Simple Sugar and Olive Oil Scrub

Between winter, cleaners, and well life…my hands tend to dry up and show an age that I’d rather them not.  Scrubbing off the top layer of dry skin is the quickest way to soften them and take off years.

A few times a week I pour about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar into one hand. Then I pour about the same amount of Olive Oil into my hand.  I think coconut oil would be fabulous for this too – actually I will have to try that next time.  You can adjust these amounts to your preference.

Then over my kitchen sink I rub the mixture in between my palms to combine and then spread it all over my hands.

Working in little circular motions all over my hands I scrub off all that dead skin.  I like to take it up my arm a bit too. Last I scrub a little on my cuticles, they really get dry so this helps to soften them.

Rinse well, and voilà, soft supple skin that looks years younger.  Now apply lotion as needed throughout the day to protect that new skin.  You’ll be amazed with the difference in your hands.

Don’t be afraid to take your oil and sugar bowl into the shower, this works wonders on the entire body.  

10 Common Night-time Beauty Habits You should be Doing

Your body does a lot recovery during the night. Are you helping it? The beauty rituals you perform before going to the bed are essential for having healthy, glowing skin and making your hair smooth and silky. Here are some of the most important things you should get in the habit of doing before going to the bed, in case you are avoiding these vital beauty steps. 

1. Remove your make-up—all of it. The most important thing to do to wake up looking fresh is to remove all of your make-up before bedtime. That means leftover mascara, lip colour—everything. This ensures that your pores will be clean and your eyes free of leftover gunk

2. Use two pillows
.

Prop your head up on an extra pillow to prevent puffiness. You can also prop up the head of your bed on 2- to 4-inch pieces of wood. This is a time when gravity helps you with lymph and blood flow so fluids won’t accumulate under your eyes and in your face.

3. Do a spot treatment…with a purifying mask.


You can use it to target acne and rosacea pimples, and leave it on overnight. The extended skin contact time brings much better results.

4. Turn on a humidifier.


A barrier repair moisturiser, combined with an air humidifier in your bedroom produces durably hydrated, plump skin which is more resistant to irritants and allergens but also to appearing dry and fine-lined.

5. Go to town with hand cream.


Moisturising your hands with a thick, plain, somewhat greasy hand cream will keep your hands and fingernails looking their best first thing in the morning. Hands get dried out throughout the day with exposure to dry air and excessive washing, and few of us apply hand cream with every water exposure as we should. Night is a chance to try to undo some of the damage, which will also keep cuticles and fingernails moisturised so they will grow longer and stronger and break and peel less.” 

6. Sleep on a luxe pillowcase
.

Wash your hair with a silicone-free shampoo and use a silk pillowcase—sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase also helps your hair’s overall health. Fibers on most cotton pillows are rough against the hair cuticles. Don’t want to splurge on silk? Changing a cotton or linen pillowcase every one to two days can also bring an improvement.

7. Pin your hair back
.

Your hair contains oils and dirt that can get on your face and pillowcase and cause breakouts. Braid your hair or pin it up into a bun to keep it off your face as you sleep.

8. Get eight hours of sleep.


Catching a good night’s sleep can really effect the way you look. Sleep can reduce dark circles because a lack of sleep compromises your body’s circulatory system and you get stagnant blood in the vessels under the eyes because it hasn’t properly drained. 

9. Try a leave-on exfoliator
.

While you sleep, the skin is working its hardest to repair itself. It’s the best time to apply leave-on exfoliators, to give the ingredients time to absorb and correct daily damage to the skin caused by UV exposure and environmental aggressors.

10. Use eye cream
.

No doubt you've heard it a million times, but eye cream is important. Start using great moisturisers and eye cream at night (even if you’re in your 20s). When the morning rolls around, your skin will be plump and hydrated.

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Struggling with skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Can't seem to lose weight? It might be time for a body detox.

Practiced for centuries by cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.

How does detoxification work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. This is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected. 

A detox program can help the body's natural cleansing process by:

1. Resting the organs through fasting;
2. Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3. Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4. Improving circulation of the blood; and
5. Refuelling the body with healthy nutrients.

Detoxification works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, the smallest units of human life.

How do you know if you need to detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. However, Bennett cautions against detoxing for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, it's critical to detox. 

