DIY Glowing Skin - HOME

GO BANANAS!!!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:47:57 GMT

As you can see from the title, I’m going to talk about Bananas today. You may already know that bananas are a great source for your overall health and beauty. BUT did you know that depending on the ripeness of bananas, you can get different benefits from it?

Under-ripe bananas: that still have slightly green parts

These types of bananas have a “Resistant Starch” which works just like Fibers. Eating them also makes your stomach feel fuller longer, and also helps boost your fat-burning system.

So, people who want to detox their body might want to try these bananas as a breakfast.
You can simply slice them up and serve with Kefir and a dash of cinnamon to burn fat! or you can blend them away to make smoothie!
You know those white stringy bits you see when you peel bananas?
Please don’t throw it away!! It is FIBRE!

Kefir is a fermented milk that contains bacteria and yeasts. It has Calcium, iron, Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, D and K2.
These vitamins help you to absorb calcium effectively!

Side Note: If you want to be healthy, morning cereals are a big NO-NO! You don’t get proper nutrients from them, because it’s full of Sugar and bad carbs despite the fact that it says “whole grains” on the box. Some people eat cereals with milk to get calcium.
BUT eating cereal with milk actually blocks the absorption of any calcium! Grain products in general all contain phytates, which are actually anti-nutrients. Phytates bind to the minerals we are eating and keep them from being absorbed by your body!

Completely Yellow Bananas:

They are high in Anti-oxidants! It has Vitamin D2, D3 (Niacin) and B6. It can prevent skin troubles by eating these Vitamins at the same time.
These are best for beauty treatment.

Sugar-spotted Bananas: They have brown dots on their skin. These are not the same as bruised bananas.
Keep them in a room temperature and hang them to keep them fresh longer.

These types of bananas have the effect of increasing your immune system and also boosts the function of your stomach.
Moreover it increases dopamine levels which makes you HAPPY HAPPY!!! These bananas have a chemical closely related to the brain chemical!

Note: Don’t eat bananas before going to bed, it will keep you up longer due to your increased dopamine levels.

Extra awesome TIP to get rid of acne!!
Do NOT throw away the banana peel after you eat it!! (for this treatment, you’ll need the Yellow banana or sugar-spotted banana peel)

I know it sounds weird but take a small piece of the peel and gently rub the inside part onto the red acne for good 10 minutes. Get a new piece of peel when the peel turns brown.
Let it completely dry and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
Repeat this as much as you can a day. The more you do it, the faster you can get rid of acne!

You can even sleep with it on your face after it completely dries, and rinse it off in the morning if you want.
(Warning: It may make leave a mess on your pillow)

As with all fruits, don’t overeat fruits especially ripe fruits.
The riper it is the more sugar it will contain. Even though I said “ GO BANANAS”, don’t go TOO BANANAS with bananas!!!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

DIY deep cleansing CLAY facewash!

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:33:38 GMT

First of all, I cannot stress enough HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EAT HEALTHY! If you don’t eat right then you can be sure that you will have skin problems. Don’t rely on expensive skincare products too much! Skincare products are NOT magical items that instantly fix your problems. So please keep that in mind. If you don’t know what to eat, please check my previous post. Or if you guys want some more lists of what to eat and not, please let me know!

Now if you are eating right but still get skin problems… then it might be how you are washing your face or an allergy to a skincare product you’re using.

In Japan, clay cleansers and rice cleansers are quite popular to achieve clear soft skin. This is thanks to a lot of popular fashion models and TV personalities who are using them to keep their baby soft skin! So why not mix all the goodness from clay and rice into a cleanser! The actual products are both of the FOAMING type but it is hard to make it at home so I decided to combine those top 2 popular Japanese ingredients to create a LUSH-inspired DIY facewash!

