Lifestyle Choices

Despite what you may have read in advertising or seen at cosmetic counters, your skincare routine does not need to be complicated. You do not really need a different cream for each part of your face. Good nutrition from good ingredients will help your skin balance and thrive.

Your skin needs to be cleansed, nourished and protected. Sound simple? It is, and your routine should reflect that. This way you will become aware of how your skin functions and reacts to your lifestyle and environment, then you will know when you need to supplement with other products to bring about balance at various times. (more…)

Apart from helping in your daily skincare, natural ingredients can also help in healing specific skin problems you may have. Here is a list of helpful remedies for the whole family:

Acne

More than just a spot or blemish, acne is an inflammatory condition often brought about by a sensitivity to androgen (male) hormones in the body. In mild cases blackheads and blemishes are present and in more severe cases you find inflamed pustules and cysts. Acne sufferers often carry a higher bacterial content on their skin and experts suggest that it could be this bacteria and its reaction on sebum (oil) levels in the skin that are affected when you are under stress, as stress seems to be a contributing factor. (more…)

Knowing how to read nutrient labels will help you to make better food choices when shopping. Marketing slogans that call a product ‘healthy’ or ‘natural‘ can make a food sound a lot better than the ingredients would merit. When we are too busy we tend to believe what is written on the front of the package, rather than taking the time to read what is on the back. For example, popcorn is considered a great low-fat snack. However, if you buy the microwave or prepared versions, you will find they can be a lot higher in salt and fat than if you buy dried corn and pop it yourself. If advertising can be misleading, let’s have a look at what some of these terms really mean.

A. ‘Lite’ or ‘Light’

This can mean a number of things and not necessarily that the product is lower in kilojoules or fat. Lite potato crisps may be thinly sliced and lightly salted, but they may still contain a high fat content. Light olive oil has a lighter flavour, light beer has less alcohol content, light margarine has less fat, light cheese has less fat and salt. It is important you check the label for what it is that has been ‘lightened’. (more…)

The following is a list of ingredients that have come under question in the last few years. From being carcinogenic, DNA damaging, hormone disrupting or known irritants, many of these ingredients are under further investigation in various countries. It may be interesting to check your beauty and personal care products and see how many of them contain these ingredients:

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (or Laureth)

This has its origins in natural sources. It is produced by the sulphation of commonly available lauryl alcohol, which comes from coconut oil. You will often see on the label ‘coconut derived’, and this can be a bit misleading as it sounds very natural, when in fact it goes through a lot of chemical processes to become the final product. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate may damage the outer layers of the skin, causing dermatitis, dryness and blackheads. It may also enhance the absorption of other chemicals. It should only be used in cosmetics that are quickly rinsed off the skin. It is widely used in shampoos, bubble baths, face and body cleansers, toothpaste and most household detergents. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifies it as a skin and eye irritant. In fact, when dermatologists want to test the calming effect of an ingredient, they use Sodium Lauryl Sulphate as the irritant! (more…)