Detox, for symptoms such as:

• Unexplained fatigue
• Sluggish elimination
• Irritated skin
• Allergies
• Low-grade infections
• Puffy eye or bags under the eyes
• Bloating
• Menstrual problems
• Mental confusion

How do you start a detox?

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process. Also, minimize use of chemical-based household,  personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

Another deterrent to good health is stress, which triggers your body to release stress hormones into your system. While these hormones can provide the "adrenaline rush" to win a race or meet a deadline, in large amounts they create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. Yoga, Qigong andmeditation are simple and effective ways to relieve stress by resetting your physical and mental reactions to the inevitable stress life will bring.

Which detox program is right for you?

There are many detoxification programs and detox recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body time to clean the blood." His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully-planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. Page recommends a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.

Here are our five detox diets: 

1. Simple Fruit and Veggie Detox

2. Smoothie cleanse

3. Juice Cleanse

4. Sugar Detox

5. Hypoallergenic Detox

Top 10 ways to help your body detoxify

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body daily with these diet, supplements and lifestyle practices:

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Drink at least two quarts of water a day.

5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detox foot spas/foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.

10. The most important way to detoxify is Exercise daily (At least one hour a day).

Home Remedies For Fading Stretch Marks

Stretch marks pose no real health risk, but they can seem unsightly and often prove themselves to be a grave cosmetic annoyance. There are a few scientific treatments and folk remedies you can use to treat stretch marks—and to get rid of them fast. Keep reading to learn more about some of the different measures you can take.


Use potato juice. The juice of raw potatoes is believed to have a high enough content of vitamins and minerals to speed up the restoration of new skin cells when applied topically.

• Cut a medium potato into thick slices.
• Gently rub one of the slices over your stretch marks for several minutes. Make sure that the potato juice comes into contact with the skin.
• Let the juice air dry.
• Rinse the skin with lukewarm water later.

Use aloe vera gel. Aloe vera has been touted as a treatment against burns, but some also use it as a treatment for stretch marks. It contains compounds that replenish the skin, soothing and healing it simultaneously.^[4]

• Combine 1/4 cup (60 ml) aloe vera with the oil from 10 vitamin E capsules and the oil from 5 vitamin A capsules.
• Apply this mixture onto your stretch marks once a day, rubbing it in until your skin absorbs it.

Try lemon juice. Lemon juice aids the skin in removing dead skin cells and developing new skin cell. The acidity in the lemon can strip away dying skin cells, but the lemon contains enough moisture to help hydrate the skin.

• Cut a lemon in half and gently rub the cut-end one half over the stretch marks. Squeeze the lemon slightly to release the juice onto the stretch marks, and apply it using a circular motion.
• Let the lemon juice sit on your skin for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

Consider using egg whites. The amino acids contained in egg whites are often used to treat stretch marks. If used correctly, you may see results within two weeks.

• Gently whip two egg whites with a whisk until soft peaks form.
• Use a makeup brush or sponge to apply the whipped egg white on the stretch marks in a thick layer. Let dry completely.
• Rinse with cold water.
• Apply a little olive oil over the skin to hydrate it after rinsing off the egg whites.

Moisturise frequently. Hydrating creams and lotions infuse moisture back into your skin, allowing it to free itself of stretch marks more readily.

• When skin is hydrated, it becomes more flexible and stretches more readily. As a result, stretch marks are less likely to form or deepen.
• For best results, use a deep moisturising product containing cocoa butter or shea butter. These natural ingredients are both highly effective as moisturisers.
• Moisturise at least three to four times a day for the best possible results.

Apply virgin olive oil. Olive oil contains nutrients and antioxidants, and when warmed slightly, it also improves blood circulation to the skin.

• Warm extra virgin olive oil to just above room temperature using a microwave or saucepan. Do not let it smoke or become too hot.
• Gently massage the oil into the stretch marks, letting it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it away with mild soap and warm water.

The Honey Cleansing Method for Clear, Smooth Skin.

If you have tons of beauty products around your house, take a look at the ingredients on those products. You may be surprised at how many chemicals are in your products, and if your products include chemicals, your skin can absorb those chemiacals. The good news is that there are some fablous options you can use for beautiful skin. In fact, you probably have once excellent ingredient in your kitchen already.  Honey! 

