Easy Skincare Tips

HOW TO DRY BRUSH
Dry brushing leaves your skin exfoliated and more readily able to excrete toxins through sweat, absorb the nutrients you apply with lotions and oils, and helps your lymph flow to keep your body healthy, and it takes less than 5 minutes. Ayurvedic texts recommend daily skin brushing to keep the urinary system working properly, as the skin is known as the third kidney. Properly conditioned skin will have less breakouts and other undesirable skin conditions.

Steps: 1. Use a natural bristle brush, preferably with a long handle, and start at your feet, working upward in a circular motion toward your abdomen. The historical theory is to move all of the toxins in your bloodstream and lymph toward your digestive system so that it can be eliminated from the body. 2. Continue to brush, lightly, over the buttocks and abdomen, then start at the hands and arms, again working toward the abdomen. Complete the brushing of your back and chest in the same fashion. 3. Shower immediately after brushing to remove the dead skin, using soap only if necessary, as it tends to dry out the skin. 4. Repeat daily.
Tips * Drink plenty of water and get plenty of bouncing type exercise, such as jogging or rebounding to keep the lymph flowing. * It is not necessary to brush hard, a gentle exfoliation is better than a rough one. * Take a detox bath after brushing for added benefits.
Warnings: Do not brush over broken skin, irritated areas, or other bruised or abnormal areas. This information is to be used for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, seek medical assistance if needed.

HOW TO TAKE A DETOX BATH Detoxification of your body through bathing is an ancient remedy that anyone can perform in the comfort of their own home. Your skin is known as the third kidney, and toxins are excreted through sweating. A detox bath will assist your body in eliminating toxins, as well as absorbing the minerals and nutrients that are in the water.

1. Prepare your bath on a day that you have at least 40 minutes available, as the first 20 minutes are said to help your body remove the toxins, while the second 20 minutes are for absorbing the minerals in the water.

2. Fill your tub with comfortably hot water, using a chlorine filter if possible.

3. Add 2 cups or more (up to 16 lbs) of Epsom Salts, aka magnesium sulphate. This can be purchased in 3 lb bags or 1 lb cartons at discount stores in the garden center, or in the pharmaceutical area, or ordered from garden centers in 50 lb bags. It’s very inexpensive.

4. Add 1 to 2 cups or more of Baking Soda, aka sodium bicarbonate. This is said to help eliminate the chlorine in the water, as well as soften the water, and help the body to absorb the magnesium. Large bags can usually be found in the swimming pool chemical area, or the boxes from the bakery aisle will work fine.

5. Know that Epsom Salts and Baking Soda bath is a detox bath in and of itself, other items can be added for further effects. Ground ginger, or fresh ginger tea both work quite well. The ginger is heating to the body and may cause your skin to turn slightly red for a few minutes, so be careful with the amount you add. Depending on the capacity of your tub, and your sensitivity, anywhere from 1 tablespoon to 1/3 cup can be added. Most people sweat profusely with the addition of the ginger, and if you wrap your body in a blanket immediately after getting out of the tub, you can continue to detoxify through perspiration for another couple of hours. This is especially beneficial if you are trying to rid the body of a bug of some sort, like the flu, or a cold.

6. Add aromatherapy oils; this is optional, but there are many oils that will help the bath to be a pleasant and relaxing experience, such as lavendar, or ylang ylang, or those that will assist in the detoxification process such as tea tree or eucalyptus. Around 20 drops is sufficient.

7. Swish all of the ingredients into the tub, and soak for as long as you can, preferably 20 minutes. You should start sweating within the first few minutes, and the longer the better, up to 20 minutes. If you feel too hot, start adding cold water into the tub until you cool off. Sit in the cool water another 20 minutes, if you can. When you get out of the tub, move slowly and carefully, as your body has been working hard and you may get lightheaded or feel weak and drained.

