Everything About Beautiful Skin

I have previously wrote about Beauty Foods in one of my posts. But I am such a believer that what we eat is so important for our skin so I decided to put another list of Beauty Foods.

So bellow is The Skin Top 9

1. Dark Leafy Greens (attack acne)
2. Broccoli (keeps skin elastic)
3. Water (boosts moisture)
4. Olive Oil (defeats dryness)
5. Berries (fight wrinkles)
6. Rockmelon (foils flakiness)
7. Salmon (calms inflammation)
8. Oatmeal (slow cooked, not instant - ousts toxins)
9. Carrots (discourage wrinkling)

It is an easy list to remember so make sure you have all of these 9 Top Skin Foods included in your diet.

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I have mentioned several times already that it is a must to wear a sunscreen. For Australia and countries alike you should aim for at least SPF 30+.

So what are these numbers actually mean? In theory if you are burned after 10 minutes of sun exposure without any sunscreen then SPF 30 should give you 30 times longer protection, i.e 300 minutes. But in reality due to the facts such as rubbing, sweating, contact with water (if we go to the beach) we don’t have such a long protection. It usually last for about 60-80 minutes. So make sure you reapply sunscreen often enough if you are out on the sun. Especially if you are at the beach. Each time you go for a swim it is best to reapply your sunscreen.

I know many people don’t like sunscreen for its sticky feeling and a smell. I finally found two good sunscreens. The best sunscreen is made by Jurlique - Sun Lotion SPF 30+. Ok, it is a bit pricey, so I am using it only on my face and (the great thing about this sunscreen) - I use it under my eyes too. It is so good for sensitive skin that you can use this sunscreen even on such delicate areas as your eyes.

And for the body I use Nivea Light Feel Everyday Sun Lotion SPF 30+. It instantly absorbed (as it say on the package) and doesn’t have that smell that normally sunscreens have. And this Nivea Sunscreen doesn’t give any sticky feeling. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it for the first time. You should try it too.

If you have your own favourite sunscreen I would love to know about it. Please comment bellow.

For more beauty tips visit my blog.

Yes you should have your daily skin care routine. And it shouldn’t sound bad. It is actually great. You will achieve fantastic results by taking care of your skin on a daily bases.

Do something every day and it won’t seems so difficult. Of course you will have to clean, tone and moisturise your skin in the morning and in the evening. But you should also do something else for your skin and your body.

One day you can exfoliate your face, another day apply moisturising mask (it is a great idea thought to these two on the same day: first exfoliation, then your mask). Ideally you should apply your mask at least twice a week. You can also choose to add clarifying mask. One day a week (or if you have very sensitive skin do it once in fortnight) should be for your body exfoliation. See my scab recipe here.

Moisturise your body every day after you had a shower or bath.

Some other day you may decide to treat yourself a deep nourishing mask for your hair. Even if it will happen only once a month - your hair will definitely benefit from it.

So what I am trying to say is that by doing something every day for your skin, for your body - you are doing a big favour for yourself. You will look better and you will feel better.

Make up your own skin care routine and enjoy the result.

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You probably have heard about that: you can read woman’s age by her neck. And it is absolutely true - skin on our neck gets older before our face. That is why neck skin care is so important.

I also would add skin care for your decoltee is also very important. So often we care for our face and we forget about our neck and decoltee area. Skin on the neck and decoltee is very thin, there is almost now fat behind the skin and under skin muscles are located right bellow the skin and also very thin. As the time goes muscles can lose the elasticity, skin looses firmness and wrinkles appear.

It is very important always to wear sunscreen protection (I know I always keep repeating this but it is extremely important!). Make sure when you apply a mask on your face - remember about your neck.

You can focus on the neck separately. One of the best treatment is this: warm up a little bit of olive oil. Get a piece of muslin (or you can use a double layer of the wide bandage), soak it in the oil and apply on a clean neck, cover with cling wrap and put something around your neck. Leave for 20 minutes. You skin will be so soft and smooth after that. You can do this mask once a week.

Make sure you exfoliate your decoltee area. If you find your body scrub is a bit tough for your decoltee area - use your face scrub. Always apply some moisturiser on your decoltee after the shower (and you should do the same for the whole your body). One of the best mask for your decoltee is mask from the mashed banana. Yes, I agree it is difficult to keep it on but try as long as you can - it will pay off - you will see the immediate result - your skin is firm and so nice to touch.

If you add two of the above steps in your beauty routine now you will be thankful to yourself a few years later. Your neck and decoltee area will look so much better only because of these simple step. So make sure you care for your neck and decoltee.