Japanese Clay Facewash

Japanese Rice Facewash

Things you’ll need for 4 days to a week’s supply:

½ tablespoon of Clay powder* (This can be red, green or white facial clay) I am using a European green clay powder
½ tablespoon of rice powder
½ tablespoon of vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon of raw honey
1½ tablespoons of almond powder
½ teaspoon rose water or purified water
6 drops of your favorite essential oils
dark airtight container

All you need to do is mix all the ingredients together until it becomes one huge solid chunk. Just make sure it is not powdery. Add Rosewater / honey / purified water to adjust the thickness of the products.

How to use:

Wash your hands and then dry them completely. (if you put use wet hands the mixture can get contaminated by the bacteria on your hands… This applies to all skincare products.)

Just take about 1/2 teaspoon of the product* and place it on your palm and add a little bit of water at a time. Blend it in until it becomes a creamy paste. Spread it all over your face (but avoid your eye area) and gently massage with a circular motion going upwards. Rinse it off thoroughly. Pat to dry and go ahead and moisturize.

Note: You can leave it on as a mask after massaging it onto your face. And of course, rinse it off when it gets dry with lukewarm water and then cold water to close up pores.

* You can use your hands to take out some products from container if you want BUT I don’t really recommend doing it because it will shorten the products life.

That's it! Hope you enjoy X)

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

sunscreen, apply every morning before makeup! --- with makeup tip!

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 19:19:12 GMT

When do you use sunscreen? If your answer is every day, then that’s great! But do you know if you’re using it right or not?

Let’s talk about what kind of damage the sun can cause!

Exposure to the sun will cause premature aging by damaging/breaking down the following:

Collagen – This is the supporting structure of the skin; it is also one of the foundations of your bones as well. (Did you know we're losing 2g of collagen every day from age around 20- 25.)

Elastin - This is what gives your skin its resilience and natural bounce.

Hyaluronic Acid – This is what allows your skin to hold water and allows it to stay moisturized, giving skin its volume and aiding in tissue repair. (Did you know? 1 gram of hyaluronic acid can hold 6 litres of water!)

DNA – Increased exposure to the sun causes degradation to the genetic makeup of the skin cells, ultimately leading to cancer.

If your skin’s structure and foundation becomes degraded, it becomes difficult to repair. This why you should avoid tanning salons/machines! You wouldn’t buy a house with a foundation made of rotten wood, that’s not smart. Similarly, your skin structure will show outwardly how well you take care of it.
So take action, and take care of it now or you’ll be sorry!

Now back to sunscreen.

First let me begin by talking about SPF and PA*. Most people think a higher number means better protection when it comes to SPF. But is it really true? Do you know what SPF and the number really mean? Well, SPF is the abbreviation of “Sun Protection Factor”. The number next to SPF indicates how much the products can prevent the effects of UVB lights. The numbers indicate how much extra protection you’ll get before your skin starts tanning.
For example, if you don’t wear any sunscreen, your skin will turn red in about 25 to 30 minutes. Relative to that, if you use SPF 15, it can protect your skin for 15 times longer than the case without sunscreen. Which would mean 30 x 15 = 450 minutes of protection that you can get from SPF15. So it lasts 7hours and half. SPF15 is enough for daily use**.

On the other hand, PA stands for Protection grade of UVA. It indicates how much the products can prevent the effect of UVA lights. The “+” sign represents the prevention effect of PA.

PA “+ signs” are shown in comparison to how many times more the UV dose is require to turn skin dark without sunscreen. If it’s more than 2 times to less than 4 times you’ll see (one) “+” symbol. If its more than 4 times to less than 8 times you’ll see (two) “++”. If it’s more than 8 times you’ll see (three) “+++” symbols.

But what is the difference between UVB and UVA?

UVB lights cause surface sunburn. It can turn your skin red.

UVA lights damage deeper than UVB lights do.
It can cause future spots, wrinkles and sagging. It can also damage the collagen of the dermis, base cells.

Many sunscreens do NOT BLOCK BOTH UVB and UVA.
Always check and see if your sunscreen has both SPF and PA or if it says Anti UVB and UVA. The Sun’s rays can really damage your skin in gradually and unknowingly, so be aware~

Ok, now for some TIPS on applying sunscreen to your skin!

