Natural Tips for Growing Strong, Healthy Nails

Posted on May 16, 2010 by admin

When it comes to your appearance, many of us often worry about the big things and can overlook the smaller details like nail care.  While nails might not be the most obvious part of your body when you meet someone, poorly kept nails can easily give off a bad impression.   Here are some tips to help you get strong, beautiful nails, naturally.

* Moisturize.  Take time to moisturize your hands and nail beds at least once a day.  Keeping your nail beds healthy and moisturized will help keep nails from growing dry and brittle.  For a inexpensive natural way to add moisture, try massaging in some high quality extra virgin olive oil.

* Break bad habits.  Chewing and picking at your nails not only presents a bad self-image, it also does damage to your nails leaving them weak, prone to breaking, and looking unkempt.  There are all kinds of tips you can use to break yourself.  Try putting a rubber band on your wrist and snapping it every time you catch yourself biting.

* Be gentle.  When cleaning nails, it’s usually an easy option to dig out dirt and grime with a file, but this can not only thin and damage your nails, it can also cause damage underneath making them more susceptible to fungus and infection.  Instead, use soap and a soft nail brush to gently clean away dirt.  It may take longer, but it will be well worth the effort.

* Leave your cuticles alone.  A thick cuticle growing over the nail isn’t really attractive, but cutting and pushing cuticles can actually do more damage to your nails.  When you trim and push cuticles with harsh implements, you can do damage to the nail bed.  And if your nail bed is unhealthy, so are your nails.  Moisturizing daily may be enough to keep cuticles soft and manageable.  If not, try a natural cuticle softener to help out.

* Avoid back and forth filing.  When filing or buffing, it’s natural to use a back and forth motion.  This actually creates heat that can damage your nails.  Instead, file from outside to middle and buff from the nail bed to the tip.  This will help keep your nails strong.

* Remove Gently.  Use a non-acetone nail polish remover than contains oils.  It will help hydrate your nails rather than dry them out like normal removers.

* Nourish from the inside.  Whether it comes to skin, hair, or nails, the first rule to looking good on the outside, is staying healthy on the inside.  Eating right, drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly are the first steps to healthy beautiful nails.

* Get your vitamins.  While a balanced diet is good, it still often doesn’t include enough vitamin E, which is essential for growing strong, healthy nails (and beautiful skin).  Find a quality E supplement from your local health food store.

* Take time.  If you want your nails to look good, you’ll need to look after them regularly. Just doing it once or twice isn’t going to cut it. Make it a habit of regularly keeping your nails trimmed, filed, moisturized, and well groomed.

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Natural Skin Care Recipes

Posted on May 16, 2010 by admin

There are thousands of natural skin care products available at your local grocery store, but the truth is that you don’t have to spend money on them.  Just make them yourself!

Making your own natural skin care recipes is a good option. By making something naturally at home you know that it doesn’t include harmful chemicals that can clog pores and cause many common skin issues.  When you make something you know exactly what’s in it.  And it’s often a lot cheaper to make your own than buying natural products from the store.

There’s no “one size fits all” recipe, so feel free to mix, match and make substitutions to these recipes as you feel appropriate.

Natural Moisturizer Recipes:

* Oil has been used as a moisturizer long before actual moisturizing products were sold. Use olive oil to soothe and heal dry skin.  You can try mixing in other ingredients to help cleanse or provide extra moisture depending on your skin’s needs.

* Aloe vera is great for moisturizing the skin.  Instead of buying a gel from the store, just use the gel straight from a leaf.  Mix with coconut milk or olive oil to soothe and heal dry skin.  This works great as a night and day moisturizer.

* When it comes to natural skin care, honey is known to many as a miracle food.  Try mixing equal parts honey, vegetable oil and lemon juice (a natural bleaching agent).  Mix and apply as a body lotion, especially rough areas.  Let set for about 10 minutes and then rinse off for soft, smooth, refreshed skin.

Natural Face Wash Recipes:

Face Wash.  While natural face washes don’t foam like traditional cleansers, they also don’t dry and damage the skin like normal face washes, plus they don’t include all the unnecessary chemicals and gunk.

* Dairy products are a great way to nourish and soothe skin.  Mix two tablespoons of milk with 1/8 cup ground almonds, and a teaspoon of lemon juice to help wash away dead skin cells.