TIPS: * Take a large, 32 oz or more, glass of water with you into the tub and drink plenty before, during and after the bath to help your body excrete the toxins. * Don’t eat immediately before or after the bath. * Relax for the rest of the day and allow your body to continue to detoxify and heal itself. * Other additives historically used by some are hydrogen peroxide, 2 cups, grapefruit seed oil, 1 Tablespoon, and herbs such as rosemary and thyme. * Have your towel nearby the tub and ready so that you can wrap up immediately and continue the detox. * Shower off the Epsom Salts, if desired, but it’s not necessary, and it benefits your body more if you wait until morning. * Dry brush your skin before the bath for further benefits.
WARNINGS Do not take a hot bath or a detox bath if you are pregnant, or have heart, or any other health issues. This article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or otherwise take the place of the advice of your licensed healthcare practitioner.

Copyright Kristin Rockey http://diva-within.com

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(NC)—The removal of old, dry and dead skin cells to reveal an instant glow makes more sense if one first understands the structure and function of the skin.

“It’s our body’s largest organ,” says Adriana Izquierdo of Johnson & Johnson, “and the skin carries out a number of functions to maintain your health, including controlling the body temperature, keeping bacteria and viruses out, and relaying information to the brain about the environment you’re in.”

The epidermis is the outermost layer, and it’s the one that gives the world its first impression of you. This layer is comprised of millions and millions of tough protein cells forming an outer shield. Every day, cells die as younger living ones rise to the surface from a lower part of the epidermis. If you rub your body surface sufficiently, these dead cells fall off.

“Dull, dry skin, therefore, is often just a result of dead surface cells,” Izquierdo explains, “and moisturizers with exfoliant agents, like alpha hydroxy, simply assist with the natural process. Such moisturizers also help to smooth out discoloration from too much sun exposure—and are particularly useful for aging skin that is slower to discard dead cells on its own.”

Alpha hydroxy is a well known ingredient in facial moisturizers, and works wonders as an after-shower moisturizer to quickly get rid of damaged, dry and flaky skin.  Izquierdo notes that a body lotion containing alpha hydroxy agents can greatly improve the skin’s condition.

“Our Advanced Moisture Therapy works quickly in three ways to give you better-conditioned, more radiant skin. It soothes dryness, smoothes out rough patches and it has clinically shown to moisturize all day, while it gently exfoliates to reveal new and glowing skin.”

- News Canada

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Every one wants to look their best and well groomed. A good skin is that
ultimate wish for many millions of people all over the world. If you
are concerned about looking after your skin, natural skin care
products are the way to go. There are many advantages to using
natural skin care products. Because synthetic chemicals are added to
top brand skin care products you should be careful what you use.
These chemicals are not what you want to absorb into your skin.
If you have decided to look into all those herbal treatments to tone up
your skin, then the last thing you want is all those harmful
chemical substances to spoil your beautiful skin. How about deciding
to use one of those exotic aromatherapy recipes for maintaining your skin?

Read the rest of the article here: Aromatherapy Good for Skin?

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Get gorgeous skin tips by following these pro tips. Best of all, they’re all natural.

It doesn’t take a lot of work to look like red carpet glowing skin material yourself. It just takes a little discipline. Apart from a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and lots of sleep and play, you can get glowing by using these effective natural skin care basics.

1. Use a gentle cleanser instead of soap. Soap causes dryness and will strip away your natural oils which help keep wrinkles away.

2. Use lavendar or aloe-based toners and moisturizers for oily or blemished skin. They’re so very soothing. For dry skin use chamomile or rose in witch hazel. For normal skin they are all beneficial and healing.

3. If you truly want to be a glowing beauty this is the step you must not skip. Give yourself a facial sauna 3 to 4 times each month. Facial saunas will open the pores while washing away impurities. Here’s a recipe for your skin so you can get the gorgeous glowing skin we promised you.

Sauna Glow
Pour 4 cups (1 liter) of boiling water over 1 tea bag each of peppermint and chamomile in a large heatproof bowl. Keep it uncovered and let it steep for 2 minutes to avoid burns. Place a towel over your head and the bowl to let the steam enter your pores. Get your 10 minute sauna.
For dry skin use 2 tablespoons of rose petals and 1 teaspoon almond oil. For oily skin use 2 tablespoons each of dried rosemary and lavender in your steam water. Or, you can use 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 1/4 cup fresh peppermint (both chopped), and 1/2 lemon (sliced) for a deep cleaning and invigorating sauna.

