Lately, Korean sheet masks have been all the rage. I had to see for myself and took a quick trip to the local Asian market here and picked up a few. If you’ve been following my Instagram of Facebook page, you know I’ve been trying them every day! I’ll let you know which ones are the best and which ones to take a pass on. More to come! Check back soon for a full review 🙂
Full details to follow on which ones are the best, where to buy them, and how much they cost.
This was a pretty interesting podcast. I am curious to hear if any of you have tried the Primal Life line of products. There are a few recipes in here I will be recreating; Namely the tooth powder and the capsaicin pimple treatment. I will keep you all posted! Updates to come 🙂
You Guys! This Place! I was recently in Palm Desert and had some time to myself. After a quick solo lunch date, I stumbled upon The Body Deli store. Wow. This place is amazing. Their philosophy from the website:
THE BODY DELI is the pioneer in fresh, organic, raw superfood enhanced personal care products. Two Cosmetic Chefs, Margaret Skarin Clark and David Anton Parker, created the brand in the resort towns of Palm Desert and Palm Springs, California in 2001. Two “foodies” with an extensive background in nutrition, raw food, wellness and beauty, envisioned a personal care brand so different, fresh and unique that they started making their own healthy skin care products. Their special method is a process similar to crafting fresh juices and smoothies in a high-end Organic Juice Bar. “Fresh Food for the Skin” was their concept, and since then they have evolved a global brand committed and dedicated to providing the absolute purest alternative for nourishing the face, body and hair. Celebrities, fashion designers, Fortune 500 leaders and health conscious people have fallen in love with The Body Deli’s unique, effective and wonderful creations.
I went in and drifted off into an aromatic wonderland. I made it out of the store with just two small jars of body cream and a catalog. That evening I covered one arm in Tahitian Vanilla and the other in Jasmine Tuberose. Typically, I don’t buy Jasmine scented products because although I’ve been the recipient of about every Jasmine scented soap under the sun, they tend to smell like an old lady’s bathroom. This cream used the real essential oil, which is, if you have smelled it, much, much, different.
After my pale Seattle skin was properly hydrated, I started flipping through their look book. Needless to say, there were a few other things I saw worth trying and convinced my friend to hit up the store one last time before leaving Palm Desert.
Other purchases:
Crème de la Rose. The Body Deli’s most popular product, a luxurious, rich and nourishing anti-aging facial moisturizer that is formulated to help accelerate cellular turnover, feed epidermal cells, restore elasticity, and diminish the depth and intensity of wrinkles. BULGARIAN ROSE, COQ10 and VITAMIN-A is used for its cell regenerating properties and exquisite healing aroma. GOJI BERRY extract is used for its amino acids and Vitamin C content. It is for normal to dry skin types that are experiencing the effects of aging.
And the piece de resistance: Sea Cucumber Gelee. They say “it is like getting a fresh juiced green drink for your skin. Organic Aloe Vera is combined with skin toning algae and nature’s most potent moisturizer, Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid has the ability to bind more than ten times its weight in moisture. This highly effective combination gives you the finest all natural moisturizer to impart a dewy glow while it cools, soothes and hydrates the skin.” For Real! And yes, it does require refrigeration so I did pack up my checked back with some ice packs and sent it flying! Those who know me will tell you I am definitely a no-nonsense traveler and like to keep things as minimal and easy as possible. This, however, was worth the extra effort to cart home. Let me also tell you how good it feels going on your face straight out of the refrigerator. Cool and soothing.
“Ok, Great!” You say. “But when am I ever in Palm Desert?” They do have a pretty great looking website and free shipping on orders over $75. Don’t worry, this stuff is on the spendy side so it is easy to rack up that sort of tab. I did have a long conversation with the woman in the store about how the refrigerated products are shipped and she assured they are pros at keeping it all on ice.
If you do find yourself in their neighborhood, be sure to check out the brick and mortar. I found them at their El Paseo flagship store. Enjoy!
I’m researching two new oils and interested in how they will work in skincare products.
First-
Mango butter is made from the kernels of the mango tree. It is similar to cocoa butter in that it has a high stearic acid content. Mango butter has good emollience and is said to prevent drying of the skin and formation of wrinkles. Mango butter also reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity. It is solid at room temperature making it good for lip balm and lotion bars. I’ve read it is good at soothing eczema and psoriasis as well.
Second-
Even though it’s been used for thousands of years, I’ve had a harder time finding more information on Date Oil. High in fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, thiamine, and vitamin E, it is thought to have skin regenerating properties that naturally tighten and rejuvenate the structure.
I would love to hear from you and if you have used either of these two oils. What are you thoughts and experiences? Any suggestions on what to make?
Besides hydration, what are the benefits of drinking lemon water in the morning? Incorporating with your morning routine, this is a great way to wake up (I prefer over coffee) and detox. Lemons are super rich in vitamin C and drinking lemon water regularly can even out skin tone and brighten up your complexion. The vitamin C in lemon water fight damage caused by free radicals and promote your body’s own collagen production.
