Healing Dry Sensitive Skin

Fish therapy has taken the London beauty scene by storm with Aqua Sheko’s team of tiny finned therapists leading the way. It is a unique beauty therapy treatment that uses Garra Rufa fish, a form of carp, to gently remove dead skin. The fish have no teeth and use a sucking motion to painlessly lift away dead skin without damaging the new healthy cells underneath, leaving you with a pleasant tingling sensation.

Just in case you don’t have time to float in a tank while carp nibble the dead flesh off you, here’s how to use a dry skin brush. You’ll get a great result. But then if you really like fish…

If you suffer from oily skin, shiny skin, or acne you’ve probably given the amount of oil or sebum your body produces some thought.  Probably that thought is: “Why does my body produce so much oil and how can I stop it?”.  Well before you try to entirely rid your skin of oil keep a few things in mind. 

Great post today about oily skin, with links to what you can do about it (and what isn’t going to work.) Check out AskAnEsthetician for more information – always a good read.

With stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek swearing by them, juice cleanses have become an undeniable trend in the beauty, health, and fitness arena. While they have their naysayers who maintain that our bodies are perfectly capable of cleansing themselves (which I whole-heartily believe), for me, doing a one, two, or three-day juice cleanse has proven to be the perfect “break” for my system when I’ve found myself over-eating from stress for an extended period of time.

Good post here on cleansing. It’s by someone who already eats a very healthy diet. I’ve found juice cleansing to be very helpful even though, like the author, I eat very well. It boosts my energy and my sense of well being. Check out the article for more information on whether it’s a fit for you.

And if you’re trying to slough off some pounds right now as many are in preparation for swimsuit season – I suggest you become familiar with cha cha cha chia because one of the perks of consuming chia seeds is that they will satiate you so they help put the kibosh on overeating. 

Following up on my recent post about Chia Seeds and the recipe for a Chia drink – I tried it and found it boosted my energy big time. Here’s a recipe for Chia pudding, and more information – plus the idea that it can help with weight loss. Check out the post at figandsage for more.

How to identify sensitive skin?

If your skin has a fine texture and reacts quickly to certain chemicals. Has a low tolerance level to both heat and cold or even clothing like wool etc. then my friend you have sensitive skin. Skin sensitivity differs from person to person. Some may react severely to certain thing while others may show a sign of mild reaction. Sensitive skin can also be identified on the basis of following characteristics:
• It is prone to dry patches
• Is sunburned easily
• Becomes red and blotchy easily
• Gets irritated easily
• Appears translucent
• May have broken veins across the cheeks and nose.

Here’s excellent advice, in the form of simple tips, on how to treat sensitive skin. It applies to anyone with extra dry skin too.

According to new research from Concordia University, older individuals have reduced learning and memory because their minds tend to be cluttered with irrelevant information when performing tasks. Published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, these findings offer new insights into why ageing is associated with a decline in memory and may lead to practical solutions.

Here’s something I could do with, for sure. Aside from mindfulness meditation, I find the “Getting Things Done” approach by David Allen, plus plenty of lecithin, help keep my mind free and clear. And those stress hormones sure put years on our appearance, so this is definitely a good beauty move.

Donkey skin is considered a herb in China and this gelatin was purchased from a big medical hall there. I was introduced to this gelatin by my bestie and she has been taking it for 5 weeks. I noticed that her skin tone has improved and is looking rather lustrous these days. She, in turn, was introduced by a relative who also reported good results after taking the gelatin. So I was quite eager to try it and she gave me about half a slab and I’ve been taking it for a couple of days now.

There’s one to think about! I really enjoy Viva Women. It’s one of my favorite blogs. But I’m not going out to get some donkey skin any time soon.

This super easy and refreshing drink is a perfect breakfast or mid-day snack, especially when the sun is shining down and weather is warm. Kale and spinach have so many skin-friendly minerals and vitamins, they really cannot be overdone. Grapefruit, or any other citrus fruit, is refreshing and hydrating for the skin, and packs a Vitamin C punch. Apples are great green drink sweeteners, as is agave.

Check out this post for a terrific drink recipe.
I’m a huge fan of kale and often make this kale and white bean soup. Now, here’s a summer recipe with kale that looks really good.

Chia seeds have the interesting property that when they’re left in water for a few minutes, the water begins to gel.  Supposedly this is helpful in digestion.  Here’s a a recipe for chia fresca (also called iskiate), a popular drink made with chia seeds, water, and lemon or lime.

Ingredients:

• about 10 oz of water
• 1 Tbsp dry chia seeds
• a few teaspoons lemon or lime juice
• honey or agave nectar, to taste (optional)

Stir the chia seeds into the water; let them sit for about five minutes.  Stir again, and let sit for as long as you like.  The more it sits, the more gel-like the seeds and water become.  Add citrus juice and sweetener to taste.

Here’s something I’m going to try, after reading “Born To Run” by Christopher McDougall. According to him, native runners in Mexico get big energy boosts from this drink. I’ve used chia seeds in baking, but never in a drink like this. Will let you know how it goes…

Breathing is not just for your lungs – its for your whole body.

Too often we squeeze our bellies in when we inhale.  This only restricts our intake of vital prana and oxygen, and shrinks the way we experience life – not too mention the sucking in of worry and stress.

Belly breathing gently invites our stomach and tummy areas to soften, relax and unwind.  It helps release any anxiety and stress we may be holding onto – particularly around our stomach.  Belly breathing puts the whole body in rest and digest mode.

Check out this post for how to breath in a really relaxing and healthy way – 5 easy steps laid out for you to follow. One of the very best things you can do for your health and beauty.