Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Skin

by: Ololade Franklin

Not sure what to look for when choosing cosmetics? Need some advice on taking care of your skin? Here are eight tips to help your skin look and feel it's best.

1) Select moisturizers made with vegetable oils. The lotions, creams and body oils that you use should be made with vegetable oils, not mineral oil. Vegetable oils, (like olive oil, sweet almond oil, corn oil, etc.) contain fatty acids which help to moisturize and soften the skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and does not contain anything that helps to nourish the skin.

2) Look for herbs and herbal derivatives in your cosmetics. Herbs and their derivatives (essential oils, extracts, infusions) contain natural chemicals which soothe, tone and help condition the skin. Two herbs which are especially useful in natural cosmetics are Lavender and Tea tree. The essential oils of both lavender and tea tree are gentle, natural antiseptics.

3) Once a week soak your feet in warm water, and gently exfoliate dead skin with a pumice stone. Follow up by moisturizing your feet with a natural foot oil or foot lotion.


4) Every week soak in a tub of bath salts. Salt, especially salts mined from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, are rich in minerals and help draw impurities out of the skin.

5) After a shower or bath, seal in moisture by using a body oil or lotion made from natural vegetable oils.

6) If you have blemishes and your skin is dry, moisturize your skin in the morning and at night with products that contain vegetable oils which are high in essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids help to soften and hydrate the skin and they can also help soothe minor irritations. Vegetable oils that contain large amounts of essential fatty acids are: corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and evening primrose oil.

7) Look for toners and astringents that are made without ethyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. These ingredients are solvents that are extremely drying to the skin.

8) Every time you wash your hands, moisturize them with a natural lotion or cream to help them stay soft.

About The Author

Copyright: 2005 Ololade Franklin. Ololade Franklin publishes Making Good Scents(TM), a newsletter for people who make their own bath and body care products. For information about Making Good Scents(TM) visit http://www.MakingGoodScents.com

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4 Secrets for Beauty & Wellness

by: Chanelle Washington

4 Secrets for Beauty & Wellness: Learn basic tips that “really” work to look and feel your best

Invest in Self-Care

No amount of expensive beauty products can hide fatigue, stress, unresolved drama and suppressed anger. Look in the mirror, declare that “I am worthy of uninterrupted time, to nurture my body, mind & soul” Create a dates for relaxing facials, perfect pedicures, serene baths, exciting makeovers, and tranquil massages.

Maintain Healthy Hair

Healthy hair looks more attractive, it provides more styling options, and enhances your natural beauty. Once a month massage a plant-based oil into your scalp and hair, after shampooing. For additional aromatherapy benefits, try Indigofera’s Jojoba Hair Oil. Then, sit under a hooded dryer or bask in the sun for 30 mins. Rinse hair, dry and style as usual.

Learn to apply a “minimalist” look

Every woman can enhance her look with basics like bronzer, mascara and lip- gloss. Neutral shades and sheer color on lips can work for the office, cocktails or romantic evenings. Experiment with creating your look ahead of time.

Tip: well-shaped brows make a real difference in your appearance.

Keep your smile white naturally

You deserve a beautiful smile. Before you spend a fortune on whitening kits or procedures, try this: Make a paste with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and a drop of peppermint essential oil. Brush teeth thoroughly, **do not swallow and rinse well. Repeat daily for one month and observe a remarkable improvement.

“Be Radiantly Beautiful…..”

©2006 Chanelle Washington, Indigofera
For more tips sign up for our newsletter.

About The Author

Chanelle Washington is a passionate, powerful and effective speaker, author and entrepreneur. She is President of Indigofera “treasures for body, mind & soul. A beauty and wellness company” She empowers others with “Optimal Wellness ” & “ Entrepreneurial Success” workshops. Her audiences leave inspired with valuable skills and relevant knowledge. Contact her at wellness@indigofera.com

http://indigofera.com

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Beauty Diary - Get the Connection?

by: Kristin Adams

Our skin is affected not only by the foods which we eat, but also by the things which it absorbs. This means that whatever you put onto your skin could potentially have a direct effect on its health and appearance. When looking at the cosmetic and skin care products which you use, it may surprise you to know that most of them could be potentially causing your skin problems instead of helping them.

Identifying the Cause of the Problem If you are struggling to find the cause of your skin problem then try writing down everything that you use on your body and hair during your daily routine. Note when you started using each product. Is it an old favorite you have used for the last 15 years, or is it a brand new product you just picked up? Have there been any other changes to your beauty routine? If there have been then it is more than likely that the change in products has led to the problems with your skin. Writing a beauty diary will help you narrow down the potential offenders.

A figure which may surprise you is that most women tend to use around 12 personal care products a day. This could be anything from soap to shower gel, deodorant, make-up and even moisturizers, cleanser and toner. Each one of these products has on average 15-30 potentially harmful ingredients.

