Friday, May 18, 2012

Smooth Skin for Summer

Smooth Body Scrub:
Makes 1.5 Cups – Approximately 3 treatments
Ingredients:
½ C of finely grained sea salt
½ C of finely ground coffee
¼ C of grapeseed oil
½ Tsp of  lavender essential oil
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the salt, coffee, sesame oil and lavender oil. Use the scrub in the shower away from running water. Massage into damp skin with long, firm semi-circular movements. Take your time in order to activate all of the ingredients. Rinse well. Store the leftover scrub in the refrigerator in an air-tight Tupperware. This scrub can be used 3-4 times per week.
Sea salt is used to retexturize the skin, while the coffee grounds help firm the skin and fight cellulite. Grapeseed oil is an important ingredient because it nourishes and softens your skin. Finally, the lavender oil purifies and oxygenates the skin. If you are having breakouts on your back switch the essential oil to tea tree oil because it's a natural antiseptic for the skin.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Strawberries, yummy for your skin

People underestimate how much diet affects our skin's health.  Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs 65-80% of what we apply to it. Diets rich with processed foods, soda pop and junk food increase our risk for acne, dehydration and it breaks down the skin's natural defenses. Including strawberries in your diet can help achieve amazing skin. Strawberries have a rick beautiful color, they are sweet to taste and a great scent. How can such a lovely fruit translate to beautiful skin?  With over 59 milligrams of Vitamin C in every 100 grams, strawberries are equal to oranges in their Vitamin C content. As you may know, Vitamin C aids in collagen production and skin repair. It also helps in healing the skin and preventing signs of aging.  Plus, strawberries can also protect you from sun damage. Because of the high amounts of ellagic acid, a antioxidant  that helps to block UV rays it can help with skin discoloration too. So add some strawberries to your cereal or eat it for dessert. Your skin will love you.