Comparison portrait of woman with young and old skin on color background. Process of aging
Getting wrinkles, grey hair? is that the sign of maturity? … U WISH … Aging is the natural process of getting older. People will do anything to slow down this process and stay young forever, but how?
First, protect your skin from the sun using sunscreen daily. The harmful UV rays can damage your skin and develop premature aging.
Second, know your skin type, and use the right products for your skincare routine, make sure you exfoliate, moisturize, remove your makeup before sleeping. Looking after your skin will give a youthful appearance.
Third, eating healthy and exercise are very important to get a healthy and youthful skin. Avoid extreme unhealthy diet, eat healthy, and give your body the time to lose weight. Losing weight fast can harm your body and will cause skin wrinkles. Nowadays, life is hectic, we don’t have time to exercise. You don’t have to stay for hours in the gym every day, moderate exercise is enough to improve circulation, improves the immune system, reduces life stress and gives you the energy to continue your day, your week or even your month.
Also, drink less alcohol and stop smoking. Alcohol can damage your skin by dehydrating it and damage your body organs. Smoking is responsible for the skin discoloration.
According to the Healthline website, retinoids, which are derived from vitamin A are one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients. It can increase the collagen production in your body and give you a youthful skin.
Taking care of your skin is more important than covering it up!!
Exfoliating is the process of rubbing your skin in a circular motion using a chemical exfoliant or gritty scrub to get rid of the dead skin. It’s one of the most important steps in the skincare routine, and here is why:
You get a glowing and smooth skin
Exfoliation is extremely important for a healthy, good looking skin. It will help you to get rid of all the roughness, and the hardness caused by the impurities build up from everyday life. It smooths everything out and gives you beautiful glowing skin.
You get rid of the blackheads and reduce acne
Exfoliation is crucial to treat skin acne. The more you accumulate dead skin, the easier for the bacteria to populate and cause acne. If you have an acne sensitive skin, do not over-exfoliate as it can cause you irritation and redness. Make sure to use a gentle chemical exfoliator.
You Boost your skincare routine
We buy a lot of different skincare products to get healthy, hydrated, and youthful skin, but still, we don’t get the result we want. Exfoliating is the answer here. When you exfoliate, it prevents the formation of clogged pore and helps the skincare product to be absorbed by the skin and become more effective.
You reduce dark spots and give your skin an even tone
Exfoliating removes layers of the dead skin so the body can regenerate new healthier skin. If you exfoliate regularly, you will reduce the dark area and get an even skin tone
You get rid of the ingrown hair
Ingrown hair results from shaving or waxing. If you don’t exfoliate regularly, your skin accumulates dirt every day and starts to form dead skin on the surface. Therefore, it will help the hair to regrow toward the skin instead of straight out of it and shrinks back the pores, so you get rid of that strawberry look.
Exfoliate 2-3 times a week and don’t forget to apply the moisturizer after every time you exfoliate as it keeps the skin hydrated and protected from the environmental damage
For more information about the types of exfoliations and how to exfoliate please watch the video below from the “Dermstore” youtube channel :
May your skin be glowing, and your coffee be strong!!
PH balance?! What does that mean?! Is it important?!
PH stands for Power of Hydrogen; we use it to measure the level of acidity or alkalinity of our body’s fluid and tissues. We measure it on a scale of 0 to 14, where 0 is very acidic and 14 very alkaline. PH 7 is neutral, and the optimal PH is 5.5
Why is PH so important?
PH balance is responsible for keeping your body healthy, hydrated, and youthful. The acid helps your skin to fight bacteria while maintaining moisturized. The Imbalance of the PH balance can cause a weak immune system, bloating, more prone to mood swings, and Finally, it can affect your skin by developing skin wrinkles, redness, or irritation of the skin.
What throws PH balance off?
The balance can be affected when Consuming an excessive amount of acidic or alkaline food, choosing the wrong diet. Also, sun and pollution exposure can be a factor too.
Acidic food is meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, grains, alcohol. Alkaline food is fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables.
Always try to balance your consumption of food to keep the balance of the PH.
How can you know that the PH balance is off?
Naturally, your body is taking care of maintaining the balance on its own. If you are experiencing skin redness, irritation, or premature aging such as wrinkles, that means your skin is too acidic. However, if your skin is oily, breaking out, developing acne, that indicates that your skin is too alkaline. In both cases and you need to take action and keep that balance by eating right, using the right skincare products. When you buy any skincare product, make sure that their PH level ranges from 4.5 to 6 to help your body to maintain the balance.
How can you measure it?