First: DO not spread it too thin on your skin!! This is because the number or +sign of “SPF” and “PA” protection values refer to cases when the products are applied by roughly 2mg per square centimeter on skin. So, first, roughly spread onto your skin and then tap it into your skin for maximum absorption.

Second: Make sure to apply sunscreen anywhere that will be exposed to the sun!! Do not forget to apply on your neck, chest, hands, arms and ears!!

Last but not least, apply sunscreen first thing in the morning!!! The sun is pouring in from 7am in the morning, even when it’s cloudy out…

If you use foundation, here's what you need to do! This is how my mom applies her foundation and she gets compliment and always gets asked by complete strangers how she does it.

Step 1: Wash your face then moisturize your face
Step 2: Apply makeup primer, then tap to apply SUNSCREEN on your face.
Step 3: Put Tissue on your face and lightly press down for a couple of seconds to remove extra oil. Do not rub or wipe at this point!!
Step 4: Apply liquid foundation then spray generous amount of liquid lotion such as Whitening lotion or simply mix purified water with vegetable glycerin and then spray on to face.
Step 5: Use your favorite sponge or tissue to gently press to remove the excess moisture on your skin. I guess you're wondering if you remove the lotion later on, what's the point of putting it on your face to begin with? Besides, doesn’t that also remove the foundation we applied? Well actually, using the sponge/tissue to absorb the excess moisture doesn't remove all the foundation and makeup but in fact, this actually makes your skin look more naturally translucent!
Step 6:Apply PRESSED POWDER with sponge. Gently press into your skin.

Following these steps can prevent the makeup to move throughout the day. You don’t really need to do touch ups later on!

If you’re don’t use foundation like me, then follow until step 3 and then step 6!

*some of the sunscreens on the market don’t have PA sign on them.
** Re-apply as needed. After swimming, washing, perspiring/sweating heavily and towel drying. Also try to avoid applying on your eyelids, as it stings if it gets in your eyes.

These are the ingredients you should look for:

---UV-reflectors: These are made of natural minerals

Titanium dioxide (Titania or Titanium (IV) oxide): This absorbs UVB to itself and also reflects UVA. Titanium dioxide has a white pigment. You may find it takes a while to apply evenly on your skin

Zinc Oxide: This reflects UVA. This can prevent irritation or inflammation.

The ingredients to avoid if possible:

---UV-absorbers: These are made from petroleum synthetics which can clog pores, and prevent your skin from breathing altogether. The effect is similar to wrapping your body in saran wrap, up until you wash it off completely.

PABA, Para-aminobenzoic Acid and GLYCERYL PABA: these absorb UVB.
Oxybenzones: Oxybenzone-2 and -6 absorb both UVA and UVB. Oxybenzone -9 also absorb UVA. -1,-3,-4 absorb UVB.

SIDE NOTE: Check the label, and get rid of any Petroleum Jellies and Mineral oil products (Paraffin oil or wax etc…). These are PETROLEUM SYNTHETICS. These products can cause premature aging. Imagine putting these things on your new born baby… How scary…

Here's some of the Non-toxic sunscreens with anti- UVB and UVA.

Soleo Organic All Natural Sunscreen ---anti- UVB and UVA.

Arbaviva Children and adult sunscreen ---anti- UVB and UVA.

Badger sunscreen --- anti- UVB and UVA with PA+++

Check your local natural health store for other varieties of sunscreens!
Make sure to check the ingredients list to if they have the KEY ingredients! Shorter list the better!

Thank you so much for reading this long article. I hope you find this useful!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

Winter skin care routine and recipe

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:43:20 GMT

It’s winter time! It’s cold outside, the air is dry… And your skin starts to feel tighter, rougher and so on… Many people begin to notice more skin troubles in the winter more than any other season. But don’t be so sad about it! Winter time is a great time to recover your damaged skin!! “Melanin” is what causes spots to appear on your skin, and they are luckily produced only half as much in the winter time compared to the summer. This being said, it would be such a waste if you didn’t use this time to get brighter or whiter skin!!

