Exfoliation 101

Exfoliation is a process of removing dead skin cells from the skin, giving it room to breathe.
A good exfoliation requires a rough base that is able to scrap dead skin cells off but is also gentle on the skin.
There are a number of ingredients that form a great exfoliation base- honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, oatmeal, baking soda, sand, brown sugar, etc. these are the scrubs I have tried and they yielded amazing results which I can testify about. my skin felt smoother and cleaner.

honey and brown sugar. 

Generally, honey has amazing antibacterial properties and cleanses the skin without inflammation.

milk and baking soda

this works excellently on blackheads and they will come to the surface and drop out. I removed a lo of dirt with this one.

castor oil and olive oil ( degreasing )

when you have combination skin, this is the perfect remedy! I stopped buying face wash and this is what I use everyday on my skin. I prefer to use it in the morning so that i do not wash away the precious oils in my face that are present in the morning.
if you have oily skin, use 3 parts castor oil to 1 part olive oil
normal skin use half castor oil and half olive oil
dry skin use 1 part castor oil and 3 parts olive oil
I use a cotton pad to clean my face as I find facial nylon pads too abrasive and I wash off with room temperature water

honey and cinnamon

this was the first scrub I ever used and I go back to it occasionally. its the quickest remedy i know concerning zits and pimples or redness. very amazing on skin.

Points to note:

• Exfoliation is not an everyday thing, once or twice a week is enough to remove dead skin cells.
•  a great moisturiser is needed after exfoliating the face. 
• first splash warm water on your face in order to open up the skin pores for the scrub to work, wash with warm water and finish off with cold water to close the pores.

NO MORE SHAVING BUMPS!!

Shaving Bumps??
How To Treat A Shaving Bump @ Home!

I think many girls will agree with me and say the reason they bare the horrible smell of hair remover is because they fear shaving bumps. the guys might opt to keep a bit of their beard to hide the bumps. both cases are sad. but i am glad to say i have a solution. a simple, do at home solution.

first of all i will explain how we come to have shaving bumps.

shaving bumps are caused by the sharp points of the hair that arise as one shaves.
 black hair curls more than the other races. the hair curls as it starts to regrow, it if it too sharp, it will pierce the skin and grow back into the skin. 

this is followed by the bump that we see and call a shaving bump. it is an ingrown hair.

while the hair has lodged itself inside the skin, it will attract bacteria. pus may even form on that hair follicle. an ingrown hair will not go on its own! it might even get bigger!

to remove the ingrown hair, you will need 

• a sterilized needle (use surgical spirit or alcohol) 
• a cold damp towel  
• some lotion/cream

1. first of all, note which end is penetrating into the skin and which part is growing out from the skin.
2. take the needle and insert it underneath the ingrown hair.
3. lift out the needle, this should pull out the ingrown hair from the side that is penetrating into the skin. do not pluck it out. redirect it.
4. sometimes the hair is underneath the a layer of skin but this is a very thin layer of. do not be afraid to poke into some skin but be careful not to reach the blood vessel as this will cause bleeding and can get painful.
5. bathe the area with a cold damp towel to prevent any swelling. rub some cream/lotion to prevent dryness. 

Now for your information....

• hair removal creams have a lot of harmful chemicals like sodium hydroxide. 
• shaving sticks on the other hand, become more harmful if they have more than one blade. 
• make sure that as you shave, you go with the grain of the hair, not against it

However, the best cheapest way of taking care of unwanted hairs is by threading. threading does not use any harmful chemicals, neither does it cause sharp ends on the hairs because it plucks out the hairs right from the root of the follicle. threading can also be done at home. 

watch out for a threading tutorial soon!

THE BASIC FACE WASH HOW TO

we all wash our faces now don't we? but we never really got the tutorial nor understand why we do it that way. either we saw it on tv, some dermatologist visited the school; we copy our sisters, aunts, mums or whoever, even a friend. this is the most basic how to on DAILY face wash, results bearing and your skin will respond.

Washing your face should be a daily routine, twice is eper day is enough. We wash our faces to remove oil, dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells.

Unlike every other skin on your body, the face is sensitive and it also produces more oil, hence the need for a tailor made wash for it. A good face wash contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient.

• the first step is to get some warm water on your face, this opens the pores so that the active ingredients in the face wash/soap have an entrance. warm, not hot. 
• warm up the wash by rubbing it in your hands first then apply on the face in circular motions. use your hands, not a towel or any harsh material. (yes no facial scrubs or loofahs)
• focus on the t-zone, cheeks and chin. avoid getting wash on your eyes and lips. 
• do not forget to wash underneath your chin, neck and behind the ears.
• lastly, rinse off with warm water by splashing it on the face without rubbing or washing again. when there is no lather or residue, when the skin is not slippery any more splash cold water to close the pores as keeping them open will allow re-entrance of dirt.
• pat dry the face with a clean face towel and IMMEDIATELY apply a face cream, lotion or moisturiser to lock in the moisture.

as a daily routine, this should take 3 mins tops!! not a second longer....

Benzyl Alcohol


it is a solvent. but high concentrations of this solvent cause vasodilation, respiratory failure, convulsions, paralysis and hypertension.  a 5% amount of the solvent is recommended as it is used to treat head lice. children younger than 6 months should not be exposed to this chemical

Parfum (Fragrance)


Fragrance gives the product a nice smell and the feeling that comes with such is exhilarating.. we all want to smell good. unfortunately, we pay a very high price for that 'to die for' scent, be it in hair, make up, shampoo or bubble bath. 
 fragrance and preservatives are the chief culprits in damaging skin!
fragrance, if allergic, may irritate collagen in skin, hampering its ability to fight diseases and heal quickly. this may not show abruptly or on the surface but collagen is responsible for keeping skin supple and firm and the lack thereof results in premature ageing and wrinkling. 
examples of fragrances include diazolidinyl urea, fragrance, lanolin alcohol, formaldehyde, etc.


those with acne should avoid fragrance as an allergic reaction will definitely show on the face.  
http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_073.pdf offers a more than detailed analysis on the effects of allergic fragrances on skin.

Mineral oil


mineral oil is a residue. it is leftover when gasoline has been separated from crude oil. mineral oil on your hair and skin attracts dirt. it is easier for dust to stick on the skin and hair when mineral oil has been used on it. it is chiefly found in petroleum jelly as it is the main ingredient. it blocks pores and they become clogged with dirt. it creates moisture block so that water does not escape from the skin, but the skin  loses its natural ability to retain moisture, and fails to release toxins. when absorbed into the body, mineral oil is broken down in the liver and and steals fat-soluble vitamins, this is very dangerous especially to infants!


what happens to you when you smear petroleum jelly on your skin and walk in dust? the dust grips on your skin more! that is what mineral oil does to your skin- it attracts dirt!!!
read more on mineral oil on http://www.herballuxuries.com/about-mineral-oil.html

Parabens

they are the preservatives used in your skin care products to prolong shelf life and inhibit microbial growth. however, they are cancer causing agents in parabens and should be avoided.

examples of parabens include methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben