30 Sept 2013

Look Sweet, Smell Sweet, Be Sweet: Rosy Glow Toner

Rose extract has been known to reduce the damage of UVB
rays to skin's elastin fibers which causes lines in your skin.
In this part of the northern hemisphere there are only a couple parts of our bodies that are exposed to the elements year round and our face is one of them. Soothing our skin is paramount in maintaining a radiant visage. Consider using rose water as a toner in your natural skin care regime. I do and I love smelling like a rose.

Benefits of using rose water topically:
  • Soothes irritated and inflamed skin due to acne, psoriasis, shaving, and exposure to the elements
  • Reduces puffiness around the eyes
  • Evens skin tone and texture
  • Lightly moisturizes
  • Aroma-therapeutic indications: depression, eczema, mature skin, menopause, stress.
"On the skin it is most effective for moisturizing and hydrating, while having a general stimulant and antiseptic action which is good for all skin types, but especially so for dry, mature, and irritated skin. It is used to repair broken capillaries, inflammation as well as skin redness and is useful in eczema and herpes. Rose water can also be used for conjunctivitis." Quoted from this essential oil supplier.

Using Rose Water as a Skin Toner
Where Turkish delights, saffron, and dates are sold
you will also likely find rose water.

I keep a small spray bottle on my bathroom shelf for toning my face between cleansing and moisturizing. Applying it with a cotton ball also works as a quick midday boost.

Store the remainder of the rose water in the fridge for quick refills as needed. Keep in mind that if your rose water smells sour it's time for a fresh bottle.

Rose water is a by-product of the steam distillation process by which rose oil is procured from the flower's petals for perfume. It has been used as a gentle astringent and anti-inflammatory cosmetic product for centuries.


Rose water is commonly used as a food ingredient used in Middle Eastern cuisine and can be found in Persian and Indian markets.

If you are blessed with an abundance of fragrant rose petals in your spring garden, consider making a stove-top still to distill your own rose water. The Woodwife's Journal explains in detail how to go about this. It's easier than you think!

Links to the rest of my natural skin care regime are found here.

See you and your glowing face in the clinic,
Dana



Sources:
  • http://health.yahoo.net/experts/skintype/rose-water-gentle-skin-care-option
  • Image:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rose-oliv.jpg 
  • http://www.auracacia.com/auracacia/aclearn/eo_rose.html
  • Image: http://parsmarketcolumbia.wordpress.com/2013/01/
  • http://www.news1130.com/2013/02/04/can-vancouvers-little-india-district-survive/

24 Sept 2013

2-in-1: Evening Cleanser & Make-up Remover

I've learned to fight oil with oil and this cleanser is my latest discovery. I have used olive oil as an eye make-up remover for years, but never considered cleansing my whole face with oil until recently. This concoction removes the residues of the day - including waterproof mascara - by gently drawing out impurities from the pores and lashes. Open comedomes - or blackheads - come to the surface for gentle extraction. Because your skin's natural oil balance is not disturbed by harsh cleansers, moisturizing is not necessary after using this cleansing oil.

Ingredients:

1 part castor oil
1 part extra virgin olive oil

Shake vigorously in a small bottle. Store out of direct sunlight.

Play with the ratios of castor to olive oil to establish what is best for your skin. If your skin tends to be oily, add more castor oil. If it's on the drier side, add more olive oil.
I tried a batch using almond oil in place of olive oil with inferior results. The extra virgin olive oil gives the elixir a delightful silky texture. Castor oil, extracted from the castor bean, is readily found in pharmacies, and extra virgin olive oil should already be in your kitchen cupboard.
Travel-sized cosmetic bottles work great for
storing small batches of DIY skin care products.

How to use:

  • Massage a small amount of cleansing oil all over your face, working out the grime of the day.
  • Carefully work into your lashes to gently remove eye make up.
  • The use of a warm wrung-out face cloth is key. The temperature should be warm enough to open your pores, but not so hot that you damage the delicate blood vessels on the bridge of your nose and cheeks. Once the cloth is wrung out, drape it over your face for a few seconds to allow the steam to open your pores and for the warmth to soften the oils. Carefully wipe the oil off with the cloth, using more specific wipes around the eyes if removing makeup.
  • Mist your face and décolletage with a toner and apply a moiturizer if your skin is particularly thirsty, but you will likely find that this cleanser will help your skin find its natural oil balance.
For me, this cleanser is best used at the end of the day because of it's deep cleansing and moisturizing effect on my skin. Use the Gentle Daily Exfoliation Powder for a more astringent morning cleansing in the shower.

If you would like to learn more about oil cleansing from another blogger, read this.