It should be noted that not all honey is created equal. Most of the honey found in grocery stores has been processed with heat, which kills off healing enzymes and destroys a lot of the nutrient-rich content. But, raw honey hasn't been processed and will give your skin the healing benefits that it needs. Also, if you have allergies, try a patch test first and/or ask you physician if raw honey is a right for you.

BENEFITS

Raw honey is an amazing natural beauty solution for all skin types because of its healing skin benefits. It does wonders for a wide variety of skin ailments including:

Acne and enlarged pores
Rosacea
Eczema
Hyperpigmentation
Sensitive, mature, and dull lifeless skin

With its natural pH level of 4.5, raw honey falls within skin’s naturally healthy pH range (Is pH Balanced Skin Care Important?). Its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties make it great for healing cuts and burns by killing bacteria and fungus. Raw honey also contains gluconic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid that brightens the complexion, evens out skin tone, and lightens scars and age spots.

Depending on where the honey is collected from, it contains many nutrients and minerals excellent for skin health such as vitamin B, iron, manganese, copper, potassium and calcium. It also acts as a humectant drawing moisture to the skin and is perfect as a gentle cleansing solution for even very sensitive skin. When mixed with water, honey releases peroxide properties which helps heal acne and impede bacterial growth causing more acne.

HOW TO USE

Mask: To use raw honey as a mask, simply cleanse your skin, put a layer of honey on your face, and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. The heat from your skin can make it thin out, so raw honey works best.
Cleanser: As a face wash, add a quarter size amount or more to wet hands, massage into skin and rinse. Follow with your usual serum or moisturiser.

No matter your skin type or the state of your skin, honey is a great product to incorporate.

Easy Ways to Get rid of Acne at Home

Acne is a common problem that normally affects most adolescents and teenagers. Many people are prone to acne and pimples in their adolescent years of life. But even if it’s a natural occurrence, acne can be very unpleasant to look at and many people wouldn’t consider an acne-filled face as attractive. Can you really get rid of acne at home? Absolutely! Using natural and cheap kitchen ingredients and simple practical measures, you can easily get rid of acne at home!

So what are some of the remedies to get rid of acne at home? Here are two lists of how you can easily get rid of acne at home –

1) Using kitchen ingredients, or Natural Remedies, and;

2) Using practical measures, or Good Habits.

Get rid of acne at home using Kitchen Ingredients

Here are some great Natural Remedies straight from your kitchen to help you get rid of acne naturally at home:

Yogurt contains a powerhouse of nutrients that are especially good for skin and can help you get rid of acne at home.

How Yogurt can Help Get Rid of Acne

• Yoghurt for Skin
  What are the nutrients in yogurt which make it miraculously healing, hydrating and invigorating for any skin type? Yogurt for skin has been used as a beauty remedy for ages in ancient India, Egypt and

• Fiber is good for you! Eating fiber rich veggies and fruits like oranges, spinach and the like will not only stave off irritable bowel syndrome but also help you get rid of acne and also prevent acne. How? Through regulating bowel movements, fiber helps eliminate harmful and toxic body wastes from the body. These body wastes, if accumulated and have no way out of the body, end up popping up as acne breakouts on your skin.
• Take a lot of fluids. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and regularly take fluids to keep your body hydrated. Drinking water also helps regulate bowel movements and clear out toxins from the body thereby keeping acne at bay.
• Yogurt for acne. Eating yogurt can work against acne just as applying it on your face. Yogurt is a super food containing a multitude of vitamins and nutrients. It also contains good bacteria that help to fight off the bad acne-causing bacteria from within the body. Applying yogurt on your face can moisturize, soften your face and even lighten freckles and blemishes!

Honey has strong anti-bacterial properties that can help put a stop to your acne in its early stages.

• The Honey Healer. Using honey is a wonderful ingredient in most face masks to get rid of acne at home. What’s so special about honey is that it is very mild and can be used on all skin types! Apply honey on face regularly to see your acne diminish like never before. Additionally, honey moisturizes skin, keeping it radiant, soft and subtle.
• Tomato Pulp. Apply tomato pulp on your face or acne areas, wait for 3-5 minutes and gently wash off. Tomato has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the red swellings on and around pimples.

Get rid of acne at home using practical measures:

When I say get rid of acne at home using practical measures, all I mean is just following good habits that will keep you acne free for a lifetime. Following these good habits will help ensure you keep acne to a minimum.

