Tag Archives: skin tips

Flowers for Beautiful Skin: Hibiscus

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Ruth Swissa likes to call this the elixir of youth. Hibiscus is nature’s anti-aging gift to you. It contains a natural source of alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) which is the leading compound found in anti-aging products. You can utilize this flower by mixing it with other skincare products, such as milk, honey, turmeric, or rose water. Simply blend the ingredients and watch hibiscus work its magic. Bot only does it improve your complexion by tightening your skin, but it has other benefits such as reducing dark circles / eye-bags and reducing suntan.

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Staying Up Late and Why It’s Bad For You

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During the summer, most people find themselves going to bed later than usual. However, this habit does have a negative toll on your body.

“What is staying up late?”

12 am? 3 am? Everybody’s body has a different perception of staying up late. “Late” doesn’t have so much to do with the hour, rather you’re body’s reaction. If you actually feel tired, you know it’s past your normal bedtime, and therefore, you are staying up late.

Disadvantages of Staying Up Late:

1. Degraded immunity: People become more susceptible to illness if the temperature is a little bit hotter or cooler. Additionally, it also causes headaches (people may be dizzy or “heavy-brained” for the entire day).

2. Secretion of adrenal cortex hormone and growth hormone: These two are vital substances for the human body and are only secreted at night. The adrenal cortex hormone secretes only before the dawn and it’s in charge of facilitating the carb metabolism (weight management) and muscle function (body tone). The growth hormone only secretes after sleeping. This hormone improves the growth of the young and slows down the aging of the elderly.

3. Detrimental to hormones and menstrual cycles: Lack of sleep will affect the secretion of female hormones and affect the menstrual cycle, causing less consistency.

4. Bad for overall complexion: Staying up late will affect your overall complexion, leaving you with visible damage to your skin, eyesight, under-eye blackness, and memory capacity.

5. Ruins overall well being:Sleep deprivation can bring mental stress upon your body. You tend to doubt yourself more when you’re tired and emotions of anger and anxiety are often amplified.

It’s insane how much a good night’s sleep can do to your overall complexion and well being. If you feel tired when you wake up in the morning, it’s best you listen to your body and sleep some more. Listen to your body.

Flowers for Beautiful Skin: Rose

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Unlike most skincare remedies, the Rose is a solution for all skin types. It can be used to cure chronic oily skin, tone normal / dry skin, soothe irritated / inflamed skin, and prevent wrinkles with its hydration properties. Utilizing the power of this flower can be as easy as throwing a handful of petals in your bath.
It’s okay to be romantic — your skin deserves it.

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Things You Thought You Knew About Acne Might be Wrong !

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Ruth Swissa uncovered some common misconceptions about acne

Popping pimples makes everything better — wrong. Picking at your skin is one of the worst things you could do. Popping pimples releases inflammatory secretion which can cause scarring and infect your clean pores (resulting in more pimples).

Acne doesn’t have to do with what we eat — Although it’s not 100% clear whether acne is caused by diet or genetics, there is some proof. Greasy foods as well as dairy are the leading cause of breakouts. Stay away from the deep fried foods!

Acne is a teen-thing — false, acne is also becoming pretty common amongst adults which is something dermatologists refer to as the “adult acne epidemic”. (Good news is that it’s treated the same way teenage acne is treated)

Acne goes away on its own — Don’t let those zits inhibit your skin silently. Acne is caused by clogged pores, most likely by natural oils. There are plenty of treatments to unclog a swollen pimple.

Check back for more skincare misconceptions resolved !

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Bloody Mary, Anyone?

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Maybe not the alcoholic component to Blood Marys, but tomato juice is beverage loaded with beauty benefits! Tomatoes contain lycopene which help prevent UVA and UVB damage. It’s basically your all-natural sunscreen; although the protection is only (SPF) 5, it still is something. Say goodbye to early wrinkles !

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Flowers for Your Face ~ The Ultimate List

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Here’s a list of flowers/herbs that will work wonders on your skin

Alfalfa – Medicago sativa
High in calcium and magnesium, vitamin C, E, K and beta-carotene, alfalfa is a superfood for body and skin.