Following these natural tips will certainly help you save money because you don’t need expensive products that can contain unnecessary chemicals. Get Glowing and feel free to blog in with your favorite glowing skin care secrets!

“Anti aging expert, Missy Munoz, finally reveals the untold secrets and shows how you can turn back the clock and look and feel up to twenty years younger. Take a look at http://www.turn-back-the-clock.com“

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I love visiting other blogs and read up on what is new in the beauty world. Today I was over at http://MommyMandy.com to find out she is having a contest! The giveaway is products by Giella!
Visit here: Amanda Giella Giveaway to read up on this giveaway and see if you can win custom created foundation just for starters!

You bet I entered! I got my eye on their organic body wash and or lip gloss. Visit Amanda’s giveaway before
Jan. 24 to enter in to win! Click here to go straight to Amanda’s Giveaway of Giella products!

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Every woman would like to be beautiful. When was the last time you looked at a model and thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be born beautiful, like that?”

Did you know that most women we deem beautiful, either in the movies or up on the catwalk, are not born beautiful? They’ve just learned how to make the most of their “natural resources” to create their own individual illusion of beauty.

Here are a few of their beauty secrets you can make into your own.

Most models have always been admired for the youthful naturalness of their beauty. The basic reason is that they have found their foundation and makeup colors that are the key to their beauty. Wouldn’t you like to know what color works best for your skin?
To help you draw out your natural beauty, each person has colors that will work for their skin tone, and their skin tone alone – what a beauty secret that would be! Just think, and I’m sure that you see this all the time, what the wrong color foundation does to one’s natural beauty.

country beige foundation by Ella Blue Beauty

Here is what a famous modeling agency has to say – “The wrong color foundation makes any woman look older, unattractive, obviously “made up”. Yet most women today do use the wrong shade because they must choose it by guess work, and because cosmetic lines only offer a limited number of colors, recommended according to some vague grouping of hair or skin coloring.”

(Quoted from John Robert Powers, creator of the Powers Modeling Agency in the 1950s.)
What do you do then to find the color of foundation that works for you?

cream beige foundation stick by Ella Blue

Just think as an artist prepares a canvas with a special natural wash before starting on his masterpiece - you must set the stage for your makeup. By wearing foundation, it smooths out the texture and evens out the tone. Some models have someone who can tell them what color they need and away they go. It’s not that simple for the rest of us.

The key to a natural look is to find that one distinct color out of hundreds that fits you. For starters, if this is your first time wanting to try mineral foundations, ask the website owner if she will sell you
samples of the colors she offers. Most will, and that would be the best way to try mineral foundations. I recommend that if you are shopping, first go to a department store that has samples of their colors. Foundation in a bottle sold at the drugstore is not going to be very helpful. To start judging what color would be best, try 3 or 4 side by side on the back of your hand. It’s not the best place for final
decisions, but it is a very helpful place to start narrowing down the colors that might work first.

After choosing a few you feel might work, now is the time to try the foundation on your face. The best place to try is along your jawbone.
If it looks like you are adding color because the foundation is too dark, go lighter. If the color looks unnatural, it’s going to make you look older, and that is not what you want. Actually, what you are
looking for is a shade of foundation that is just a smidgen lighter than your skin because it will make you look younger.

Take three colors of foundation you think may work and apply three thin stripes along your jaw line with downward strokes. Take the time to wait to see what each color looks like when it is dry – if possible, and this would be the best way to judge – look at the three stripes in natural light. You will know right away which color is wrong by how it just “sits” on your skin. Standing out against the other two tells you that it is not the color for you.

If the color of foundation is right, it will almost blend right into your skin with the edges almost gone. If none are right, then try until you find the right one.

