Category — Health

Staying healthy is an essential part to any beauty regimen.  Detoxifying the body can help to improve overall health and well-being.  Of course, avoiding processed foods and living a more natural lifestyle is ideal, but in today’s fast-paced world that is often easier said than done.  To help counter some of the toxins taken in daily through from the environment, try some (or all) of these at-home practices.

1.      Drink plenty of water.  A well-hydrated body is better equipped to eliminate toxins on its own.  Hot water is especially effective because it is more potent and flushes the body’s systems better than cold.  To make sipping on a warm glass of water more appealing, add some lemon juice which also improves the function of the liver, the body’s natural detoxing machine.

2.      Walk briskly 15-20 minutes each day.  By keeping a brisk pace, circulation and sweat increase and the body is more able to cleanse the lymphatic system.  The act of walking also improves colon function by utilizing the lower abdominal muscles.

3.      Try the ancient Ayurvedic practice of dry skin brushing.  By using a natural bristle brush over the entire body (except the face) in long strokes moving toward the heart, toxins are eliminated.  This also removes dead skin cells and debris which encourages the body to release even more toxins.

4.      If sipping hot water isn’t appealing, try enjoying some other detoxifying drinks such as apple and cranberry juice.  Green tea is a natural detoxifier and anti-inflammatory that can be even more effective when flavored with lemon, ginger, or peppermint.

5.      Soak in a nice warm bath that includes either Epsom or seaweed salts.  Both of these will help to pull toxins from the skin and encourage the release of toxins from vital organs.

6.      Practicing yoga daily can also help to release toxins in the body.  A simply version of the Sun Salutation done in the morning and at night will help to increase circulation and massage vital organs that will aid in the detoxifying process.

Healthy hair is shiny and soft to the touch, but often in the process of creating the perfect hair-dos, we use a lot of hair-don’ts.  Always avoid styling products that contain alcohol.  The alcohol in many hairsprays and gels can dry out hair, leaving it dull and lifeless.   Once you’ve chosen a good (alcohol-free) product, keep it off the scalp.  Putting products like mousse, gel, and pomades on the scalp can clog the pores and lead to flake-causing build-up.

As you are creating the perfect style, remember that hot air can damage hair as well as heat-styling products.  Change the hair dryer setting to cool, especially if you are also using a straightener, curling iron, or hot rollers.  To speed up the drying process and keep the heat off of your hair as much as possible, try towel drying your hair and then doing the other things in your morning routine such as brushing teeth and applying body lotion as the hair has a chance to air dry.

Finishing any hairstyle with a leave-in treatment such as Redken’s Extreme is always a good idea and a win-win for your hair’s look and health.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and, according the ancient Chinese, our third lung.  Not only does taking good care of this vital organ make us feel better, but it also increases our natural beauty.  The daily stress of life causes the skin to look older and less vital.  Although reducing stress doesn’t always seem possible, there are steps to take to reduce the impact that stress can cause.  Beautiful skin truly does start from the inside, and by following these suggestions, you can improve the way you look and feel.

*Start by getting enough beauty sleep.  During the restful periods of sleep, the skin has a chance to regenerate collagen, elasticity, and healthy cells.  This is also the time when the body starts to balance the hormones and chemicals from the day.

*Drink plenty of water or eat foods high in water.  Consuming 64 ounces of water a day is the minimum. Increasing that amount by just a glass or two more can help the body to clear out extra toxins that start to build up over time.

*Exercise not only increases overall health, but also improves circulation and helps to detoxify the body.  The increased blood flow helps pump more blood to the skin’s surface while sweating helps to release extra toxins.

Regardless of the routine you follow, remember that true beauty lies within and is greatly accentuated by being comfortable in your own skin.  Being true to yourself, smiling, laughing, and embracing your natural beauty will lead to a more gorgeous you.

“I’m just too tired to worry about skin care.. or anything at all!” How many times in your life have you thought something similar? I thought so. When you get tired, you simply don’t want to worry about any of those little old beauty issues. It’s easy to fall back on, especially after a long day at work. If we were able to convince ourselves to at least do one or two simple things before heading to bed, our skin would begin to adore us.

First, no matter how tired you are, you should always wash your face. Getting off all of that makeup really helps out your skin. It lets it breathe, which is never a bad thing! All it takes is a few minutes in the bathroom, a bit of warm water, and a hint of gentle soap. You don’t even have to use a fancy scrub or wash (though I encourage you to, if you have the time!) to do the job.

Second, a moisturizing cream should take a place next to your bed. As you climb into your comfy covers and get ready to lay down, just grab that cream and massage it into your face. No need to get out of bed for this one! It will make your skin feel incredibly soft by the morning, which will feel like a special treat, considering that you didn’t even have to move from your bed to make it happen.

In exchange for just a few minutes before you head to that wonderful dreamland, your skin will reward you with feeling better than it has in awhile. So the next time you’re ready to crash without doing anything, just remember how fast and easy it will be.