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I am sure you heard about that millions of times but unless you do that - you never get a result you want - beautiful skin. Face cleansing is the first step in getting your skin looking gorgeous.

You have to cleanse your skin in the morning and in the evening. Many people would ask - why in the morning. Well during the night our skin produces sebum and it is important to remove that as well as dust to prepare skin for moisturising.

Even if you do not wear make up you must cleanse your face (and neck) every morning and evening. It is not only make up but the dust, pollution and also as mentioned earlier - sebum (sebum is produced by sebaceous glands that are small glands in the skin). Sebum in other words is an oily matter.

There are various face cleaners to choose from. Face cleansers are divided into two main categories: those that you use by itself and wipe off it with the cotton pad or face cleansers that you wash off with water.

Most of the time it is depends on what you prefer: washing your face with water or you prefer not doing that.

NB! Remove your eye make up before cleansing your face!

Face cleansers that should be just wiped off with the cotton wool pad (do now stretch your skin when you do that) are often called: cleansing milks, cleansing lotions or cleansing creams. You take a small amount of the lotion and distribute over the face in circular motions, then take a dampened cotton wool pad and remove the excess (or you can use dampened face towel). Then you should take another cotton pad, apply a bit of toner and finish up your cleansing. You will be amazed how much dirt is there. If you prefer cleansing milk or lotion but would like to wash your face with the water - there is nothing wrong to do so. Cleansing milk, lotion or creams are often recommended for dry and sensitive skin.

If you prefer to wash your face with water (as I do) you can choose from foams, mousses, creams (some would be specifically designed to be washed off with water - always read instructions before you buy and use any new product) or gels. I love doing that in the shower - it is much easier to wash off the mousse or gel. Your face should be damp. Place a small amount on your palm and then apply on your face in circular motions (some face cleansers should not be applied on the eye area), then wash off with water. After that you have to wipe off excess of water and tone the skin (I will tell more about toning and moisturising in my future posts).

And it is that easy! You are on your way to getting that beautiful skin you always wanted. Make sure that face cleansing becomes your every morning and evening beauty routine.

If you would like to know more beauty tips click here.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Today is first Monday of the year. Very often we need “Monday” to commit to something. I will start on Monday we say… In fact there is no need to wait for Monday you can start any day you would like!

No matter what day you are reading this post I strongly recommend to add one more goal to your list - get a beautiful skin. It all starts with something small like making sure  you cleanse your skin every night before you go to bed and in the morning before you put your make up. Even if you don’t wear make up (but trust a little bit of make up will make wonders!). There are 3 basic steps: cleansing, toning and moisturising. I will write more about every step in my future posts. Make sure you do that every morning and every evening.

Then add one or two times of exfoliation per week. You can use ready to use scrubs (exfoliating creams) or prepare your own (2 table spoons of soft brown sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons of olive oil) - apply on the damp face in circle motions. Massage for 30-40 seconds and wash off with warm water, then with cool water.

You will also need a moisturising mask once or twice a week. Again, you can do prepare the mask yourself or you can buy a ready made mask that are widely available in the shops (choose the right one for you).

If you want a soft beautiful skin exfoliate your body as well. Once a week is enough. You can use again the same sugar scrub (this time you will need 4 tablespoons of soft brown sugar and 4 teaspoons of the olive oil for your body scrub). Apply on the damp skin, massage and then rinse it off. You won’t need even a moisturiser after this as the oil will keep your skin moisturised. But if you prefer you always can apply your favourite moisturiser.

You will want to use moisturiser every time after you have a shower or bath.

As you know to get a beautiful skin is not only taking care externally. You also have to drink plenty of water to keep your body (and your skin) hydrated. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit, exercise regularly and you will see the result you desire - beautiful skin.

So start doing something today to get a beautiful skin!

For more beauty tips visit my blog.

Today I will continue with the Beauty Foods. If you want to have beautiful skin - add these foods to your diet.

6. Kiwifruit is a must on beauty foods list. It contains almost as much potassium as bananas, it is very high in vitamin C. It also contain vitamins A and E. Kiwifruit seeds can be used to produce kiwi fruit oil, which is very rich in Alfa-Linoleic Acid (Omega-3 fatty acid). This delicious fruit is a natural blood thinner.

Medium size kiwifruit has only about 46 calories in it (0.3 g fats, 1 g proteins, 11 g carbohydrates, 75 mg vitamins and 2.6 g dietary fiber).

7. Yogurt or Kefir should be a part of your diet if you would like to have a beautiful skin. High in calcium and loads of good bacteria – these are fantastic ingredients to keep your skin gorgeous. Try to find real kefir – it does taste different from Buttermilk, it is really delicious and you can use it instead of milk to prepare your smoothies.

