Qualities, Damage Skin, Dull Skin, Flawless Skin, Food Pizza, French Fries, Glasses Of Water Per Day, Moderate Strength, Monitor Sun, Natural Skin Care, Premature Wrinkles, Prescription Medications, Self Esteem Confidence, Skin Areas, Skin cancer, Skin Care Routines, Skin Care Tips, Soft Drinks

How To Get Gorgeous Skin

Don’t go to bed with makeup on. Makeup left on overnight seeps into your pores, clogs them, and congests your skin. Make sure that you wash your face twice at the end of the day. Once to get the makeup off. A second time to wash the skin itself.

Exfoliate daily. After washing your face at night, be sure to exfoliate. Use a delicate scrub. If you don’t have one on hand, a tablespoon of sugar or oatmeal will work just fine.

Use facial masks regularly. If possible, everyday is ideal. Again, if you don’t have one on hand, make your own. Mashed banana or avocado is good. Plain yogurt also works well.

Keep a treatment and moisturizer on your face, day or night. Put your skin first. After you wash it at night, put on some kind of skin treatment, whether it’s alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin A or C, or any kind of special cocktail treatment. Let that sink in, then put a moisturizer over that. In the morning, do the same.

Stay away from the cheapest or most expensive cosmetics.
Mom tells me that moderately priced cosmetics are the best. They get the job done, and the ingredients are usually pretty good. You have to keep trying various brands until you find something that works well for you.

Hydrate your face throughout the day. Whether it’s a commercial product, or one you make yourself (fill a spray bottle with distilled water, add a few drops of chamomile or rose essential oil, shake it gently before each use, and spray it on) hydrate your face, even over makeup, frequently throughout the day.

Treat your face gently. Never pull, tug, or scrub your facial skin. Be very gentle when you clean it, moisturize it or makeup on it. This will lessen the chance that you’ll damage your skin and get wrinkles.

Keep your face covered when you’re in the sun. As beautiful as she is, my mom never lets anyone see her face when she’s in the sun. She’ll slather on a high factor sunscreen, put on sunglasses, and a wide brimmed hat.

Eat fresh foods and drink lots of water. My mom tells me to stay away from “dead food” food that’s basically not fresh. She always eat lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, and drinks tons of water.

Let go of stress. Stress can show up on your face, no matter how well you take care of your skin. Do something your enjoy everyday, whether it’s watching TV or going shopping. Your face reflects what’s going on inside of your mind.

Tags: Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Avocado, Brimmed Hat, Chamomile, Distilled Water, Drink Lots Of Water, Facial Masks, Facial Skin, Fresh Foods, Gorgeous Skin, Makeup, Moisturizer, Oatmeal, Plain Yogurt, Pores, Scrub, Seeps, Skin Treatment, Skin Wrinkles, Spray Bottle

Natural face lift guide

Everyone faces aging and it is a fact of life. It is an inevitable process that no one can really escape from as the years take their toll on our bodies. However, despite this inescapable fact, lots of women spend great deal of time, effort and money to keep themselves looking young-er regardless of their real, chronological age. It is mainly due to our youth-oriented culture, where beauty always translates to youth or vice versa.

Trying to look young is not really bad at all. After all, who does not want to look young for as long as she can? It is just that most of the methods available right now to keep those wrinkles and sags at bay are too expensive and too effort-intensive. Anti-aging creams and lotions are good for keeping the skin looking young, healthy and wrinkle-free, but what about the sags? It seems that the only way to get rid of those sags is to go under the knife and have a face lift.

A surgical face lift is expensive and scary. A lot of times, it also looks unnatural. There are not a few cases where one glance at a woman’s face immediately tells the beholder that the woman has had a face lift. What is the use of undergoing that procedure if it looks so crassly obvious?

Thankfully, there are ways of having a face lift that looks natural and is inexpensive. Most of all, we do not have to have a surgical procedure done on our face to have that youthful-looking visage. It only involves a few minutes of our time on a day-to-day basis, and it could be done while we are driving and waiting for the red light to turn green, while watching TV, or while putting on our face creams in the morning or at night. It is called facial fitness.

Facial fitness is an exercise regimen that involves working out the muscles of the face to prevent them from sagging. It works on the same principle that if we exercise the muscles of our body, then the muscles will become toned and the skin will visibly improve.

