Natural face mask for all skins

APPLE FACE PACK

This suits all skin types. If you have very oily skin, you may wish to use jojoba oil instead of almond.

Ingredients

· ½ small apple, peeled and grated.

· 15 ml/ 1 tablespoon honey

· 1 egg yolk

· 15 ml/ 1 tablespoon cider or wine vinegar

· 45 ml/ 3 tablespoons almond oil

Mix together all the ingredients and apply to the face and neck for 20 minutes and rinse off thoroughly with warm water.

Contact Carmelle at jasmineginger.co.za for any questions or comments. 

Every breath you take.

Breathing

The basic purpose of breathing is to provide the lungs with a constant supply of air from which oxygen can be absorbed into the blood stream and circulated to all the body’s tissues.

Exhaling empties the lungs for the next breath and allows the body to expel waste gases like carbon dioxide.

There are 2 types of breathing

1. Chest breathing, which is the fastest way to get oxygen into the blood and usually happens during exercise, excitement, fear or anxiety. It’s usually called panting and is great to get your system going in the morning or to give you a boost when your energy level is low.
2. Diaphragmatic breathing is our normal, natural way to breathe. It’s more efficient than chest breathing and promotes relaxation rather than tension, and a feeling of wellbeing. More of your lungs are filled with oxygen and relaxed with each breath, providing more oxygen for metabolism.

How skin reveals your sins

Addiction

Addiction is like aging, it happens so gradually that you only notice it when it becomes a real problem.

Most people are addicted to something, whether it’s cigarettes, alcohol, carbohydrates or sweets and chocolates. Unfortunately it all has an effect on the appearance of the skin.

The underlying cause of addiction is often a problem or situation in life which you find hard to face or escape from. Once the body gets used to a substance more and more is needed to get the same effect.

Nicotine

Tobacco is a powerful poison used in commercial insecticides. When handled in laboratories, the scientists wear anti-contamination suits. If you injected the nicotine of 1 cigarette directly into your vein, you would die.

Smoking and even second hand smoke causes free radicals and increases the rate at which skin loses collagen and therefore leads to premature aging as well as lots of other health problems.

Sometimes the aroma of black pepper essential oil helps to reduce the craving and anxiety for a cigarette. Smoking accounts for 25% of cancer related deaths.

Alcohol

Excessive alcohol intake places stress on the liver, hinders the absorption of nutrients and dehydrates the body. For example 50 ml of spirits takes 200 ml of water to metabolise it. Alcohol damages cells and causes premature aging of the body, most noticeably on the skin.

Alcohol is also higher in calories than even chocolate. Research in Holland has shown that people who drank alcohol half an hour before eating, ate faster and consumed more calories than those people who didn’t drink alcohol.

Red wine in moderation, however, can be beneficial as the flavanoids in red grape skins are thought to have antioxidant properties. However alcohol is not for everyone, so if you don’t consume alcohol, there is no reason to start.

Generally women should try to keep their consumption of alcohol down to 4 units per week. Men can handle a couple more units of alcohol per week than women.

For more information visit my website at www.jasmineginger.co.za

Vitamins and Minerals for great looking skin

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplementing your diet can give you the additional assurance that your body is receiving the nutrition it needs.

Vitamin A

This fat soluble vitamin works so well on the skin that it is prescribed to heal severe acne and other skin problems, as it stimulates wound healing.

The safest way to take vitamin A, in supplement form, is to take beta carotene, with a meal. Consult your doctor before taking this supplement if you are a smoker.

B-complex vitamins

B-complex vitamins protect the skin by controlling the chemicals which cause inflammation and regenerates cells. B vitamins are water soluble, so your bodies supply needs to be replenished daily. Take vitamin B in the morning.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also water soluble so it needs to be taken daily. It helps to prevent free radical damage and helps in the production of collagen.

Increase your vitamin C intake slowly and divide the doses throughout the day and take them 30-40 minutes before meals.

Vitamin E

This fat soluble vitamin is effective at repairing skin damage by moisturizing and improving elasticity as well as banishing free radicals.

Take in the morning.

Calcium

Calcium prevents osteoporosis and makes it possible for muscles, like the heart, to contract.

Take in the evening.

Magnesium

Best taken with calcium to build healthy bones and help muscles, like the heart, to relax. Magnesium also helps to alleviate the symptoms of PMS.

Take in the evening.

Trace minerals are so named because they are needed in minute quantities as large amounts can be toxic.

Chromium

Chromium is a fast fat-burning supplement that can be used when dieting. It naturally slows inflammation down in the skin. It may also help to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Diabetics should consult their doctor before taking chromium.

Take this supplement daily.

Selenium

Selenium is an immune system booster, helps neutralize certain toxins and is a vital antioxidant.

Take selenium daily.

Zinc

Zinc is essential for great looking skin because it helps the body to maintain its collagen supply.

Zinc should be taken daily, in conjunction with vitamin C, to be the most effective.

Always take zinc with food or you could get nauseous.

Some other important supplements

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

This supplement is recommended for people over the age of 50, struggling to repair their skin. It is also used as an aid to weight loss.