Scars, if you are self conscious about them, can be very in-the-way and frustrating. More than once, I have seen people wearing long sleeves to hide them or even asking people to Photoshop them out! There are creams that you can apply that will lessen their appearance, but this does take time. In the meantime, why not just cover them up with makeup?

There are actually creams, such as DermaColor or Dermablend, that help you do just this! You apply them in a similar fashion as any concealer; making sure to cover your scar completely, and that’s it! Cover with a powder, and tada! Your scar is neatly hidden underneath a layer of makeup.

This technique also works with birthmarks or discoloration. In fact, I recommend it for simply evening out skin tone in small amounts as well! Small defects can be embarrassing to some, but don’t worry. There is always a way to make yourself feel beautiful again.

If you’re a teen on your way to a beautiful smile, you may have to put up with braces for a few years. You can still have a beautiful smile in the mean time. These days it seems everyone has braces, so it’s not quite the social negative that it used to be back in the day. No more “brace face” for today’s teens. Now, teens can even have fashion fun with their braces, by choosing the colors of their bands each time they go in for an adjustment. It’s fun to wear orange or black bands at Halloween, or red and green ones for Christmas time!

Make sure you are taking good care of your teeth and your braces to maintain your smile beauty while you work your way to straighter teeth. For starters, keep them clean! Food particles hanging around in your braces are REALLY unattractive. Even food as seemingly innocent as rice can be one of the worst things to stick and hang around your otherwise pristine smile! Carry a little brush with you at school to touch up your smile after lunch. Keep your orthodontist appointments, or reschedule them so you can minimize the duration of your treatment which will no doubt be long enough already. Most of all, don’t be afraid to smile, even with your braces!

There are lots of things you can do to improve your results when you shave your legs to make them beautiful.

First, consider safety. Do not share razors with anyone. Use a clean razor and maintain it well. Change the blades as often as recommended. Shave on clean freshly washed skin to avoid infection and reduce irritation. Another thing that is important is to be careful not to “over shave”, by running your razor over the same area over and over (especially your armpits).

Us a moisturizer or other lubricant such as shaving cream or gel when shaving your legs. Use a gentle upward motion going against the direction of the hair growth to get the closest shave. Be careful if you have a habit of propping up your leg on the side of the shower so that you can avoid accidents.

When shaving your bikini area, and have a tendency to get those awful red bumps as a result of shaving there are several things you can do. Try using an electric razor that doesn’t shave quite so close. Or, there are several products you can use such as “Zero Bumps” that you can apply immediately after shaving to calm down irritated sensitive skin and ovoid the bumps. Keep other bikini hair trimmed as well.

If you want to avoid shaving all together, you can consider laser hair removal, but it only works on dark hair (forget blonde or gray hairs), and it can be expensive.

True beauty comes from within. It really does. Look deep inside yourself and work on your inner beauty. Start by thinking about your attitude. How do you look outward? Do you have a positive outlook? A positive attitude will radiate positively . Make the most of who you are, and be happy with yourself.

Make sure that in addition to feeding your body with healthy food that you also feed your mind. Learn as much as you can, whenever you can. Take up a hobby or find something that interests you, that you enjoy doing, and strive to do it to the best of your ability. Never stop pushing to improve yourself.

Your inner beauty will reflect outwardly in an infectious way, and make you more attractive to others. People are naturally drawn toward positive happy people. Be one yourself and see how attractive you really are!

It’s amazing how many women don’t get any real exercise. The excuses are endless – it’s hard, don’t have time, it hurts my knees, I don’t have enough energy, I can’t afford a gym membership, yadda yadda yadda! Excuses!

I finally got back to a regular exercise routine after a hiatus of a couple of years. I have lost six pounds and hit has made a tremendous difference in my overall appearance. You wouldn’t think six pounds could make such a big difference, but it does. It’s more than the weight though. I am more toned all over.

At first it was really hard. The first two weeks I wanted to quit every day. I tried to give myself realistic goals and commit to moderate exercising at least 3 times a week. After three weeks, it began to get easier. I still notice that the first 5-6 minutes of exercising are also hard and I feel tired. But after 10 minutes or so, the endorphins kick in and I could now go on for an hour – and sometimes I do! It’s fantastic.

Just get sweaty. Sweat feels good. The shower you get afterward feels even better. So quit making excuses for yourself and just force yourself to do it. You WON’T regret it at all. Commit to making it part of your regular beauty routine.

If you’re heading to the pool for an afternoon, you want to look as fabulous as ever, and you don’t want to end up with raccoon eyes as your mascara and other makeup runs down your face from pool water, or just sweat even if you’re not swimming!

Start by keeping makeup at the pool to a minimum, but that doesn’t mean you have to go bare faced. Skip the foundation and the blush. Use a waterproof eye pencil and mascara. Next, use some all day lip color that will not wash off in the water. These all day lip colors are the greatest beauty invention ever, in my book! A beautiful lady never goes anywhere without at LEAST her lipstick! Above all, be sure to put your sunscreen on before you leave the house because even a few minutes of sun exposure on your skin can cause permanent damage that adds up over time. Do not make the common mistake of waiting until you get to the pool to apply your sunscreen.