Also rich in vitamin C and delicious, after I drink a cup of lemon water, I move onto the Rose Tea. I’ve talked about this before and can’t stress enough, how great this is for skin health.
Next, on to washing your face! This one took me awhile to find. I’ve been a bar soap and water  gal for a long time. My skin is so sensitive; Most things I tried irritated it. I had been trying the beauty counter line of moisturizers and got a sample of this cleanser. I was shocked at how gentle yet effective this stuff was. Hooked!
This was a bit of a splurge for me. At $150 a brush, it is a little more than I would want to spend on something that may have seemed unnecessary but I gave it a shot and love this sonic brush. Mind you, I am NOT someone who likes extra hassle in my routine so anything that doesn’t stay charged or just work is quickly nixed. The Michael Todd Cleansing Brush just works and isn’t much trouble at all. It gives you a deep clean and a great facial massage which is said to firm skin, even tone, reduce breakouts, and promote collagen production. This particular model has antimicrobial technology to keep the brush clean so you don’t spread around more dirt and germs. I still clean mine with tea tree soap after using it to assure it’s cleanliness. This brush also has a timer so you can move the brush around your face and keep track of each section’s massage time.
Last but not least, on with some moisturizer. I love the Beauty Counter Everyday AM Hydrating Cream. Not too heavy. Not too light. I’d say, just about right :).
This week I’m trying the Activated Charcoal facial sponge from pureSOL. I have been using Kishu charcoal sticks lately to filter my drinking water and was ordering some replacements when I ran across this sponge. It totally looks like a lava rock. How can this be good to rub all up on your face??
The product claims to improve skin texture and leave you with brighter looking skin based on it’s exfoliating properties and ability to attract and capture toxins. I was pretty excited to see that it is completely biodegradable (and comes in recyclable packaging) so this week I’ll be giving it a try!
You can pick one of these up pretty inexpensively on Amazon. They sell for around $9. Give it a shot and let’s compare notes! I’ll check back in soon, hopefully with more radiant skin :).
Face it, one often overlooked skin care tip is the cleanliness of your hands. Ah… “What!? I never get break-outs on my hands!” you’re saying. Well, I know that silly! I’m talking about the germs, dirt, and bacteria that you accumulate on your hands all day and transfer to your face. People frequently touch their eyes, nose, mouth, and skin onto their face often without realizing it. Think about it! How many times do your rest your chin on your hand or brush your forehead? All of this can trigger a break out and spread the p. acnes bacteria around your skin.
Your hands aren’t the only things that can introduce bacteria to your face. How about handling your phone and pressing it to your cheek? Cell phones, dirty wash clothes, pillowcases, make-up brushes, sunglasses, money: These are all big offenders so make sure you clean and disinfect them regularly.
But wait! I’m not suggesting you go crazy and bust out the bleach or start using antibacterial wipes on everything! There are safer, gentler, and more natural ways to keep those nasty bugs off your hands and skin.
Like Seriously! Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to clear this issue up, not to mention keep you from getting sick. Studies show that 97% of females and 92% of males say they wash their hands but of these only 75% females and 58% males washed their hands when observed. Let’s get with it people! It takes a village. If you wash your hands, you are not only keeping yourself more germ-free but helping to cut down the spread of bacteria, disease, and infection to others. You should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with a good soap like Dr. Bronner’s and make sure you get underneath your fingernails and tips of your fingers.
Clean your stuff! Â You can use a natural and safe product for every day use and shelf the harsh cleaners for the bigger jobs. Here is my recipe for a gentle disinfectant that works and smells great!
I put mine in this cute old perfume bottle I had on hand. A great way to reuse old bottles and this particular one gives a really nice mist.
Do whatever you have to do. Gross yourself out. There are some seriously disturbing statistics out there about who is touching what and who is NOT washing their hands. Think about all the nasty stuff you touch every day and imagine yourself rubbing that directly on your face because essentially that is what you are doing. Changing your habits is not an easy task but with some thought and will power, you’ll be on your way.
J&J must pay $72 million for cancer death linked to talcum powder. Yikes! If you weren’t already convinced that you should pay attention to the chemicals in your skin/beauty products, than maybe this will be interesting for you.Â
Besides the specifics of this case, Reuters reports:
Johnson & Johnson faces several hundred lawsuits claiming that it, in an effort to boost sales, failed for decades to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer.
Read the full article on Reuters.com.
Come find me so we can follow each other and keep in touch. I love to see what you’ve all been up to. See you there!
From the Inside Out! Feed your skin while starting your day with this smoothie.
One Apple
One Blood Orange (and zest)
One Cucumber
Handful of Frozen Grapes
1/4 c. Oat Milk
2 T. Greek Yogurt
1 t. Cinnamon (The True Ceylon Stuff, Find it here…)
You know the rest; Put it all in the blender and crank it up 🙂
“EVERY TIME YOU EAT OR DRINK, YOU ARE EITHER FEEDING DISEASE OR FIGHTING IT.” -HEATHER MORGAN, M.S., N.L.C.