• Don’t touch your face. That’s right! Touching your face can intensify acne! Acne can be triggered by dirt and germs that most definitely cling to your hands during the course of the day. So whether it’s to brush a few tendrils of stray hair away from your face or rub an itchy spot, resist the temptation!
• Comb your hair away from your face. Your hair contains natural oils that will make your face oily and thus acne prone. Further, throughout the course of the day, your hair gathers dust, smoke particles and even bacteria that when stick onto the face, trigger acne.
• Don’t scrub your face too hard. Most people think vigorously rubbing their faces will reduce acne. But this is very wrong. In fact, this actually aggravates the acne, causing it to multiple (as you’re spreading the bacteria everywhere on your face) and even forming more acne!

It's hard to believe but washing your face more than once or twice a day can lead more acne flare-ups.

• No popping pimples! I’m sure some people immediately feel like popping a bulbous and ugly pimple when they see one. But please refrain from doing that! When you pop a pimple, all the pus-filled contents are released. This causes other pimples to form on your skin if the gruesome ‘pus’ comes in direct contact with your skin. What’s worse is popping pimples also forms ugly scars!
• Over washing your face. What?! Isn’t over washing your face very hygienic and helpful in preventing acne? Sad to say, the answer is no. If you’re thinking that cleaning your face more than 10 times a day will reduce acne, then think again. Your face produces natural oils that moisturize your skin. Now if you’re cleaning and soaping your face like crazy very 15 minutes, then you’re stripping your face of the natural oils and thereby causing your face to produce more oils and more acne!

Out of all these remedies to get rid of acne at home, at least one of them won’t fail to give you good results in clearing acne. I have to say one important thing though – be consistent. Whether it’s drinking lots of water or applying yogurt on your face, if you truly want to see results, then make sure you are consistent, without quitting or feverishly working on remedies to get rid of acne at home only when you’re motivated.

Caution:

You may be allergic to some of the ingredients listed above, for example, yogurt. Before applying it on your skin, be sure to use a test patch to see if it’s okay for you to continue rubbing it on a bigger portion of your skin.

7 reasons why you should chew your food well

REASON 1: Chewing aids the digestion process

The perception of considering intestine being wholly responsible for the digestion process is a little unfair. The actual process starts when you chew your food in your mouth. The process of chewing results in the release of digestive enzymes which are helpful in the food breaking process. So the more you chew, the more these enzymes release and aid the digestion process while saving you from indigestion issues.

REASON 2: Makes food channelizing easier

If the food is not chewed properly, the job of digestion becomes difficult. Breaking down of food takes more time and energy and may cause stomach ache or other disturbances. For this reason it is important that your food is chewed well and the lower stomach gets some time to relax so the food can be channelized further.

REASON 3: Avoids bacterial growth

Trying to finish the plate early or taking another bite while there is still food in your mouth means probably you will swallow larger food particles. The unbroken food particles may be left unprocessed and this increases the risk of bacterial growth in the intestine which leads to gastric issues, constipation, and abdominal pain. In some extreme cases it may cause diarrhea and bloating too.

REASON 4: Absorbs nutrients easily

Some foods like raw vegetables, bread and foods rich in fiber are comparatively slow in being digested. For this reason it is better you must chew your food well as this makes the energy absorption process speedy and the nutrients are absorbed easily.

REASON 5: Assists in weight control

When you eat fast, you eat more! Overeating is directly related to weight gain. This means if you eat slow and take some time to chew your food properly you can avoid overeating which helps in maintaining your calorie intake. This slow eating formula is also recommended to people who wish to reduce weight and control the calories intake.

REASON 6: Avoids tooth decay

When you chew your food the saliva produced helps in washing away the bacteria in your mouth. This avoids tooth decay and keeps them strong and healthy. The dentists suggest that the food should be chewed properly with both sides of your mouth. In normal practice we chew with the right side of our teeth due to this the left side is mostly affected by tarter and bacterial attack. For this reason, chewing your food well can also help to protect your teeth from bacteria.

REASON 7: Helps you enjoy food

Food breaks should be relaxing while indulging in the pleasure and taste with every bite should be the real essence of eating. This can be achieved if your go slow with the chewing process. Take a bite and enjoy the texture, taste, and flavor till it breaks down and swallowed.