8. Buckwheat has more protein than rice, wheat or millet. It is also rich in essential amino acids lysine and arginine. Buckwheat is known as a cholesterol-lowering food and it helps to reduce and stabilize blood sugar level. It is high in zinc, manganese and copper. And it is high in fiber. You can buy raw buckwheat or toasted buckwheat.

9. Beans and lentils are one of the most important on beauty foods list. They are high I protein and fiber. Fiber helps our digestion system happy and this would help to have a clear skin. Add beans or lentils to your salads. Make sure you cook your beans and lentils until they are soft – otherwise you may get bloating. The easiest and quickest way to cook them is prepare them from the evening. Wash thoroughly beans or lentils, poor water over (about 3 times more than you have beans), bring to the boil and then leave in this water over night. Next day cook them till they are soft – you will need less amount of time that if you would start with just dry beans or lentils. Some sorts of lentils do not need soaking and is ready in 30 minutes (red lentil).

10. Sprouts are rich in living enzymes that is necessary to keep our skin elastic. As we age our body produces less and less of enzymes. Unless you pick your vegetables from your own garden – you won’t have a source of enzymes from the vegetables. Enzymes are also destroyed during cooking. Try various sprouts: alfalfa, mung beans, water cress, onion or radish sprouts. You can use them in your salads or sandwiches. You can buy sprouts at your local supermarket or health food store. Make sure that their roots are moist and white and sprouts themselves are crisp.

Make sure you include 10 Top Beauty Foods in your everyday diet. You will see the difference. For more interesting tips and facts about skin visit my blog.

There are foods that should be called beauty foods. Why? Because they make our skin look gorgeous and also help us feel better.

So ten beauty foods are:

1. Blueberries – delicious berry full of antioxidant and vitamin C. It has anti ageing and anti inflammatory effect on our skin.

2. Wild salmon is a great source of Omega 3 fatty-acids that are so beneficial for our skin. Omega 3 fatty-fatty acids fight inflammation, improve circulation and help our brain function optimally. You can choose smoked salmon or cooked salmon or even raw on sushi (not suitable during pregnancy) or even canned salmon. Add 2-3 serves of salmon per week (1 serving is 150 gm).

3. Walnuts have the highest level of Omega 3 fatty-acids and highest level of antioxidants among all other nuts. Walnuts contain l-arginine. This is an amino acid that helps the body to produce nitric oxide that is very important for healthy veins and arteries.

4. Spinach is loaded with beauty-enhancing nutrients. It contains lutein that keeps our eyes healthy. It rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acids, vitamin K (that is even more powerful fighter against free radicals than Vitamin E. NB! The best source of vitamin K is cauliflower though). It also has magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, dietary fiber, and even omega-3 fatty acids. Add spinach to your salads or stir fries (but do that when you already finish cooking – stir through spinach leaves and they will soften from the heat).

5. Tomatoes contain the greatest amount of the anti-aging antioxidant lycopene (that is what gives tomatoes their bright colour). Enjoy tomatoes raw in your salads or cook your favourite sauce with tomatoes. In fact lycopene is easier absorbed after they have been processed into juice, sauce or pasta.

I will tell you about beauty foods in my next post.

This is Part 3 of the most important Beauty Tips.

8. Take fish oil. If you eat fish 3 times a week, then you probably getting enough of fish oil, however it is always good to have fish oil as a supplement. Fish oil is rich in Omega 3 that is an essential fat that helps our skin (and nails and hair) look healthy and smooth.

If you are pregnant consider more expensive brands of fish oil as it has lower mercury level than regular fish oil supplements. You will need 2000-3000 mg a day of fish oil (NB! Always consult with your doctor prior to taking any supplements, especially if you are pregnant).

9. Drink water. We all know that we should drink plenty of water but not all of us do so. To determine how much water you need to drink, here is a great calculator for your daily water intake. Herbal teas will also count towards your water intake.

10. Healthy Diet. I don’t mean here a diet when you limit yourself in what you eat. I mean your everyday diet – what you eat and drink ona daily basis. It should be healthy. In fact – diets are not good for you or your skin: yo-yo effect will leave your skin stretched, you may miss out on some necessary food groups (if you have everything oil/fat free – you will end up with dry skin as you do need good fats). So everything is good in moderation. Make sure you eat plenty of vegetables and fruit (be aware that fruit have quite a bit of sugar in them, so make sure you eat only 2-3 serve of fruit daily).

There are more beauty tips out there and I will be writing more on this topic. You can subscribe to my blog by clicking here.