Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Natural Skin-Care

This article is courtesy of Yahoo, April 30 2008.

New Skin-Care Products with Natural Ingredients Give your skin some health food with products containing mushrooms, grapefruit, and other garden ingredients
from RealSimple.com

Pomegranate:


The hundreds of ruby-colored seeds inside pomegranates were once thought to symbolize fertility, and given the fruit's proven powers as a strong antioxidant, it has given birth to a huge number of products, including designer juice and high-end skin-care creams.
The pomegranate's power comes from ellagic acid, a type of polyphenol, which is an antioxidant found in red wine and green tea. Antioxidants seek out and neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that come from the environment (pollution, UV rays) and from the body's natural aging process. Ellagic acid has been shown in some studies to neutralize free radicals more effectively than the other polyphenols found in green tea and red wine. It's also more stable in skin-care products than some other antioxidants, like vitamin C, which can lose potency when exposed to light and air.





Grapefruit


Until the 19th century, grapefruit was grown purely as an ornamental fruit. Rarely eaten, it was known only for its looks - an interesting harbinger of its modern-day promise to improve ours.
A 2005 study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago, showed that the scent of grapefruit on women made them seem an average of six years younger to men. Grapefruit's main use in skin care, however, is as a citric acid. Like any alpha hydroxy acid, citric acid loosens the bonds between skin cells, allowing dead ones to fall away, revealing smoother, more radiant skin.





Mushroom


No wonder the Super Mario Brothers got a jolt of evil-fighting power whenever they ate a mushroom. Mushrooms have long been used in Asian cultures as remedies for everything from low energy to cancer.
The extract of several Japanese mushrooms has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can affect collagen in the skin and contribute to changes associated with aging, such as the appearance of fine lines. Reducing that inflammation keeps skin cells vital and functioning and also suppresses irritation so that other active ingredients, like antioxidants, can do their jobs.
Shiitake mushrooms have multifaceted benefits for the skin. They contain antioxidants that block proteins known to cause cell breakdown; they provide chemical exfoliation; and they also contain kojic acid, which has a lightening effect on age spots and discoloration, making skin appear brighter over time.




Pumpkin


Despite its prevalence in favorite sweets, such as pies and muffins, pumpkin is quite acidic. And the enzymes in pumpkin act like salicylic acids, chemical exfoliants that encourage skin cells to turn over more rapidly.
Pumpkin is also a carotenoid, a derivative of vitamin A, which is indicated by its orange color, and that makes it an antioxidant in addition to having exfoliating properties.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and have been used as a natural remedy for acne. Studies show that zinc has an effect similar to that of the common antibiotic tetracycline



Bamboo


Bamboo is one hardy plant. Not only is it one of the fastest-growing plants on earth (some species grow more than three feet a day) but its strength and sustainability have also made it a favorite of architects looking for environmentally friendly building materials.
Although the Chinese have used bamboo for centuries (the hardened secretion from the stalks has been taken internally to treat asthma), its popularity is only now growing in the United States. Bamboo pulp is being woven into fabric that retains antibacterial qualities even after it is washed. And in skin care, finely milled bamboo powder is used as an exfoliant in cleansers and scrubs. The smooth bamboo particles are less harsh than the scraggly, uneven grains made from salt and nuts, making it safer and less irritating to sensitive skin.
*All pictures and articles courtesy of Yahoo.com

Thursday, April 17, 2008

do you EXFOLIATE?

Probably heard the word and are thinking to yourself, what is it and why?

One of the things you can do to keep your skin looking amazing and young is to exfoliate your skin three times or so a week.

It involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface, and has been used for ages to help maintain the skin. Exfoliation has also been know to help in maintaining the youthfulness of black skin.

The beautiful thing about exfoliating is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on buying the products; there are plenty of at home recipes using sugar, coffee bean, oatmeal and many more.


Here are some of my favorite products:









very gentle, smells great and leaves your skin feeling nice.





ORIGINS: Modern Friction, dermabrasion. Very soft and refreshing for those that don't want anything to harsh.

St.Ives: My all time favorite, smells nice but this might be harsh for those of us that are looking for something softer.


Remember DO NOT EXFOLIATE YOUR FACE with something really harsh, because this can cause severe skin irritation, and after exfoliate don't forget to moisturize yourself.