The main reason our skin gets dry in the winter time, is because our skin cannot produce enough oil due to the cold. So the keywords for winter skin care are “Lock in the moisture”!!

Do you moisturize your skin properly? Here’s how to lock in the moisture into your skin:

Step 1: Cleanse/ wash your face with facewash and PAT to dry.

Step 2: Use a cotton pad and a WATER BASED lotion* to moisturize your skin. Let it sit until it’s all sucked up by your skin. Please make sure your skin is not wet when dealing with skin care products. Otherwise Oil based creams won’t spread evenly.

Step 3: Apply your favorite serum and wait for your skin to absorb it.

Step 4: Apply a generous amount of cream to lock in the moisture.

Step 5: Rub both hands together until they are warm and then cover your entire face with them to increase the blood circulation on your face and help the skin care products to penetrate your skin deeper.

Are you wondering why it’s in this order? Here’s why: If we apply cream (which is oil based) before you put water based lotion on your skin, the oil ends up blocking the water from penetrating your skin. Doing it in the right order, helps lock the moisture in, and prevents it from evaporating.

*Let’s make your own whitening lotion!

You will need:

A Dark bottle (Vitamin C is light sensitive, so make sure to use a dark bottle)
40ml of Purified water or rose water if you have acne scars
½ teaspoon of Vitamin C powder (L-Ascorbic Acid)
¼ teaspoon of vegetable glycerin
A Dark container, I’m using metal measuring cup

Step 1: In a dark container (measuring cup), add vitamin c powder and then add the purified water or rose water. Mix until the powder dissolved.

Step 2: Add vegetable glycerin to the mixture and mix it well. Then pour the contents into the dark bottle. Store it in fridge until you use it. It lasts for a week or two maximum in the fridge as it has a short shelf life.

If it is not moisturizing enough on your skin, add some more glycerin to it.

Now let’s talk about what we can EAT to help brighten or whiten your skin! I’ve already talked about food that can help prevent wrinkles and also explained that empty calories = Fatty calories. So If you haven’t read them yet, please check them out!

Alright, if you’ve been reading my articles then you know why you get spots and wrinkles. It is because continuing repeated exposure to ultraviolet light as we age, results in “melanocytes” being activated. It causes your skin to produce a large amount of “melanin”. Spots and blemishes appear when “melanin” has accumulated over the years.

To avoid this to happen to your skin, change eating habits and always make sure to wear Sunscreen no matter where you go. Yes, even you’ve decided to stay inside. Ultra violet light can still damage your skin when indoors! 80% the reason why people look older is because their skin has been damaged by UV light. It’s never too late to start using sunscreen! I’ll explain further details about how important it is to wear sunscreen each day in my next article.

Let’s go back to FOOD now. First, I guess you already know that “anti-oxidants” help to suppress the production of melanin. Vitamin C, E, Bata-carotene, Lycopene, astaxanthin, ellagic acid, and selenium are the anti-oxidants you need.

Next, you need agents used to increase the skin metabolism cycle to recover from damaged skin. These components are Vitamin C, B2, zinc and L-cysteine

The most effective “brighten up” or “whitening” agents are: L-cysteine, astaxanthein, lycopene, ellagic acid and vitamin C.

Let’s break them down and also find out which foods contain the most of them.

L-cysteine: This can help compress the cause of spots and blemishes. It can also reset your skin cycles to produce new skin cells.
What food contains the most? Honey and soy beans contain a lot of it. In Japan, there are many skin care products using these two ingredients.

Astaxanthein: This can help compress the melanin production and can also help to repair skin cells. What food contains the most? It’s commonly found in bright red seafood such as salmon with skin on*, shrimp, lobster, crab and ikra (Salmon roe). Shrimp and crab shells contain the most!
*please eat salmon skin: it contains collagen! It’s such a waste if you always throw it out!!