Aloe – Aloe vera
Aloe gel is a “first aid” for many skin conditions, including burns, wounds, inflammations. Cools, tones, moisturizes skin and enhances overall immunity.

Ashwagandha – Withania somnifera
Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry, this herb has tonic and immunity building properties. Tones skin, soothes inflammation and irritations.

Basil – Ocimum basilicum
Uplifting, refreshing and invigorating for skin and mind

Blackcurrant Leaf – Ribes nigrum
Astringent and antioxidant, leaves also contain vitamin C, beneficial for strong immunity, healthy blood circulation and strong capillaries. Tonic for skin and body.

Calendula – Calendula officialis
True skin-healer with anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial qualities. Able to heal rashes, inflammation, scars.

Camphor – Cinnamomum camphora
A fragrant compound from an evergreen tree in China and South East Asia, that cools, disinfects and soothes skin.

Chamomile – Anthmis nobi
Calming, Soothing, Healing

Coriander – Coriandrum sativum
Stimulating and detoxifying, good for clearing skin

Cornflower – Centaurea cyanus
Astringent and anti-inflammatory, corn flower is soothing for skin around eye area.

Dandelion – Taraxacum officialis
Tonic and cleansing yellow flower and leaves are one of the key remedies to detoxify liver and kidneys. Very helpful in relieving skin conditions such as eczema, skin irritations, acne.

Echinacea – Asteraceae
With strong anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, echinacea build’s skin’s resistance to harmful environment, strengthening its immunity

Fennel – Foeniculum vulgare
Sweet and protective, detoxes and deep cleanses skin

Frangipani – Plumeria cuba
Intoxicating, sweet and exotic, this tropical flower is a jewel of South Pacific. It is soothing, relaxing and calming for nerves, while toning and firming for skin.

Gotu kola– Centella asiatica
High in antioxidants, the herb promotes wound healing and enhances skin’s elasticity and tone.

Green tea – Camellia sinensis
contains high doses of Vitamin E, C and B, essential for health and beauty, natural anti-oxidant and protector from bacteria

Hibiscus – Rosa sinensis
a wonderful and versatile ingredient for skincare. They moisturize and soften skin, improving complexion and natural glow. Hibiscus relaxes face muscles, keeping wrinkles at bay. Also the flowers has shown some natural sunblock properties.

Honeysuckle – Lonicera
High in vitamin C and biofavonoids (antioxidants), honeysuckle has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, soothing effect on skin

Jasmine – Jasminum officinale
Romantic and Aphrodisiac, sweet, floral aroma and balancing, calming and moisturizing effect on skin

Jiaogulan – Gynostemma pentaphyllum
It is used in traditional medicine for its adaptogenic and anti-inflammation properties, in skin care and beauty industry for its anti-oxidant and anti-aging effect on skin.

Kaffir Lime – Citrus hystrix
Astringent leaves with cleansing and purifying properties

Lemongrass – Cymbopogon citratus
Antibacterial and refreshing , great for balancing oily skin

Linden – Tilia
Linden flower blossom is nerve tonic, with calming and gentle properties. Excellent as an infusion for eye compress

Milk Thistle – Silybum marianum
Pink Flower has a strong detox and cleansing properties, particularly beneficial for healthy liver function. It contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which inhibit skin aging and damage from UV rays.

Mint – Mentha piperita
Refreshing, Antimicrobal and Invigorating

Monoi de Tahiti – Gardenia taitensis
Monoi de Tahiti is an infusion of pure virgin coconut oil and the flowers of Tiare Tahiti or Tiare Mahoi

Nettle – Urtica dioica
Tonic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory nettle is full of vitamins, iron and calcium and amino acids. Taken internally as tea / infusion, detoxes, builds immunity and prevents inflammatory processes. Soothing and detoxing for skin, when applied externally and very helpful for reliving eczema, acne, skin irritations.

Parsley – Petroselinum crispum
Fragrant and refreshing, parsley has strong diuretic and expectorant properties. It detoxes and brightens skin, especially beneficial for eye area to reduce dark circles and puffiness

Peony – Paeonia
Peony activates the natural defense mechanisms of skin, tonifying and firming the epidermis. The extract of petals has a regenerative, softening, moisturizing, firming, anti-inflammation effect.