By being your own personal beauty investigator, you can eliminate the product from your beauty routine that could be causing the trouble. If you are having a reaction, allergic or otherwise, it most likely is connected to a new product introduced into your routine. On occasion though, old favorites can start to cause irritation after prolonged use, so don't rule them out. Once you have a date that your skin issue began, first take a hard look at the products you have used after that date.

At this point you should:

1. Look at the remaining products in question and determine if they come in contact with the area of your body with which you have issues. For example, if you have acne on your forehead, remember that not only pertains to your cosmetics but also your hair and shampoo which come in contact with this area and must be considered.

2. Read the ingredient labels of the identified new products. If you notice a trend in the ingredients of all your products you could be allergic to one or many of these repeating ingredients.

3. Remove one or all of the isolated products from your routine. If you must use a similar product make sure that it is made of different ingredients. If you are not using a natural product already try an all-natural alternative. Read the ingredient labels to confirm that it is truly natural. These natural alternatives generally contain less ingredients and are free of many irritating chemicals found in traditional products. If you are already using a natural product that you would like to eliminate make sure you replace it with an entirely different formula.

4. Keep the suspect products out of your beauty routine for at least 3-4 months.

5. Do your homework. A quick google search for 'safe cosmetics' or 'cosmetic database' will give you detailed information about the general safety of thousands of products you may be using. Make sure your products fall within the 'green' range for safety in the online safe cosmetics databases.

6. During this time note any changes to your issue and overall health.

7. By writing down the cosmetics you use and the ingredients in them you will then be able to log on to safe cosmetic databases and determine the safety rating for that particular product.

Cutting Out the Risk of Harming Your Skin There are over 10,500 ingredients used in cosmetics and skin care products. Of those only 11% have ever been tested for safety. The FDA does not require testing of cosmetic and beauty care products. With this huge knowledge gap about the ingredients in our beauty products it is often better to stick to what is known and tested to be safe. If you are interested in eliminating potential unknowns from your routine try natural alternatives to your drug-store or department store brands. There are lots of options available both online and in your local health food store.

Start that beauty diary and learn more about your own beauty habits! You may see a connection between your skin problems and the product you use.

About The Author

Kristin Adams is Founder and President of Afterglow Cosmetics, a line of natural make-up including mineral cosmetics infused with certified organic ingredients. Discover your natural beauty at http://www.afterglowcosmetics.com

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Beauty and Health Tips

by: Mary Rose

Beauty and health are the two sides of the same coin. You cannot possess either in isolation. Indeed a healthy person is naturally beautiful and the reverse is also true. It is a fact that health and beauty go hand in hand. Health is the metabolic efficiency in all people and beauty brings joy to the beholder. The following are some health and beauty tips that are simple and easy to follow.

Firstly, find ways to move your body. Always make it a point to use the stairs rather than elevators or escalators unless you are pressed for time. If you are overweight, eat less or exercise more to have a youthful body. The daily regime of either calorie restriction or exercise increase has positive effects on the body function. It is important to keep diabetes under control if one is diabetic or even take preventive measures to reduce the onset of diabetes and the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hyper tension, and cancer or lung disease. Sedentary lifestyle is the greatest bane of health and beauty. It is imperative to exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 or 6 days a week. Indulge in anything that moves your limbs. It is not only a beauty and fitness tool, but a stress reliever as well. You can move around in small time intervals. It will be definitely far more rewarding if you could devote 45 minutes to 1 hour for any physical activity.

The next of the tips is - learn to say no to fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats. Reduce the intake of cheese, butter, nuts, sauces etc. Drinking water is one of the best beauty and health tips we can all follow. Water is essential for virtually every function of the body. The average person needs 1 to 3 liters of water a day. Drink with meals, as well as before, during and after exercise. Remember during your workouts, cold water is more readily absorbed.

The most important of the beauty and health tips is to quit smoking. It is mandatory to be a non smoker in order to improve the overall beauty and health of the individual.

Try to reduce stress filled situations. It is always easier said than done. Devote 30 minutes a day doing something you enjoy. Keep your temper under check and count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Stay away from people whom you find difficult to cope with. It is also important to practice oral hygiene and stay in a pollution free environment to remain healthy.

Recent studies suggest that a glass of wine or one drink a day is good for the heart, but take it easy!Gulping down glasses of wine can cause health problems such as liver and kidney disease as well as cancer.

There are many health and beauty products available in the market right now. They bring in different promises, guarantees and offers. Think for a while before making the purchase. Collect the details of the products you intend to buy. You should ensure that the product will do well for your beauty and health which you are looking for in it. Health and beauty products do help to improve your skin, health and fitness.

The link between genetics and beauty and health is a powerful one. But if one follows these basic beauty and health ,it is possible to live a healthy and beautiful life.Finally, stay positive. There's an ultimate connection between positive outlook and healthy and happy living. We all agree to the fact that a beautiful mind exists in a beautiful body That is the best of all beauty and health tips.

About The Author

Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to dating,love and marriage.For more information logon http://www.casanads.com/bm/hf.htm

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