Divide the doses between breakfast and lunch.

Co-Enzyme Q10

Co-Enzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is the most easily depleted in the skin by sun exposure and toxins. It is able to get into the cell membrane and protect it from free radical damage.

Divide the dose between morning and lunch.

People suffering from heart disease should consult their doctor for dosage information.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

This is a strong antioxidant that also helps to raise the levels of vitamin C and E in the body. It helps to fight free radical damage on the inside and the outside of the body.

Divide the doses between breakfast and lunch.

L-Glutmine

L-glutamine is an amino acid with many functions, such as the promotion of a healthy immune system and protection from liver damage.

Divide the doses between breakfast and lunch.

Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids

Omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids work together to fight inflammation in the body.

The amount of omega 3 should always be double the amount of omega 6 taken.

Take daily supplements.

Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol protects your collagen and helps keep the skin smooth.

Take daily supplements.

Food is great stuff

NUTRITION

For many of us, life becomes more sedentary, the older we become. A slower lifestyle means that your body needs fewer calories, yet the vitamin and mineral requirements stay the same or increase in order to prevent cellular aging and dietary deficiencies.

Excessive weight gain is not inevitable with age.

In fact we should not weigh more than 9kg at 50 than we did at 20.

If your waist measurement in centimeters is less than half your height in centimeters, then your weight does not present a health hazard, unless your weight is more than 20% below your standard weight range.

The freshness and quality of food is very important, since unwholesome foods create toxins in the body leading to disease, bad breath, dull skin and unhealthy hair.

A good eating pattern is a large breakfast, a substantial lunch and a comparatively small evening meal.

Alternatively eat small quantities (up to 6 times) of food throughout the day.

The general guidelines for an anti-aging diet are to keep your calorie and saturated fat intake down, eat plenty of wholegrains, oily fish (3times a week), fresh fruit and vegetables (5 servings per day) and cut down on salt, sugar and caffeine.

The following foods have a specific role in anti-aging and should be included regularly in your diet: avocado, berries, garlic, nuts, melon and olive oil.

I personally recommend the Environ range of supplements in my salon and in my home.

More information is available at

Jasmineginger.co.za or phone  +27 21 6831404

Know your skin

SKIN DIAGNOSIS AND BASIC SKIN CARE

The Gender Gap

When it comes to differences in skin, the variations between men and women begin deep in the structure of the dermis and fat layer.

Men literally have thicker skin than women and thicker skin ages more slowly. Men also secrete slightly more oil onto their skin than women, which keeps their skin more moisturized. However in late middle age hormone levels start to decline, which results in thinner, more fragile skin.

In women this drop in hormone levels is more dramatic, so the effect is more apparent. Therefore keeping the skin moist and hydrated is very important.

The best way to do this is to apply moisturizer to slightly damp skin to lock in water.

What skin type means is whether your skin tends to be oily, dry or a combination of both. Skin can also be dehydrated and sensitive (easily stimulated).

Regardless of your skin’s tone or type, a little care goes a long way.

Dry skin

Dry skin is most commonly found on white skins and is recognized by a fine texture, with no apparent pores and often has areas of sensitivity, dry flaky patches, dilated capillaries and a tight feeling.

Dry skin can be caused by using a cleanser that’s too harsh or a moisturizer that’s not rich enough for your skins needs.

Use a mild, soap-free or milky cleanser to wash your face, never soap, and a moisturizer, which delays moisture loss, thus preventing further dryness.

A thin layer of olive oil, applied to the face, makes a good before bed treatment or try applying the contents of  a vitamin E capsule to your face and neck once a week.

Dry skin is more prone to inflammation because of its lack of oil, so always use a total sunblock on your face, neck and chest.

An oil-based foundation and cream-based make-up will help to soften fine lines and wrinkles.

Oily skin

Oily skin is most commonly found on adolescents and brown skin. It has a general sheen and course texture and may also have an unstable pH. Generally oily skin is more acidic than it should be, which can cause a patchy complexion and can cause tinted foundations to change colour when applied.

The good news is that if you have an oily skin you are blessed because oil is our built-in lubricant, so you won’t wrinkle nearly as early as dry skin does. The solution is to not fight the oiliness, but to control it.

Use oil-free sunscreens and oil-free moisturizer and foundation, if you need it. Use powder make-up to head off shine, but don’t keep reapplying it or your face will start to look chalky.

Cleanse morning and night with a cleanser formulated for oily skin and don’t over scrub the skin.

Sometimes oily skin has lots of blackheads and pimples, this is called acne and can cause serious disfigurement and permanent scarring. It can occur on the face, neck shoulders and or the back.

Acne medications should be used with caution as they can further irritate and inflame the skin therefore medical advice should be sought for this condition.

Combination skin

The combination skin type is usually oily down the centre of the face and forehead, called the T-panel, and drier on the cheeks.

Choose cleansers formulated for combination skin together with a moisturizer and or sunscreen.

Use water based or oil free foundations.

For more information contact Carmelle at Jasmine & Ginger Beauty Salon

021 6831404 or carmelle@jasmineginger.co.za