White Lily – Lilium candidum
Used in TCM as a nourishing ingredient, white lily bulb moistures, softens and brightens skin.

(source: delicious-skin.com)

 

Ruth Swissa will be sharing her knowledge about the most beneficial flowers for your skin in the upcoming blog posts. Stay tuned!

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Payayayaya ~ Secret Skin Benefits (?)

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Daily Skin Tip: Papaya! It’s definitely been in your facial scrub compound, but actually eating papaya has benefits of its own. This fruit is infused with vitamin C, which is turned into vitamin C serum for your cleansers. (Papaya contains two days worth of vitamin C!)

This vitamin C will not only brighten your skin, but tighten it as well giving you a rejuvenated complexion. Papaya also contains the digestive enzyme [papain] which not only regulates your digestive tract, but helps reduce skin redness (it combats inflammation).

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Get Plump Lips with Just a Toothbrush!

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Times have changed and pouty duck-lips have become beyond passé. However, there is a natural way to plumpen your pout with an at-home / diy procedure. The two required materials are a toothbrush (preferably straight bristled) and petroleum jelly.

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Step by step:
Apply some petroleum jelly to the toothbrush
Rub the toothbrush onto your lips in a circular motion
(be cautious not to rub too hard, you don’t want to tear your skin)
Leave some of the petroleum jelly on your lips once your finished rubbing in order to rehydrate

One of the pros to exfoliating your lips is a temporary plumper complexion. The action of massaging your lip tissue promotes the flow of blood and creates a more ample and pillowy appearance.

Another pro is that it gets rid of dead skin — exfoliating renews your skin by promoting generation of new skin (due to the scrapping of the old, dead skin).

Additionally, exfoliating will also get rid of makeup residue.
Any excess lip-stain will be discarded along with dead skin.

Chocolate = Beautiful Skin #what?

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This year don’t regret those Valentine’s Day chocolates, your skin needs ’em. Ruth Swissa is gonna let you in on a little beauty secret: beauty doesn’t mean a life sentence of leafy greens. Indulge in some sultry dark chocolate chunks and reap the benefits.

DARK CHOCOLATE

Chocolate Reduces Blood Pressure
Dark Chocolate relaxes blood vessels. This in turn will reduce blood pressure. Chocolate is perhaps the natural-born chiller; a ‘feel-good inc’ opiate.

Wrinkle Reducer
Chocolate is an organic stress reliever –  it reduces the formation of stress hormones. Consequently, this will promote less collagen breakdown in your skin and ultimately leave you with fewer wrinkles in the long run.

Flavonols
Chocolate contains Flavonols, antioxidants that help your skin combat UV damage, fight free radicals, and increase  blood flow. So in other words, fewer wrinkles, fewer sunspots, and an irresistible dewy glow.

~*Keep Label in Mind*~
Even though the chocolate seal may read “70% Dark Chocolate”, if the first ingredient reads “Milk” or “Sugar”, you know your bar does not contain 70% or more cocoa content. Also, to achieve these beauty benefits, make sure you’re indulging in a chocolate bar that contains 70% or more cocoa content. No glacé milk/white chocolate allowed. Portions do come into play as well; make sure you’re not eating more than one ounce of this gushy-good stuff.

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Keep Your Skin Soft and Supple – Starting with Your Bathing Methods

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– Don’t Shower for Too Long: Boiling hot, long showers are actually very detrimental, removing necessary oils from your skin. Try lukewarm showers instead!
– Careful When You Shave: As stated in a previous pose about razor-shaving safety, be sure to lubricate skin, use a clean razor, and shave in the direction of hair growth (not against it).
– Use Mild Soaps: Strong cleansing soaps can also strip your skin of necessary oils; look for a more gentle soap instead
– Pat Dry: Gently pat your towel against your skin after showering in order to allow your skin to absorb the remaining moisture on your skin
– Balm Post-Shower, If Necessary: It’s best you moisturize your skin as soon as you get out of the shower while your pores are still open in order to lock-in as much moisture as possible.