Yes, you can measure it yourself by buying the PH strips from your nearest pharmacy and using a sample of urine or Saliva; it depends on the test.
“Rosewater” has been a popular beauty ingredient used for centuries in the Middle East & Asia for skincare benefits, medical purposes, flavoring food, perfumes. It is prepared by steeping rose petals. Nowadays, a lot of high-end brands started to use it in their skincare products.
Rosewater is one of the natural ingredients that have a lot of benefits to our skin.
Rosewater benefits:
Moisturizes, hydrate the skin and give it a refreshed look
Avoid premature aging of your skin, reduce the wrinkles and keep your skin young and firm
Restores the PH-balance after using a spritzer to spray the skin after showering
Contains antibacterial and antioxidants that helps u heal scars and regenerate the skin tissues
Strengthen the skin and keep your skin glowing
Reduce redness and under-eye puffiness
Reduces excess oil and protect your skin from acne
After a lot of research trying to find a good Rosewater based serum. I found a new line of skincare called “L’Orientale”. They created a Rosewater based serum that has anti-aging and hydration benefits they call it: Rejuvenating Serum. So how is it different compared to what’s on the market right now?
‘L’Orientale’s Rejuvenating Serum’ is one of the only serums that contains 80% of Rose Water, AND still has a very light texture, does not leave a tacky feeling after use.
I have been using the product for a few weeks, and I just love how it makes my skin feel and look. The serum is milky, water-based, and absorbs in 1 minute, which is a huge deal for me, so I don’t have to wait forever to continue with my face routine. It doesn’t leave any film or stickiness on the skin. I apply it before my daily moisturizer for a radiant glow and skin smoothness. Did i also mention that it’s Vegan? And they do not test on animals!
I recommend it for anyone looking to take care of their skin & loves rosewater it’s an excellent value for the price!
Niacinamide, a skincare ingredient in disguise, we haven’t heard about it much before, but now it’s making big appearances all around in skincare products.
The skincare addict that I had to get to the bottom of this new trending ingredient found in a lot of the big skincare brands. So, I had to go to the experts for some answers. I met up with Sara Blake, a pharmacist working with dermatologists for many years now and has vast experience in skin and skincare under her belt.
She was nice enough to give me time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my many questions to help us to understand why Niacinamide and if it is worth the hype.
Q: Wanted to start with one of the biggest questions, what is Niacinamide, for the people who are first hearing about it?
A: Niacinamide also called Nicotinamide is derived from Niacin which is a form of vitamin B-3, one of eight B-vitamins your body needs for good health. Niacin is converted to Niacinamide when it is taken in amounts greater than what is needed by the body. It is not usually synthesized in the body, so it needs outside sources, meaning supplements or food. They are easily dissolved in water and are well-absorbed when taken by mouth and are usually excreted easily.
Q: Does that mean that Niacin is the same Niacinamide?
A: They are similar since they are derived from each other but they differ when it comes to benefits and side effects.
Niacinamide has benefits related to skincare and skin cancer, also chronic kidney disease and type 1 diabetes. Usually, it is considered safe with few side effects at appropriate doses.
As for Niacin, it is used to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Higher doses of Niacin cause intense flushing or “heat” sensation to the face and upper body, usually right after taking it by 15-30 minutes.
So, you have to be careful about which supplements you are planning to take.
Q: Can we get a deeper understanding of the benefits of Niacinamide for the skin?
A: Niacinamide helps build keratin a type of protein that keeps your skin firm and healthy and can help your skin grow a barrier layer (ceramide), which helps retain moisture to the skin.
Many benefits consist of minimizing redness and blotchiness, minimizing pore appearance, protects against sun damage, treats hyperpigmentation and dark spots, treats acne and protects against oxidative stressors.
Q: What kind of foods are rich in Niacinamide?
A: That is a good question, there are usually some food you can incorporate more in your diet to obtain some of the benefits of Niacinamide
These foods are usually eggs, cereals, green veggies, beans, fish, and milk
However, there’s no way to guarantee that the nutrients in your diet are impacting your overall skin health. The only way to ensure that Niacinamide is targeting your skincare concerns is to use it topically or take supplements.
Q: Which form of Niacinamide is most effective, topically or orally?
A: When applied topically or taken orally as a supplement, Niacinamide has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the skin, making it the ultimate savior for irritable and nuisance skin conditions, also making it a popular alternative to the topical antibiotic.
It was found in multiple chronic clinical studies, that topical niacinamide is well tolerated by the skin, which is a relief.
So, both of them are similarly effective, topical forms usually come in doses of 5% or less, but 5% is effective in treating hyperpigmentation and damage related to sun exposure. Oral supplements usually come in 500 mg dosing, speak to your doctor on which dose you should start taking accordingly.
Q: How should people use it?
A: It all comes down to product selection, our skin is smart and acts as a barrier to protect our bodies from any harmful stressors
Any topically formulations must be formulated in a way so that it can penetrate into the skin to where it’s needed, always look for B3 products with scientific studies to back them up and not just appealing ingredient lists.
It is preferably used in the morning and usually found in brightening products.
Recommended Products: SkinCeuticals offers the Discoloration Defense. It contains 5% Niacinamide that will help you to get rid of the dark spots. Give it a try …
It’s a beautiful day or is it? Trust me there is no such thing as a free lunch!!!
We all know that sunscreen is a must when going on the beach, but did you know that you should wear it all year long?
There are 3 reasons behind using sunscreen daily
Protect your skin from sunburns
Sunburn comes from the overexposure to UV rays that originate from the sun, it can cause dark spots, redness, and blotchiness. Using sunscreen will help you get a healthy and smooth skin.
Avoid the pace of skin aging and getting wrinkles
When you spend long hours in the sun, you are causing the breakdown of collagen which will cause a leathery look to your skin. Sunscreen will decrease the pace of aging skin and developing wrinkles and will keep your skin young and firm.
Decrease the risk of skin cancer
According to Canada.ca website, there are 3 types of rays that hit your skin every time you are exposed to the sun. 1. UV-A is the least harmful, but it can cause sunburn and skin damages. 2. UV-B is more harmful and is the main cause of sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. 3. UV-C is the strongest and it should be absorbed by the ozone layer. Therefore, spending the day in the sun without applying sunblock, can damage your skin and increases the risk of skin cancer.
Here are some tips to protect your skin:
Start first by using the sunscreen with the right level of SPF; SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, the rating is to determine the level of protection
SPF 15 is used daily if you work in an office or you don’t go in the sun for long hours. SPF 30-50 gives high level of protection and it is recommended if you work outdoor or going on a hike
Second, make sure that the sunscreen contains broad-spectrum coverage so it will protect you from UV-A and UV-B
Third try to use waterproof sunscreen; it is the best for swimming or hiking because it doesn’t vanish easily with the water or the sweat but still, u need to apply it every 2 hours to get the highest protection.
Finally, if you apply make-up daily, you can use a foundation with SPF. They are very trendy now. You will have it all in one product. It will save time and keep you safe.
If we go back to 3000 B.C. with history, we will find that ancient Egyptians were beauty enthusiasts. They are the first to formulate the Kohl and since then Pharaohs became very known by their smokey Kohl liner. They believed that Kohl is one of the most aspects to protect them from the evil eye and to heal them from some eye diseases. The two main ingredients of the kohl are Malachite and the Galena.
Likewise, they were making their own skincare masks using milk and honey mixture, to keep their skin healthy and moisturized.
Have you ever considered making your beauty products at home?
Nowadays, people are becoming more educated about the complications caused by using a lot of chemicals on their skin, so they started to go back using natural ingredients and vegan products.
Speaking of homemade skincare, I remember my grandma used to make her hair removal body sugaring at home using lemon and honey. Which became a trend now as it’s much better than the wax as it clears the dead skin, protects the skin from ingrown hair and keeps the skin soft. And it can be very cheap if you make at home.
Thanks to healthline.com, My Favorite mask is the clogged pores mask which is the mix of 2 tsp. of Oatmeal and 1 tsp. of baking soda and a few drops of water to create a paste, massage the paste over your face and let it dry then wash it with warm water and don’t forget to apply a moisturizer after.
Check their website they are providing a variety of homemade masks that are cheap and effective.
What about you girls, what kind of homemade mask do you use ?? share it with me…
Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.
A problem that every girl encounter. Face wash, toner, moisturizer, sunscreen, makeup remover, etc.. !! We use a ton of skincare products daily.
SkinCare is a try and error game; we keep buying products with big marketing claims and they turn us down because they don’t suit our skin.
Save your money and start by figuring out your skin type first. Beware that your skin type can change over time depending on the climate, the hormones, age… For example, my skin used to be very dry when I was a teenager now I have combination skin and I use a completely different set of products.
After a lot of research, I found this article on the Paula Choice website that helped me a lot to find out my skin type.
I also want to point out that figuring out your skin type is not enough; you need to know what season are you in, are you in winter ? are you in the summer?
Every season is different for example in Summer I use a lightweight summer moisturizer, however, in winter I use a moisturizer with a super hydrating formula
Beauty talks over coffee 