Lycopene: This can also repair skin cells and whiten up your skin! Did you know that Lycopene has 100 times more anti-oxidant than vitamin E?
What food contains the most? TOMATOS!!
When you heat it up it activates whitening agents even more.

Ellagic acid: this is a yellowish polyphenol. High in anti-oxidants and helps inhibit melanin production. What food contains the most? Pomegranates and Berries!! Such as strawberries, blue berries, raspberries and such!

Vitamin C: It’s high in anti-oxidants and whitening agents. It can repair skin cells.
What food contains the most? Broccoli, parsley, and lemon! It’s better to consume vitamin C with “L-cysteine” to get an increased whitening effect! To help produce collagens, consume vitamin C with proteins!

Vitamin C + L-cysteine = Whitening effect!
Vitamin C + Proteins = Collagens!!

Did you know Microwaves DESTORY 74~97% of ANTIOXIDENTS in your food??
So please try not to use it! Instead of wasting the goodness, take it all in as they are!

Thank you so much for reading this long article. I hope you find this useful!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

my current favorite skincare routine!

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:13:21 GMT

Hey there, sorry for kept you guys waiting for such a long time. I've been doing a bit of research about skin care and I learnt so much! I will share all of that information with you guys one by one!

Today's topic is my current favorite skincare routine!!

I had never washed my face with face wash in the morning when I was in Japan. I never had felt the need to. But since I moved to Canada, where water is much more different from the one back home, I started to notice my skin slowly become rougher and I was getting pimples easily. So I shifted my old routine to this one i'm going to share with you today!!

In the Morning:
1: I wash my face with Olay foaming face wash. Pat to dry.

2: Wait for 10-15 minutes or more without moisturizing.

3: Moisturize and then, apply sunscreen all over my face, neck and hands.

At Night:
1: I wash my face with "Yes to Tomatoes" face wash. I recommend not to use this in the morning because it contains "soft peeling agents". Pat to dry.

2: Use the DIY toner. Then wait 10-15 minutes without moisturizing.

3: Apply lotion/serum, and then moisturizer.

Side note: "Yes to Tomatoes" is my current favorite. This product is mostly natural and I don't get pimples that often since I started using this. If you get pimples and blackheads, I recommend you to try it out. There are other brands sells "anti-acne face wash" but they are mostly loaded with chemicals which may cause breakouts, rashes or other skin problems.

That's it!! My skin feels so smooth and soft! My nephews ( 2 and 3 years old) love my cheeks and always push their cheeks against mine and give me kisses <3

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

Uneven skin tone, blemishes, spots, and dull skin bugging you??-- [revised]

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:00:35 GMT

What are blemishes/spots anyway??

By continuing repeated exposure to ultraviolet light as we age, “melanocytes” are activated. It causes your skin to produce a large amount of “melanin”. Spots and blemishes appear when “melanin” has accumulated over the years,

Well, what is uneven skin tone and dull skin?

These are mainly a result of accumulated dead skin cells containing melanin. The lipid part underneath also becomes oxidized and turns the surface of your skin a dull yellowish (Reactive Oxygen). There’s another thing that causes you uneven skin tone, and that is bad blood circulation. As we age, blood circulation becomes poor. It reduces the natural pinkish glow of the skin and your complexion becomes unequal. That is why it is best practice to wash your face with a scrub once a week to prevent the build up on your skin surface.
Also if you use a sheet typed facial mask, please do not leave it on your face until it becomes completely dry. When it gets dry, the moisture of your skin also evaporates with it. Which means you’ll get dry skin afterwards. If you have dry skin, make sure to moisturize enough to prevent blemishes, spots and wrinkles.

Here’s what you need to do:

First you might want to change your eating habits. To begin, consume lots of “anti-oxidants” like Vitamin A, C, and E and also polyphenol! Check skincare from within for more details.