* For dry skin, try mixing equal parts yogurt and cooked oatmeal with some cucumber juice.  This can also help sooth dry skin from eczema or other skin conditions.

* Here’s another great wash for damaged skin.   Combine a peeled aloe vera leaf, a peeled papaya slice, a tablespoon of honey, and a teaspoon of yogurt in the food processor.  This will help soothe and moisturize your skin naturally.

* If your skin needs some serious scrubbing, mix cornmeal with a small amount of water.  Apply the paste to your face and scrub in a circular motion like you would with a regular facial scrub and rinse for fresh, new skin.

Natural Facial Masque Recipes:

* When it comes to dry skin, honey is always a good idea.  It not only works as a moisturizer and cleanser, but also as a masque.  Just apply honey, let sit for about half an hour and rinse for smooth healthy skin.

* To help exfoliate your skin and leave it looking fresh and new, put half a banana, half an avocado, a teaspoon of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of yogurt in the blender.  Apply and let sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.  Banana is also great for helping to get rid of wrinkles.

* If you’ve got oily skin.  Try mixing a beaten egg white with a teaspoon of sour cream and a teaspoon of grapefruit juice.  Leave for 15 minutes then rinse.  This will clean, gently moisturize, and the egg white will close up your pores leaving you looking great.

There are quite a few recipes here, but these are just the tip of the iceberg, designed to get you started.  If they don’t work for you there are hundreds of options so you can find just what you’re looking for.  Or better yet, find which ingredients work best for you and make your own natural skin care recipes tailored to your skin and your needs.

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The Benefits Of Natural Skin Care Products

Posted on May 16, 2010 by admin

It seems like you can’t turn on the television or open a magazine anymore without hearing about natural cosmetics or skin care products.  You’ve probably seen advertisements on TV along with various natural products in your grocery store.  You may have also noticed that these products often come with a larger price tag.

So why should you spend the extra money on these products?  Why are natural products better than regular cosmetics, lotions, masques and other products?

Here are a few opinions and views:

Everything you eat is put through stringent tests and inspections to make sure that it’s safe for you and your family.  While different countries have different standards, they all have strict regulations which need to be met.

While cosmetics are usually monitored, they aren’t held to the same food standards.  Many ingredients found commonly in cosmetics may even cause illness and health issues. In fact, many mainstream cosmetic products ingredient list read like a chemistry project!

And just because you’re not ingesting the chemicals found in these products, doesn’t mean they’re not getting into your system.  Your skin has pores that not only produce oil and sweat; they also take in chemicals as well.   Even if it’s only a small amount, why take a chance by putting dangerous chemicals on your skin when there are quality natural product alternatives?

Natural products are not only safer they’re usually better for your skin and often produce superior results.  Many people have reactions to artificial ingredients which offset any positive effects the product may product in the first instance. Many conditions like acne or rosacea can be helped by using natural products.

While natural cosmetics and skin care products are a great alternative, they’re often hard to find.  Sure, you can’t seem to turn around in the store anymore without seeing a product marked “natural”, but that’s not guarantee that it contains 100 percent natural ingredients. Often these products are made with some natural ingredients, but also include some of the same artificial ingredients found in other products.

So how can you tell if the products you’re buying are really made of natural ingredients?

The easiest way is to turn the bottle around.  Just by reading the ingredient’s list, you can often spot artificial chemicals.  A simple rule is that if there’s an ingredient you can’t pronounce, it’s probably not natural.

There are also agencies that will figure out if a product is natural for you.   Look for product certifications to guarantee that a product is natural.  Just remember to research the company or organization that is certifying the product to make sure they’re legitimate.  Just like the word natural is not regulated, neither are the organizations that certify natural products.

Don’t want to go through the hassle of researching every single product or just can’t afford them?  That doesn’t mean you can’t treat your skin right.  With a little thought and ingenuity you can simply make your own. A little online research and you can find hundreds of recipes for moisturizers, face wash, and even make up!  Most of them are simple and inexpensive to make, and can be used just like store-bought products.
While natural products may seem like they’re just the latest trend, they are actually good for you and your skin and overall health.  So why not give them and try and see how much better you can look and feel?

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