Lifestyle Choices

However luxurious and expensive the individual ingredients, most cleansing products that are designed to remove oil-based cosmetics are formulated in the same basic way. They include oil to break down the oil-soluble dirt and make-up, and detergent-type products to emulsify the oily impurities and rinse it all off your face. (more…)

Read a dozen articles on the subject of cellulite and each one seems to give a different explanation, including total denial that such a condition exists. But look around any beach and, unless most of the women are young, sleek and super-fit, you’ll see some degree of puckered, quilted flesh on their thighs and whatever part of their buttocks that is visible. Men can be old, unfit and overweight and yet most of them miss out on this problem. (more…)

There’s something to be said for a woman’s touch—and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how violent and corrective these can be. Facials are great for cleansing, exfoliation, and extractions (that is, removing pore buildup with manual manipulations). (more…)

Foaming cleansers contain surfactants—molecules that dissolve oil-based materials on the skin. They are gentle enough for NORMAL SKIN but strong enough to handle the oilier T-zone. Water and oil don’t mix, which is why we can’t depend on H90 alone to penetrate greasy buildup on the surface of our skin. (more…)

Fill a large bowl with warm water. Add a tablespoon of washing soda crystals and add handfuls of rosemary, comfrey, camomile, lavender, yarrow, mint, pine needles, sage or geranium leaves — any or all of them. It is less messy to pack the herbs loosely in a thin muslin bag, tied and immersed in the water. (more…)

When you and your partner both have the hangover from hell, what better way to commiserate than by getting intimate with one another. It could make you both feel better. (more…)

First choose the essential oil(s) to suit your physical and/or emotional needs.

Essential oils need to be diluted at a rate of 1/2 to 3 per cent depending on the person’s skin, the strength of the essential oil and the condition for which it is being applied. The lowest concentrations (¹/2 to 1 per cent) are best for facial oils and for those with sensitive skin. (more…)

I like to take a quick shower. Not because a bath won’t please me, I just feel a little bit of lazy on the end of day. For a bath, I have to jump in to clean my bath tub first. It is a really crowed space. I find a lot of difficult to get it cleaned. Then I have to jump out to open my hot water tap and wait for a perfect temperature. I have to put my chair next to bath tub to put on my tower, my essential oils. When the water is ready, I start to jump in my tub and start to take a bath. I don’t like sitting on the bottom of bath tub with the water pushing around my chest. When I need body shampoo, I have to stand up and do it in the air. Finally, I have to reach to my shower and have a clean running water to clean my body and wash my hair. (more…)

Cellulite is a peculiarly female problem in which the hormone oestrogen is believed to play a part. It is characterized by unsightly lumps and bumps which collect in the thighs, buttocks, hips and sometimesthe upper arms. If the area is pinched, the skin puckers and ripples and ^-does not spring immediately back into place. The affected areas look like orange-peel and are cold to the touch. This is because the underlying tissue is saturated with water and stagnant wastes (unlike ordinary fat).

25 ml almond oil

25 ml extra virgin olive oil 15 drops of juniper

6 drops of orange

4 drops of patchouli (more…)

Washing you hair is not so much for health as for appearance; six times a year would keep it healthy but probably looking awful. So it really depends on how it is worn, and what you see in the mirror. Try washing it every 6 to 10 days. If it is oily you will need to wash more often, if dry, less. (more…)

Our home environment works together with our lifestyle to either enhance or drain our energy levels. Regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and making relaxation time obviously increase our physical vitality, (more…)

A number of different terms are commonly used to describe the various types of nerve pain encountered. The main terms used are neuralgia (meaning pain resulting from injury to a nerve, particularly in the face), sciatica (pain mediated by the sciatic nerve, running from the lower part of the spine down each leg), and neuritis (inflammation in any nerve).

Nerve pain—aching, tingling, pins and needles, and a stabbing or burning sensation are the most common—can be caused by a number of factors, both physical and psychological, but the main ones are circulatory insufficiency, poor posture, wrong diet, stress, and over-exertion. Natural therapies can ease discomfort and accelerate the recovery process. (more…)

Hands are very important and, if they are not taken care of, can give away the age of a person even more than the face and neck. We use our hands for so many daily chores that, if we are not careful to protect and nourish them, they can soon take on a very poor condition. (more…)

You have a general idea of how each part of your body has a corresponding reflex located in the hands and fingers. In explaining how to work the various reflex points and their coinciding areas in the body.

We will start with the top of the thumb and fingers, and work the reflexes corresponding to the head. Then we will progress to the rest of the hands, explaining the reflexes and body areas as we go. (more…)

While drinking plenty of pure water will help to keep your skin hydrated and facilitate the release of toxins, you can also take advantage of the purifying benefits of water externally through the use of saunas, steams, and special cleansing baths. A daily bath or shower removes surface perspiration and toxins. But you don’t want to dry out your skin or upset the natural protective acid mantle. Use gentle vegetable oil soaps and lather up only where you absolutely need to. A thorough scrubbing with warm water and a loofah or rough washcloth is all you need over most of your body to remove dry skin cells and refresh your skin. Be sure to install a water filter on your shower if your tap water is chlorinated. Your skin and your hair will be much softer and you won’t be absorbing chlorine, which is a potent toxin. (more…)

In the busy lives we lead today, people often shower rapidly. We can benefit greatly, however, from the luxury of relaxing in a bath. This time can be a real beauty treatment — for your face, your body, and your soul! To get the most out of your bath or shower and to appreciate these relaxing minutes of your day, here are some suggestions:

1 The ideal temperature for showering or relaxing in your bath without becoming drowsy is about 95°F (35°C). The steam is very good to open the pores of your face for a thorough Cleaning. (It’s also therapeutic if you have a cold with congestion.) (more…)

When you refinish a piece of fine furniture, you often sweep off the old surface to reveal the quality of the fresh wood below. Similarly, one of the simplest and most effective methods of eliminating tiny wrinkles is to “sand” the surface of the skin mildly with a gently abrasive sponge or product. Particularly likely to respond to such treatment are the tiny wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. This mild abrasion mechanically removes some of the dead outer layers of skin cells so the skin does appear smoother. (more…)

Stomach Surgery Pain and recovery

You will need to stay in hospital for up to seven days and you will almost definitely need analgesics to lessen the pain. You will have bandages taped over your abdomen for at least ten days, but you will be able to remove them to bath and apply clean ones after the first couple of days. Drainage tubes will be removed after two days. You may need to have a catheter for the first two days too. (more…)

Fat suction, known technically as lipolysis or suction assisted lipectomy, is still a relatively new procedure. It was developed in France in the last decade and now is a very common cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States and increasingly common here. It has been the cause of a great deal of excitement and raised hopes for those in a permanent struggle with their weight but, while it is indeed a successful method for removing some excess fat, it is not a procedure that is suitable for those who are most overweight. It is not a surgical alternative to dieting. (more…)

Unlike sunscreen (which everyone absolutely needs), not everyone needs a moisturizer, especially on the face. If you have oily skin, you are often better off without. As a dermatologist, I see many problems stemming from excessive or inappropriate use of moisturizers on the face. If you have an oily complexion but feel you need a moisturizer for non-oily parts of your face, use an oil-free formulation. Everyone should beware of exotic oils, fragrances, protein extracts, or enzymes; rarely useful, they are often irritating. (more…)