I want you all to keep something in mind if you decide to make your own smoothie or green cocktail. If you’ll be using cucumbers, apples, cabbages, carrots and so on, make sure you either cook them first or add some kind of acidic/citrus fruits. This is because the fruits and vegetables I mentioned contain an enzyme that destroys the VITAMIN C called “ascorbinase”!

Let me know if you guys are interested in learning more about what you need to eat to achieve healthier skin and body.

Secondly, go to bed during the GOLDEN SLEEPING TIME! This sleeping period is between 10PM-2AM, so make sure your sleep overlaps this period of time to ensure the most optimal of secretion of growth hormone which is able to repair skin. So please try to be in bed around this time as much as possible!

Thirdly, set out one day a week as your “No-moisturizer day” when you think your skin can handle it. Sounds counterintuitive to you? Well, the reason behind this is that our skin has a function to control oil and keep moisture in your skin naturally. Think about kids, they don’t need moisturizer everyday like you. It is because they have a strong healthy skin system. On the other hand, we have grown up using all kinds of skin care products to take care of our skin. It is a good thing, so don’t get me wrong. But if you use moisturizer every day, you won’t be able to live without moisturizer and other skin care products in the near future. You’ll be spoiling your skin otherwise. Don’t worry! Just once a week, skip the usual skin care routine you have after wash your face, to awaken the Original function of your skin!
Caution: Do not attempt this if your skin is extremely dry or irritates you without moisturizer. However do attempt this whenever your skin is ok with it.

Also, don't forget to EXFOLIATE once or twice a week. This primarily depends on your age and your skin renewal cycle! Caution: Do NOT exfoliate your skin on your"NO-MOISTURIZER DAY"
I exfoliate at home using the method from "Blackheads vanish". I use the DIY scrub not only on the blackheads area but on my whole face avoiding the eye area. My skin feels so much brighter and softer after each time I follow this method. And I found out that this technique helped my acne scars slowly fade away!! yeyyyy~
Note: After you exfoliate your skin, please make sure to moisturize and nourish your skin really well!!

Finally, do some full body exercises for at least 15 minutes a day, preferably every morning after you wake up. The movement of your muscles will improve blood flow, allowing nutrients and oxygen to be carried more efficiently across every part of your body. If you keep following these steps, this will lessen or clear up your dull skin and uneven skin tones.

Hope you guys find this usuful!! Many more tips and recipes are coming!! So stay tuned X)

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare and health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

Toner updateS!!

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 02:54:36 GMT

Hey guys! Here's a quick tip for people who use store-bought toners.

Those toners are for Oily skin, normal skin, combination skin and acne-prone skin!! so if you have dry skin, sensitive skin, rosacea, or eczema pleeease stay away from them. Even a salicylic acid toner (like the DIY one i shared with you guys before, the prevention toner) is not a good idea for you to use... because it can be too harsh for sensitive, really dry skin and reactive skin.

if your skin produces enough or more than enough oil, then you can use them.
If you see oil on your T-zone area past lunch time (=Oily skin), then you need toner twice a day, morning and night.
if you have normal/combination skin, you only need to use them once a day.
If you have sensitive skin, but easily get zits and pimples, then use toner and RINSE IT OFF with COLD WATER RIGHT AWAY.

Hope you guys find this usuful!! Many more tips and recipes are coming!!
So, stay tuned X)

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare and health related story!! --- leave me a comment/send me a note, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

CLEAR YOUR ACNE WITHIN A WEEK!

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 01:41:51 GMT

Hi guys! Today I’ll share with you a little secret trick I use, when I happen to get a pimple.

Do you get pimples even though you treat your skin right?? Then it may be the water you’re using at home. The water you use to wash your face or body may actually be giving you other skin problems.

