Becoming la niña – Page 11 – Love, Life, & Natural Beauty

Beauty Basics 101: Orchids

Yesterday was my birthday, and my wonderful boyfriend sent me orchids. They are so beautifully exotic, I couldn’t stop taking their picture. Although I wasn’t planning on writing about them today, the surprise of receiving them inspired me to share a little about their beauty benefits. Thanks Jerry!

Ever notice how long the orchid’s bloom last? Orchids are mostly known for their longevity, reparative, and protective properties. However, orchid extracts have also been found to help moisturize, fight free radicals, increase skin immunity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines. They help reverse skin aging, calm inflammation, and help increase cell turnover.

The orchids “eternal youth” is due to cells found in its roots. It takes 2.2 lbs. of roots to make just one gram of extract. But it’s well worth it. Orchids are powerful antioxidants and not only are they used in beauty products, such as shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, and fragrances; orchids have been used in Asian medicines for centuries.

There are over 30,000 species of orchids and over 100,000 hybrids, so there are many different sizes and shapes to choose from. Not only are orchids beautiful in your home or garden, the blooms can be made into teas, and they are even used in desserts in some cultures. Oh, and did you know that we get vanilla from orchids?

With so many options and possibilities, I’m inspired to learn more about these exotic plants and reap the natural beauty benefits they can offer.

No More Tears

In 2009, Johnson & Johnson came under scrutiny by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics—a coalition of more than 175 nonprofits, due to the fact that J&J’s baby products, such as the No More Tears baby shampoo, contain toxic chemicals. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics cited the “health of consumers, including children, and J&J’s employees were at risk from exposure to the known toxins.” A boycott was planned by the campaign, but J&J agreed to reduce the use of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives from its baby products by 2013, before the boycott could take place.

On August 16, 2012, J&J announced plans to eliminate several harmful chemicals from its line of consumer products meant for adults by the end of 2015, “including 1,4 dioxane and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15. These along with triclosan, phthalates, parabens and detergent-based fragrances will be completely phased out of all the company’s products by 2015. 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde are both considered potential human carcinogens. Phthalates and parabens are considered endocrine disruptors, which can cause a number of health issues including problems with fertility, metabolic function and development.” – OrganicAuthority.com

While there’s still more work to be done, this is a great start. Hopefully other companies will follow the example of Johnson & Johnson.

Beauty Basics 101: Skin – Part One

Since skin care is a very important part of my life and this blog, I thought it would be a good idea to write a couple of posts about skin.

Our skin is such a large and complex organ, however, when it comes to beauty, in this post I wanted to touch base on the one thing I think is most important about our skin: its absorbtion.

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It protects our entire body, by providing a barrier from the outside elements. It can absorb up to 60% of all substances applied to its surface, good or bad. Whether we’re applying lotions, or using perfume, applying make up, or even rinsing off our shampoo. Our skin is like a sponge, soaking up everything it touches. Not only does our skin absorb the things we apply to it, it also absorbs environmental elements, such as toxic pollutants, which we have no control over. But taking control over the things we can is key.

So how great is the absorbent power of our skin? Ever hear of transdermal drugs? Cigarette and birth control patches are the most common types of transdermal drugs. They use the power of the skins absorption for drug delivery. This means that our skin has the ability to absorb substances directly to our bloodstream. Kind of makes you want to take a second look at the label of that expensive moisturizer, doesn’t it?

Many of our beauty products today are full of synthetics and cancer causing ingredients. Although the amount used may be minute, some of these ingredients can accumulate in our bodies throughout years of product use. These toxic chemicasl can make us sick and, not to mention, age prematurely.

Our skin is a powerful organ. Let’s use its power to work for us, not against us. Let’s take control over what our skin is absorbing. Knowing what’s in our products is a good start.

Individual Pineapple Upside-down Cake

I love baking, and although it can be very time-consuming, I find the process therapeutic, and the end result rewarding (and delicious). I also like knowing exactly what is going into my desserts. Using fresh and organic ingredients is important to me, and I don’t have to worry about any unwanted preservatives.

I got this recipe for pineapple upside-down cake from my favorite baking book, Rose’s Heavenly Cakes. You can also find this recipe here. I’ve always loved pineapple upside-down cake and baking it in individual ramekins makes the perfect serving size.

Enjoy!

Simple Eye Make Up Remover

This natural beauty recipe is so simple, it only requires two ingredients: aloe vera juice, and extra virgin olive oil.

Aloe vera is rich in vitamin E and is very cooling, it contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, which helps reduce puffiness around the eyes. Aloe vera juice can be found in any grocery or natural food store.

Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite natural beauty ingredient and you will see me using it in my recipes a lot. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and will penetrate deep into the skin, without clogging your pores, providing long-lasting moisture to keep your skin smooth and supple.

1/4 cup organic aloe vera juice

2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil

Combine these two ingredients in a container with a lid. Shake vigorously before every use. Moisten a cotton pad with the mixture and apply around the eyes to remove eye make up.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know what you think, and have a great weekend!

Summertime Delight

Lemons are well-known for their vitamin C. It’s a great alternative to oranges. The vitamin C content of lemons help considerably in calcium metabolism. Lemon juice also helps with digestion and it is a powerful antibacterial.

I could go on and on about the benefits of lemons… But I’ll save that for another time. Today I just need a tall glass of ice-cold, freshly squeezed lemonade. Lemonade is a summertime staple, and since the lemon juice needs to be diluted with water, it makes this drink light and refreshing. Perfect on a hot summer day.

Here is my favorite lemonade recipe:

1 cup organic sugar

1 cup filtered water

1 cup fresh lemon juice

In a saucepan, make a simple syrup by heating the water and sugar until the sugar is completely desolved. Once the sugar is desolved, remove the syrup from the heat and pour it in a pitcher. Mix in the lemon juice. Add more water to dilute the mixture until it reaches your desired sweetness. Put your lemonade in the fridge until it is chilled. Then serve and enjoy.

You can also pour the lemonade into ice-cube trays and freeze them. Put a toothpick in them when they are halfway frozen… A mini lemonade popsicle treat!

Black Tea Toner For Oily Skin

A lot of people skip using a toner in their skin care regimen because they don’t realize how important it is to use a toner, especially if you cleanse with cleansing lotions or oils. Toners help to remove the last traces of makeup your cleanser leaves behind, and help reduce the look of pores and wrinkles. They also help soothe, purify, and nourish the skin before applying a moisturizer.

This is a toner I make and use in the summer when my skin is a bit more oily. I like making toners because they are easy to make, using ingredients I already have at home. This is a very strong toner. It helps get rid of all the impurities my pores pick up throughout the day.

Black tea is full of antioxidants; witch hazel is a natural astringent that gently cleanses without removing essential moisture; rosewater is very moisturizing and provides fragrance; apple cider vinegar restores the skin’s protective acid mantle; and vodka is a natural alcohol used as a solvent in this recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup black tea (2 tea bags, 1 cup water)

1 cup witch hazel

4 tbsp rosewater

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp vodka

Brew one cup of black tea, using two tea bags to make it strong. Once the tea is cool, combine with all the other ingredients in a bottle and shake well.

To use, saturate a cotton ball and use gentle upward strokes to clean the face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Let dry before applying a moisturizer.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Essential Finds: Eye Gel

Although I love mixing my own products and trying new ingredients, I understand that not every one has the passion or the time to do the same. However, there are products out there that are all natural and just as effective as their synthetic counterparts. For this reason I want to share my essential finds with you.

My first essential find is this Bright Eyes Regenerative Eye Gel, by Starflower Essentials. It is an anti-aging, firming eye gel made with certified organic ingredients. No synthetics or chemicals here. It is a light gel that won’t feel sticky or heavy on the delicate skin around your eyes. I have been using it for about a month and a half and I can honestly say that I’ve seen the puffiness and fine wrinkles diminish. I love it!

You can go online to Starflower.com to purchase this product or to check out their other products. I’d love to hear your feedback. I’m sure I will be trying some of their other products as well, so check back for some more product reviews.

Music in the City

Summer time is a great time to explore all your city has to offer. As my visit to my boyfriends hometown comes to an end, we took the opportunity to spend some quality time together out by the lake, listening to some smooth jazz. In big cities the options are plentiful, but in smaller towns, it may be a little more difficult to find new things to do. Nevertheless, if you do your homework and commit to being involved in your community and the communities around you, you will find that there plenty of things to keep you busy this summer. So go and see what’s out there this weekend. And always remember, that just spending time with the people you love is the BEST way to spend your time.

Et Tu, Brutus?

I never thought that taking a dog out for a walk would be so therapeutic. This is Brutus, my boyfriends dog. He and I have been spending some quality time together on our walks. Regular exercise with your pet is good for both you and your dog’s health. There’s nothing like an exercise partner who’s waiting by the door with a wagging tail (or lack there of) to keep you motivated!

The benefits we get by walking our dogs every day are numerous. Not only does this activity improve our cardiovascular fitness, but it also builds strong muscles and bones, lowers blood pressure, and most importantly, reduces stress. Amazingly, our dogs will enjoy these same benefits as well, which will keep them very happy.

I never would have thought I would enjoy such a simple activity so much. I use that time to think and plan, and I feel energized for the day ahead.