Wellness Wednesday-Skin care

Looking to get your body beach ready?  Lets start with your skin.

One of the best ways to keep the skin healthy and radiant is through exfoliation.  This process is used to remove old dead skin cells and dirt.  Exfoliating is a skin treatment done to slough off dead skin using a sponge or a brush.  This process is commonly used on the face to remove pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and acne in general.  Dead skin cells when left untreated can create a problem in the sebaceous gland making your skin look patchy and dull. 

Facial exfoliation: Doing this will encourage the growth of new skin cells, making your skin look brighter and feel smoother. The process is done by first washing your face to remove any dirt, makeup, or impurities on your skin.  Wet the surface of your skin and apply an exfoliating cleanser with a sponge or brush.  Scrub your face in circular motions avoiding the eye area.  Rinse with look warm water and pat dry.  Finnish off by applying a nourishing cream and moisturizer to your skin.

This process can be done on the entire body, not just the face.  If your skin is dry and lacks luster try this body scrub to create a sexy summer glow.

Makes 1.5 Cups- 3 treatments

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Finley grained sea salt
1/2 cup Finley ground coffee
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1/2 tsp eucalyptus essential oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the salt, coffee, sesame oil, and eucalyptus oil.  Use this scrub in the shower away from running water.  Massage into damp skin with long, semi-firm circular motions.  Take your time in order to activate all the ingredients. Store the leftover in an air tight Tupperware container and pop in the fridge.  This scrub can be used 3 to 4 times a week.

The secret to this scrub is all in the ingredients.  Sea salt is used to retexurize the skin, while the coffee grounds help firm the skin and fight cellulite.  Sesame oil is an important ingredient because it nourishes and softens your skin.  The Eucalyptus oil purifies and oxygenates the skin.

Remember that your skin is your largest organ and it drinks up everything that you put on it, right into your blood stream.  This means washes and lotions get into your body.  Not that many people inform themselves about what ingredients are in their skin care products.  Sometimes going natural can be beneficial. The following items are all natural ingredients in popular face and body care products, I have included definitions so you can be a little more informed as to what your putting in your body.

ALTHAEA - extract: Smooths, softens.

ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS - Natural plant extracts that improve the look and condition of skin by accelerating the exfoliation of outer dead skin cells revealing younger fresher skin. Additionally, AHA's stimulate collagen synthesis, boost skin elasticity and increase cell renewal

ASCORBYL PALMITATE (vit. c) - Antioxidant.

ASCORBIC ACID - Is the scientific name for vitamin C, which is typically found in fresh fruits and vegetables. It can stimulate skin protein production when applied to skin.

HYPERICUM PERFORATUM - St. John's Wort. Has a wide range of medicinal uses; it is an antibacterial used to heal deep cuts and wounds, soothes and eases the pain of burns by lowering skin temperature, and is a diuretic, helping to eliminate waste materials from the body.

IRON OXIDE - A natural mineral pigment.

KAOLIN - Natural Clay. Finely textured, light colored clay. Pink, green and white clays are all members of kaolin family. Its excellent absorbent, tightening and toning properties make it valuable for face masks.


LANOLIN - Obtained from the wax found on sheep wool after shearing, refined and purified to cosmetic specifications. Has a characteristic 'barnyard' odor. Rich in cholesterol, Lanolin is well suited for the treatment of brittle hair and fingernails, and dry and raw elbows, knees and feet. An excellent emollient, skin lubricant and protectant especially helpful in winter when extremes of temperature and wind can damage skin. Lanolin is also useful in natural cosmetic formulations as it adds thickness and 'body' to a cream or salve without the use of chemical thickeners.

PANTHENOL – (Pro vitamin B5). Conditions, Moisturizes and hydrates the hair when absorbed.

RETINYL PALMITATE (Vitamin A) – Antioxidant. A stable form of Vitamin A that acts as a skin normalizer. Helps remind the cells of what they "did" when they were young. Nourishes the skin when applied topically.

SAMBUCUS CANADENSIS - extract: Astringent

SODIUM BICARBONATE - Baking Soda. A natural, alkaline salt crystal. Very effective cleansing agent, yet mild to the hair and skin. Also extremely absorbent of odors.

SODIUM CITRATE - A natural alpha hydroxy acid salt that naturally adjusts pH.

SODIUM CHLORIDE - Concentrated mineral salt from the sea. Softens skin and acts as a detoxifying cleanser that draws impurities out of the body through the skin.

STEARIC ACID (Vegetable Fat) - When a vegetable oil molecule is split in half, glycerin and fatty acids are the result. These fatty acids are reacted with borax (a natural salt) to produce a natural emulsifier. Emulsifiers enable oils to be dispersed throughout a water base to form a cream or lotion that does not separate.

TITANIUM DIOXIDE - Naturally derived from a mineral. Used chiefly as a white pigment, and as an opacifier. Reflects light, so (when stated as such) can be considered a natural sun block.

TOCOPHEROL (D-Alpha) - Vitamin E. Found in vegetable oils, especially Soybean and Wheat Germ. A natural anti-oxidant, guarding against rancidity in oils. Valued for its soothing, regenerating properties. D-Alpha Tocopherol is natural Vitamin E. DL-Alpha Tocopherol is synthetic.

TOCOPHERYL ACETATE - The ester of Tocopherol and Acetic Acid, a man-made form of Vitamin E that helps protect the skin (a 'stabilized' version of Tocopherol).