Tap water contains “Chlorine” which keeps the water disinfected as it travels through the water mains. This acidity may actually damage your skin. There’s another reason why this water may cause your skin problems such as dry skin and pimples. The strength of keeping moisture in your skin depends on the how hard the level of water you use.
Tap water in Japan is mostly of “SOFT Water” variety, which is good for your skin. Soft Water also makes a good soap/shampoo lather, as it is easy to rinse off clean, leaving no residue! On the other hand, tap water in Canada is of the, “HARD water” variety which contains lots of minerals. This is good for your body, but NOT for your skin. The mineral minimizes lather from soap/shampoo. Moreover the mineral and soap leaves a Soap residue!!
This leads to more pimples… So when you do wash your face or body, pre-wash for 1-2 minutes and use a more generous amount of soap.
The more your lather the more you minimize the surface contact between your soap and skin. This will reduce the soap residue on your skin.

What to do:

Wash your face with Foam
Rinse it off with “Purified water” or “Mineral water” (Crystal Geyser, Volvic, VOSS, VIVO, LUSO, and AQUA etc…)

Pat or gently wipe your face with “Purified water” or

“All in ONE Contact lens solution” ( These typically are made of purified water with anti-bacterial properties. Since you can put this fluid into your eyes, it is safe on your skin)

Then use your choice of DIY TONERs.

Moisturize.

That is it!

Alternative: Or after moisturizing your skin, make paste with yeast and water then cover your pimples with it. Wait until it dries up and go to bed. Wash it off next morning.

Easy steps, right?? Hope you find this helpful!

Next topic is going to be DIY recipe(s) X) So stay tuned!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!!--- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

DIY WHITENING+CLEAR+BABY-SOFT SKIN MASKS!!

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 19:12:04 GMT

Do you like plain yogurt (No sugar or fruits added)? Well, I do! You can eat it, cook with it OR treat your skin with it! Yogurt as a facial mask works great! You can feel and see the results right away!
So today I decided to share with you MY YOGURT SKINCARE RECIPES!

Before we move on to the recipes, let me introduce you skin’s best friend, YOGURT!!

Yogurt has:

Vitamin A: It helps your skin retain moisture, and keep your skin glowing and anti-dull. Additionally, it helps your skin’s metabolism and also helps repair skin cells.
Antioxidants (Vitamin B2): Helps to provide COLLAGEN and restrain/repress melanin, which causes spots to appear on your skin.
Peptide, Amino acid and Alpha Hydroxy Acid*: These acids gently dissolve dead skin cells and fatty deposits on your skin's surface, it tightens ups pores and has whitening properties.

*Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) is especially great for mature or sunburnt skin!

Note: Please test the products on your wrist before applying directly onto your face, to ensure you will not have an allergic reaction.

“Brighten up your skin” mask

1tablespoon 100% Pure Honey (NO sugar added)
1tablespoon Plain Yogurt (No sugar or fruits added)
1tablespoon Apple (finely grated)
1tablespoon Flour*

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Apply all over your face and leave it on for about 10-15minutes.
Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

*You may add more or less flour to get the consistency you like.

Sunburnt skin/Blackheads/Acne Treatment mask

1tablespoon of Plain Yogurt (No sugar or fruits added)
3 cherry tomatoes or 1 little tomato or half of a medium size tomato (Grated)
Flour (If necessary)

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Apply all over your face and leave it on for 10-20minutes.
Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

Super moisturizing DEEP conditioning mask

2 tablespoons Plain Yogurt (No sugar or fruits added)
1-3 drops of your favorite oil (i.e. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, Seabuckthorn Oil, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil etc….)

Instructions:

Mix the ingredients up in a small bowl. Apply all over your face and leave it on for 10-20minutes.
Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

=Tips=
These recipes can be used either warm or cold. Pick whichever you like!

Warm version of the masks: Warm up the yogurt in a double boiler** and then add the other ingredients along with it. I prefer to use the warm version, when I want to open up pores.

**Double Boiler: Get 2 different sizes of bowls, one slightly bigger than the other. Pour hot water into a small bowl and then place the bigger one on top of it. Make sure the hot water doesn’t touch the bottom of bigger bowl.

Do not use a microwave to warm it up!!!