Once you feel you have it, remove all three and apply the color again along your jawbone, but take time to blend it in. It should be imperceptible. Now, if possible, try that color of foundation all over your face as the final test. If, after one hour, it still looks great, you have the right one. If it has become chalky looking, it is probably too light, and that means that it is back to the three stripe test again.

You also need to know the types of foundation there are. Foundation comes in four basic formulas – mineral, water-based, oil-based, and oil fill.
How to tell which foundation type is best is another article by itself. Again, the best formula is the only one that works with your skin, not against it. There is more to foundation than meets the eye. By testing
it, you can find the best color for you. And knowing your skin type will tell you which formula to use.

Copyright 2007 Kim Snyder Owner of Overall Beauty geared to make sure you have all beauty products, articles tips, and tricks that you need to be as beautiful as you are!

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Have the best Holiday Day Ever!

Merry Christmas!

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Before I started my own business I really had a problem finding gifts. It got to the point that I absolutely hated shopping for birthday and Christmas presents. It wasn’t that I’m against gift-giving in general, but more like because I never know what to buy for my friends and family. I never felt I was creative enough to come up with unique presents for all the different occasions, so I usually end up buying the same old neckties, colognes, perfumes, and small kitchen appliances. Pretty boring, huh?

Obviously, it’s no fun either giving or receiving these things and I should know I have been on the receiving end of gifts such as those. I started asking people for unusual gift ideas that will make my special occasions a lot more interesting. I’ve after receiving all kinds of excellent suggestions, I wrote them all down and thought these would have a good starting point the next time I’m called upon to buy a present.

For example, one of the unusual gift ideas a friend recommended was an “experience” of some sort, such as a flying lesson, beauty makeover, or wine tasting class. Who wouldn’t love a beauty make over? Get a couple of friends together and have a Spa party or something cool like that. For guys driving experiences are extremely popular as well, even I would love a chance to take a Ferrari or other luxury automobiles out for a few hours. For the more adventurous and skilled drivers  there are even Nascar, F1, or rally driving experiences for sale! When looking at unusual gifts for someone special, one doesn’t check the price tag
first. Or you will go right back to boring really fast!

I’ve got to admit that these unusual gift ideas are about 1,000 times better than anything I’ve ever given anyone in the past! The experiences I just mentioned sound sweet, but most of them are way out of my price range.  Can you just image what it would cost to drive a Ferrari? Me neither. I was actually hoping that someone would give me a few unusual gift ideas that are both fun and affordable. In this time and age money shouldn’t stop you found finding that right gift. The best gift always comes from the heart no matter what it is.

Since I now run a beauty based website with gift ideas, why not check to see what else I could find online? My first few searches led nowhere, but then I hit the jackpot and found tons of unusual gift ideas that are well within my budget. I discovered cool gadgets that can melt the ice in key locks, locate WiFi hotspots, or wireless charge for a cell phone.  If you have friends into fun things like scrapbooking, love unusual books, always has to have first edition there will be a website out there for you to find. I also learned about
how to create personalized photo books, where to buy authentic movie memorabilia, and how to order a gourmet dinner and even cook a gourmet meal if I wanted too.

There are always websites that feature experts in just about every hobby anyone could possibly be into! I came across numerous websites that feature experts offering free advice about all kinds of gift-giving occasions. They go far beyond simply listing unusual gift ideas, some even focused  on how to determine what kind of presents your friend would appreciate based on a number of different factors. Like basing a gift on your friends personality or love a color or hobby. There are all kinds of websites you can find that will
even help you build your own gift basket based on what you feel needs to be in it! How awesome is that?

All in all, I became confident that I had got enough information and resources to safely get me through the next few years of birthdays and Christmases. I tend to share what I learn with my friends now who are all looking for that one special gift that their friend has never received. With all of these unusual gift ideas at my fingertips, I’ll never be stuck giving neckties and perfume again! Unless that is what they wanted of course!

Copyright Kim Snyder Offering only the finest in beauty products, for family and friends. Visit us today at Overallbeauty.com for all your gift-giving needs!