Friday, March 28, 2008

MY FAVORITE GOODIES FROM HOME (africa) !! PART 1

I honestly believe that my skin clears up when I go back to nigeria for vaca. Why? hmmm....lemme see I have natural "organic" food at my service everyday!! fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs name it!! Every thing is fresh and at your service. I love my food spicy, its so spicy that I am forced to drink loads of water which is great for my skin!!! see!!


Anyways besides the healthy diet, there are natural herb filled products that I use without all that chemical cong. SO here are some of my favorite products from home!


Let me know what yours are?



Baby Body Jelly (a.k.a Baby Vaseline)

I don't need to say much about this product. Vaseline is the only product that I know is a do all; its serves as ligloss, makeup remover, hair cream, body cream name it, Vaseline can do it!!! the only special thing about baby vaselines are that unlike regular vaselines, they usually come with fragrances (that smell like baby powder...AHHHHHHHHHH). So this is definately one of my favorite products from Home for many reasons, including nostalgia. (I think all my baby cousins used this)

Delta Medicated Soap and Delta Plus

All I need to see is the gladiator-ish woman and I am happy because I know its DELTA! the medicated soap has been my favorite since secondary school. That time I used it because it was the only soap that made me feel clean after cutting the grass, but now I use it because it really does cleanse your skin, although you have to moisturize right after. I love this soap because it does what it says it does, it cleans and PROTECTS!

DUDU OSUN



I think many of us have tried this soap especially after a random breakout of rash, pimple or enzema. I don't know about you but I was raised to believe that there was nothing this natural soap could not get rid of. Never a huge fan of the smell but I will tell you that with ingredients like shea butter and Aloe Vera, your body will thank you for it. Great for those that are looking to go natural with their products.



There is another NEW form of black soap in the market called AKACHA















DETTOL
I don't have to say much about this product because alot of us were raised with this product being present in our everyday lives. Did your mom pour a bit of dettol in ur warm water before u took a bath? did she dab it into cotton wool and apply it to your wound? did she use it to clean the floor? Basically what am sayin is that there is nothing Dettol could/and cannot do, and thanks to the innovative spirit of the company, it now has its own soap, which is just as amazing as the liquid.




Wednesday, March 19, 2008

J'ADORE SEPHORA!


To begin this wonderful journey in skin care, I believe that it is appropriate to praise the place I cherish the most: SEPHORA!!! I love this place so much, whenever am Stressed I just walk over to the mall and relax in Sephora. Not only is the shop beautiful, they have everything your little heart desires in terms of skin care, makeup and many more. Loads and Loads of brands, you are never missing anything. Anything your heart can imagine is here. This really is my favorite place, and after this place is Walgreens, Boots and many others. Well thank you Sephora, for being my friend when I needed to be somewhere else (lol, I sound crazy don't I? but I just love this place). Anyways here are a list of some tried and true good quality beauty products:SEPHORA: SEPHORA BRAND BODY SUPER SUPREME BODY BUTTER.
I have used this body butter for 2 years now and I love it. It has everything in it, from Olive oil to all the essential body vitamins, and it is especially moisturizing for black skin. Lord knows how difficult it is to find products that moisturize and not just say it moisturize and dries up in like 5 minutes. Ladies if you're looking for something that keeps ur skin soft and buttery, this is definitely an option.For $70 or more you can try this new cream by Shiseido called Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizer Cream. I have tried this cream and it is good, not only does it smell great it comes on smoothly. After using it all over your body, you might be tempted to just walk around naked because your body feels great. I love all of Shiseido products, but I won't lie some are not for black people because they dry up really fast.

I actually look forward to summer every year because of this Nars Body Glow. For $59, not only do you smell great, you look sunkissed and have a healthy glow. I love this product and I still have mine, another amazing thing about this body oil is that it comes on nice and oily (not greasy) but finishes like powder which is amazing. I recommend this for a first date :) put this all over body before you put on that beautiful dress and end up feeling SEXY!!
I am a BIG BIG BIG FAN of Carol's Daughter!! I just love this brand and especially this Unscented Body Jelly, which is an amazing alternative of Vaseline (my all time favorite product). This product is amazing for $13. What I do is put this all over my body after I shower and spray some body spray and am ready for lectures! Great Great product, there is nothing better than finding a nice moisturizing product for african skin.
*Well this are some of my favorite products from Sephora, there are many more to come. Don't forget to check out sephora.com, for all you daily beauty and skincare needs. :)