Did you know Microwaves DESTORY 74~97% of ANTIOXIDENTS in your food?? So please try not to use it! Instead of wasting the goodness, take it all in as they are!

Cold version of the masks: Whip everything together in a bowl and place it in a fridge. Good for tightening up pores and cooling down your skin.

Next topic is going to be How to get rid of ACNE in 3days X) So stay tuned!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare, health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!

ANTI-ACNE/ACNE SCAR TONER AND LOTION

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:23:19 GMT

Do you use toners? If you don’t, you might want to start using them.
Toner is used to remove soap residues, dead skin cells and excess oil from your skin. This allows your skin to be CLEAR enough to properly absorb moisturizer and other skincare products.

Today I have 2 different types of toners for you guys:

These acne/ acne scar reducing toners last 2 weeks in a fridge. Keep out of reach of children. Use every time after you wash your face. (AVOID EYE AREA)

Note: Please test the products on your wrist before applying directly onto your face, to ensure you will not have an allergic reaction.

Blackheads Prevention Toner

1 tablespoon of (Apple) Cider Vinegar* (Do not add this if you have sensitive skin)

5 tablespoons of green tea or 100% witch hazel (6-7 tablespoons for sensitive skin)**

8 Uncoated 325mg Aspirin tablet or a drop of willow bark extract or 100% pure Cassia Bark essential oil***

Instructions: Mix all the ingredients together in a sealable dark container and store it in a fridge. Shake or Stir it well before you use to make sure Aspirin has completely dissolved.

Application: Take some in your palm or put some on a cotton ball, and then dab onto the area you tend to get acne/pimples. Leave it on til it's completely sucked into your skin and brush the aspirin grains off from your face.
Note: Avoid eye area!

Goodbye Acne Scars Lotion -- Keep refrigerated up to 1 week

1 tablespoon of (Apple) Cider Vinegar* (Do not add this if you have sensitive skin. Add 1 tablespoon of Green tea instead)

5 tablespoons of pure Rose Water****

1 teaspoon of aloe gel/juice or vegetable glycerine for moisturizing + nourishing your skin (you can put more or less depending on your personal preference)

Instructions: Mix all the ingredients together in a sealable dark container and store it in a fridge up to 1week.

Application: Take some in your palm or put some on a cotton ball, and then dab onto the area you tend to get acne/pimples.
Note: Avoid eye area!

*Cider Vinegar: Do NOT use regular vinegar. it does not have the effective nutrients because it's distilled and it's also too strong for your skin.
Cider vinegar should have a brownish tint and is packed full of
ALPHA HYDROXY+ AMINO ACIDS. Those acids gently dissolve dead skin and fatty deposits on your skin's surface. The malic acid gently exfoliates the
skin, breaking up scar tissue and helps even indented scars. Cider Vinegar is also a natural powerful skin detox cleanser, unclogging your pores and scaly
skin and also controls your oil levels on your skin. Balances PH of
your skin and also has vitamin A, B2-6,E, and C to repairs skin cells for
softer supple skin.

** Green Tea: Repairs skin cells and removes excess water (reduces puffiness) Keep in mind that the water temperature should be around 150-160F/65-70C (Small bubbles will float to the surface of the water 160-170F/70-76C),and only steeped for 2-4minutes.
If you use boiling water to make green tea, it kills ANTIOXIDENT!!

***Aspirin, Willow bark extract and Cassia Bark essential oil: contain salicylic acid which works inside pores to help remove blackheads and whiteheads.

****Pure Rose Water: The scent of rose increases the secretion of female hormones. The hormones help treat acne, acne scars, correct period irregularities and help fight osteoporosis. The hormones also help
combat issues such as hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis, and also help maintain beautiful skin elasticity by increasing the amount of moisture in the skin.

Next topic is going to be DIY facial masks X) So stay tuned!

I'd LOVE to hear your skincare and health related story!! --- leave me a comment, introduce yourself on Facebook, or chit chat on Twitter!