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What Makes a Great Lip Balm?
We use lip balm as a barrier to protect our lips from the effects of wind, sun or dry indoor air and even dehydration. Most will do a good enough job as such, but what makes a great lip balm? Many lip balms but don’t offer much in the way of moisturizing lips. This is usually because the main ingredient is petroleum, petroleum-based, mineral oil or ‘petrolatum‘ to dress it up. While it does act as a barrier, you’ll be ingesting tiny amounts of the product when eating or drinking. So, for me, this ingredient is definitely off any list for lip balm. Ingredients There are so many other natural…
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Bio-actives in Skin Care
Bio-actives is the big buzz-word in skin care. If you have no idea what they are, you’re not alone. Most likely you have heard these terms: resveratrol, alpha & beta hydroxy acids, and peptides being tossed around. Biologic active ingredients or bio–actives are vitamins, fatty acids, anti-oxidants, essential oils, phyto (plant) nutrients and polyphenols. Anti-oxidants Let’s see why this group of mostly natural ingredients is important to skin care. Resveratrol, a bit of a tongue-twister but at the top of our list for good reason. This polyphenol is found in grapes, red wine, tea, chocolate, peanuts, blueberries, cherries and cranberries. Resveratrol is what gives these fruits their vibrant color and…
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Beauty with Epsom Salts
Epsom salts were discovered over 400 years ago in nautral springs located in the town of Epsom, Surrey England. Comprised of magnesium and sulfate, Epsom salts have been used by generations of folks around the world. As a soak for sore muscles, tired feet and as a way to ease irritated/itchy skin. Today, we also pair beauty treatments with Epsom salts. Spa Foot Soak I love to treat myself to an at-home foot spa. It’s easy to put together and does so much to relieve achy, tired feet. My secret ingredient is magnesium sulfate aka Epsom salts. If your feet are prone to cramping, you may want to give an…
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Honey
I know that I love honey. It’s just too delicious and its divine in tea. My favorite is orange blossom honey. I ration myself or my consumption can quickly get out of control. There are other uses for honey that may surprise you. Honey, used in personal care, has been a well-kept ‘secret’ for generations. It is actually the oldest skin care ingredient known to man and used by many cultures around the world. Honey in Personal Care Ancient Egyptian women chewed pills made of honey and spices to freshen their breath. They used honey and sodium bicarbonate for vaginal irrigations. Though some success could be attributed to the alkalinity…
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What does dry brushing do for skin?
I see a lot of claims for dry brushing, some are pretty far out there: eliminates cellulite, detoxifies the body, speeds up lymphatic drainage. But what is hype and what, if anything, does dry brushing actually do for skin? The premise of dry brushing is to use a firm-bristle brush in light, sweeping strokes all over your body. I don’t know about you but I can’t get past the visual of a stiff, boar bristle brush that leaves sweeping red marks all over the body. A bit too strong for me. Why then does the brush have to be firm bristle? Why can’t it be a medium-bristle or a medium-soft…
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What is good skin care?
Skin care needs change as we age; what is good skin care at 20 is no longer a good idea at 30 and so on. When I was in my 20s I had oily skin and hair. I could not go one day without -or so I thought- without washing my hair. I’d do a face mask twice a week and in between I would use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and liberally swab all over the T-zone. Did my oily skin improve? Of course not, it was just dry with more acne. Decades later, I know that regime was probably among the worst I could have chosen. I…
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Moisturizers
If I don’t keep moisturizers on my hands them and keep them hydrated they look rough. It’s the time of year that my hands are always cold. Even when the rest of me is warm, my hands are cold. They look like lizard skin; dry, crepe-like hands ready to shed their uppermost layer. We currently have a lizard in the household so it’s easy to make this analogy. And I do every time I pass by its ‘abode’ but at least this reminds me to put on more moisturizer! Hands that work hard need more moisturizer In cooler weather it’s a lot more challenging to keep my hands moisturized. Cooler…