Find links to my entire natural skin care regime here. I will be releasing all of my secrets over the course of the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

See you in the clinic,
Dana




Sources:
  • Image source:  http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Smart-Bottle-Set/dp/B004HCECVA/ref=sr_1_10?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1379957832&sr=1-10

17 Sept 2013

Empower Your Epidermis - Beware the Parabens

Parabens are hiding not only anti-antiperspirant and make-up
but shampoo, body wash, hand soap, and baby care products, too.
The integument - or skin- is the largest organ of the body, making up 16% of body weight. It is a physical barrier from the outside environment that encapsulates and protects the body. It contains sensory receptors that aid our perception of the environment and it absorbs and excretes substances to and from the body. That's right folks, your epidermis absorbs what you put on it - both the good and the bad.

Parbaens have been making plenty of news these days and for good reason. These chemical compounds are widely used as anti-microbial agents in cosmetics, skin care products, pharmaceuticals, and even foods. Used as preservatives to extend shelf-life of various products, once in the body, act as estrogen imitators, meaning that they trick the body into thinking they are helpful hormonal bodily substances, and congregate in tissues where estrogen is high - often the breast tissue.

Adolescent girls and women have been found to have highest levels of these compounds in their systems, which could be linked to the liberal usage of cosmetic and personal care products that this demographic tends to use. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in North America (after skin cancer). Parabens have been found in high concentration in most breast tumour biopsies. The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer during her life is about 1 in 8. Yikes!

When these substances are known to be present in tumours, even if not yet deemed carcinogenic, my instinct is to avoid them. The problem is that most personal care products do contain parabens to help them stay fresh on the shelf for longer. I look carefully on the labels - sometimes requiring a magnifying glass - for ingredients that end with 'paraben'. For example: Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben.

It is intimidating trying to make the healthiest choices for personal care products; there is so much to watch out for! Read the infographic below to learn about some commonly used nasty ingredients. Hopefully you, unlike myself, are able to feel empowered by your new found knowledge instead of overwhelmed and dumbfounded. To counter my anxiety, I make my own natural skin cleansing products.

Over the course of the next several posts I will be releasing the recipes for my own skin care regime that I have been developing over the past decade. All the ingredients used are found easily in grocery stores or pharmacies, are natural, incredibly inexpensive, and when used as described, very effective. You will look radiant, and your conscience can rest knowing that you are making the healthiest choices. Plus, there is another sweet bonus: you will be saving loads of money.

Dana's Natural Skin Care Regime

My skin care regime includes the following items, and I will release all of their top-secret recipes to you over the next few weeks. Links are provided here to the recipes already published.

Find Dana's Gentle Daily Exfoliating Recipe here.

I feel empowered sharing this info with you, since putting it out there makes me accountable to someone, reaffirming my commitment to live as lightly and naturally as possible.

Take care of that epidermis until I next see you in the clinic,

Dana

This infographic was found here




Sources:
  • http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/radiation-chemicals-and-breast-cancer/parabens.html
  • http://courses.washington.edu/bioen327/Labs/Lit_SkinStruct_Bensouillah_Ch01.pdf
  • http://www.sheknows.com/sheknows-cares/articles/823419/10-most-common-cancers-in-the-us
  • http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/06/parabens-breast-cancer-2299994.html
  • http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-key-statistics
  • http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5971/12-Toxic-Ingredients-to-AVOID-in-Cosmetics-Skin-Care-Products-Infographic.html

16 Sept 2013

Gentle Daily Exfoliation Powder

Regular exfoliation keeps your skin smooth and glowing.
Avoiding chemicals in my skin care products has been a bit of a personal quest for the past decade or so. This has lead to a lot of experimentation with a few winning results. This is based on an Ayurvedic recipe that I came across in my reading many years ago. Try mixing up a batch of this long-lasting and easy to use powdered facial scrub for daily cleansing.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup Chick pea flour (A.K.A. gram flour, chana flour, besan) 
  • 1/2 cup Powdered milk 
Sift together, then transfer to an airtight container. This will make enough exfoliating powder to last you a long time, so keep a container filled for use in the bathroom and store the rest in a cool dark place.
I have found both ingredients in the bulk section of a Punjabi market in my neighbourhood. When shopping in this environment look for 'chana flour.

Keep your exfoliating powder within
arms reach of the shower.

To use:

Sprinkle a bit of the powder (approx. 1 tsp) in your palm, add a dash of water, then emulsify into a thin paste. Some little lumps will remain but that's okay, consider them your little exfoliating helpers. Massage your face, neck, and décolletage gently in small circles using the soft finger pads and palms of your hands. Rinse with warm water, pat dry, tone, then moisturize. Avoid getting in your eyes, not because it's toxic, but simply because it feels awfully gritty. If you do, however, rinse thoroughly.

I use a re-purposed spice shaker for my exfoliating powder that lives just outside my shower for quick and easy dispensing. I prefer to use this one in the shower since it can be a little sloppy.

Go get scrubbing and I'll see you in the clinic with a glowing complexion,
Dana