The muscles of the face also need to be exercised. If they are let alone, they just sit there on our faces, lengthening and thinning as the years come upon us, giving us that sagging and tired look as we age. With the facial fitness regimen, the facial muscles undergo resistance training, and the skin is pulled and pushed so the muscles are contracted. Eventually, the skin is lifted with all the pushing and pulling, taking away the sags and smoothing out the wrinkles from our faces.

Another benefit of undergoing a facial fitness regimen is that making the muscles of the face contract increases blood circulation to the face. With improved blood circulation to the face, more oxygen and nutrients are brought to the cells and tissues of the facial muscles and skin. Therefore, it would look healthier and whatever damages that our facial tissues have sustained are more easily repaired.

Having a regular facial fitness routine brings us a natural face lift. With a natural face lift, we do not have to undergo surgery just to keep ourselves looking young. The power to look young has become literally in our hands.

Tags: Anti Aging Creams, Beholder, Chronological Age, Exercise Regimen, Face Creams, Face Lift, Facial Fitness, Fact Of Life, Few Minutes, Inescapable Fact, Lotions, Muscles Of The Face, Natural Face, Principle, Red Light, Sags, Time Effort, Visage, Watching Tv, Wrinkles

How to perform facial fitness exercises

Being beautiful on the appearance is matters of healthy looking appearance and keeping the face young. With the absence of wrinkles and sags, as well as having taut, toned, smooth and glowing skin, we know these are the signs of youthful and healthy beauty. Some go through so much just to maintain the vigor and agelessness of their faces, so much that they would spend a fortune on face lifts and other procedures that would keep them looking as young as possible.

However, there is an inexpensive way of retaining youthful beauty, and that is through observing a regular facial fitness routine – that is, to be exact, exercising the muscles of your face. The idea behind facial fitness is similar to the principle of doing a body workout: by exercising, you build up the muscles of your body and keep them toned and firm. In case of the face, by exercising the facial muscles regularly, the muscles will be lifted enough to remove the sags, and the skin will be smoothened enough to remove the wrinkles. The blood circulation to the face will also increase with facial exercises, enabling the tissues of the face to repair themselves more quickly.

Maintaining a regular facial fitness routine is easy. It only takes a few minutes of your time and it can be done while watching television or waiting for the stoplight to turn green when driving. Here are a few sample exercises for different areas of the face.

Forehead – This will smooth down the wrinkles of the forehead. Place your fingers just above your brow. Then, with your fingers, pull the skin down. At the same time, try to raise your eyebrows. Repeat this ten times.

Eyelids – To deal with crows’ feet at the corners of the eyes, put the thumbs at the corners of the eyes and then shut your eyes tightly. Then, with your thumbs, pull at the skin towards the forehead. Repeat this ten times.

For sagging eyelids, hold your index fingers close to the brow bone. Afterwards, raise your eyebrows. At the same time, try to close your eyes. Again, repeat this ten times.

Cheeks – Form an “O” with your lips and try to push them forward as fast as you can. Then release the “O” and smile as widely as you can. Repeat ten times.

Lips – Push your lips outward in a pout as far as you can, then smile. Or you can suck on your finger as hard as you can. Once again, repeat ten times.

Neck – Arch your neck backward and place your hand on your neck just under the chin. After that, let your hand slide downward and push at your collarbone. An alternative to this one would be to push your lower lip outward as far as you can and tilt your chin up toward the ceiling, resting the hand against the collarbone as you are doing so.

Chin – Push your lower lip upward as high as you can. You can also press your thumb on the bone just under your chin and then push your tongue against your lower gums as if it is trying to meet your thumb. Another thing you can do is to tilt your chin up and massage the flesh under it with your thumb with strokes directed towards your neck. These exercises will take care of the double chin.

Just like in total body workouts, facial fitness exercises take time. However, if you truly want to see results on your face, try doing this once or twice a day, five times a week. You will be able to see changes in around a month or two.

Tags: Blood Circulation, Body Workout, Brow Bone, Crows Feet, Eyebrows, Face Lifts, Facial Exercises, Facial Fitness, Facial Muscles, Fitness Exercises, Fitness Routine, Forehead, Glowing Skin, Index Fingers, Sagging Eyelids, Sags, Stoplight, Vigor, Watching Television, Wrinkles, Youthful Beauty

Vitamin C And Your Skin

The importance of Vitamin C for your skin

Have you noticed that Vitamin C is used in many skin care products?

Why? It helps in the formation of collagen (the skin's support fibres).
Does it work? It varies from person to person, but many people report that their skin's texture seems to be improving.

Usually you have to wait so long to see improvement in your skin's texture. Not so apparently with Vitamin C.