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What do most people do when they are stressed? They frown. And when you frown a lot and for a long time those frown lines and the associated wrinkles on your brow become permanent fixtures on your face and the wrinkles make you look older. Natural skincare helps relax the lines but stress will make it stay. It’s better for your skin overall to find ways to cut back on your stress in your life.

Have you ever noticed how people with very little stress in their life look a lot younger than others of the same age?

It is not only the effect that the stress has on the lines of your face but also the way that it affects your health as a whole and that can age you considerably.

Stress can deplete you of nutrients in the body and this will have a negative affect on your skin, nails and hair.

Hair can start thinning in times of stress and fall out and often the hair loss becomes permanent. With a change in your chemical makeup due to the stress your hair can suddenly turn gray too.

Nails can become brittle and lose their condition.

Skin can become dry, flaky and other skin irritations and problems can occur, some of them causing permanent damage to the skin. That’s when you need to start using more organic skincare products such as
Intensive Therapy Face Cream
Blood pressure can rise and diets can change due to the increased need to boost energy levels. Often the choices of these energy boosters are not the best and energizing drinks or high carbohydrate foods are chosen for an instant lift. These soon turn into a weight problem where the percentage of fat in the body increases and the metabolism slows down.

If things continue along this path diabetes is something that will be an issue.

That is just a quick summary of some of the things that stress can cause to happen and it becomes very clear when reading that why stress is detrimental for anyone trying to look and stay young.

One problem quickly leads to another and before long there are more problems to contend with that increase the stress levels even more.

To stay young you need to lead a stress free life and when there is no way to avoid stress you need ways to cope with it so it has the least impact on your life.

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Facials are one of the most common types of skincare. Its important to give yourself a facial because your face is always exposed to the environment and everyone sees your face.

A spa facial is more than just cleansing your skin, it softens your skin and with the massage that you receive, it helps with tension as well. A spa facial gives you relief from the tension you feel in your forehead, around your eyes and mouth which can have a relaxing effect on your whole body.

Spa facials generally include no less than five steps:

Cleansing

Exfoliating

Mask

Massage

Moisturizing.

To give yourself a spa style facial at home you need to get together all the ingredients you want to be using. Pick a facial cleanser that is most suited for your skin type. Choose a organic/natural cleanser will treat your skin better than anything you can buy that is mass marketed.

You can create your own exfoliants from certain fruits and other products you may have in your kitchen.

Papaya is a natural exfoliant when its mashed together with a tsp. of honey. It may also irritate your skin so please test first.

To create a tightening mask you will need a clay or clay like product. For a soothing and nourishing mask try dry milk powder, mixed with lemon, honey and oatmeal enough of each to create a paste.

Mashed bananas and avocados have a natural oil making them great for moisturizing masks. For dry skin mash enough ripe avocado to make 2 tsp. and blend it with 1 tsp honey. Spread over all your face avoiding your eye area and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

For exfoliating, moisturizing mask and may prevent acne scarring, try wheat germ! For dry skin you will need:

1 tsp wheat germ

2 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp almond oil enough to create a paste. Gently massage into your face and neck avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 10 minutes then go onto your next step in your spa style facial at home. Extra tip about wheat germ, to help reduce possible scarring caused by severe acne try massaging a few drops of wheat germ oil into your skin after cleansing. Do it every night.

You will want to experiment first to make sure you are not sensitive to any of the ingredients you have in mind to use. Like wraps and scrubs, a facial should be done no more than once a week.

Great skin always has a healthy looking glow that reflects the time and effort you devote to it. Anyone who wants to maintain a healthy looking glow to their skin can benefit by giving yourself a spa style facial at home. And it saves you money as well!  Copyright Kim Snyder Owner Overallbeauty.com The only place to find the finest in organic/natural handcrafted skincare, bath & body products as well as pure mineral eye shadows and blushes. Visit Overallbeauty.com where deals are made in your favor!

Check out these moisturizers that would work great for you when doing your own spa style facial!

Love mud masques? Check out Vintage Body Spa Glacial Mud Masque

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