Definition: a salt, usually occurring in pale crystals, used in dyeing and tanning and in certain medicines, now understood to be a double salt of potassium aluminum sulfate; (2) any of various double salts isomorphous with potassium aluminum sulfate

Uses: Medical (i.e as an astringent, a substance used to shrink body tissues; an emetic, substances the induce vomiting; a styptic, substance that stops bleeding, esp. styptic pencils, usually in blocks, used for shaving cuts), sometimes used in waxes for removing body hair, powder form used for pickling and helping vegetables maintain crispness, also used for tanning of animals hides to remove moisture and prevent rotting; in Roman times, used for purifying drinking water

Derived from: alunite, mined from potassium-rich volcanic rock, often extensive in Hungary, Tuscany and Australia

Origin of word: Middle English, from Anglo-Norman ‘alum’, ‘alun’, from Latin ‘alumen’, first known use 1300s, “bitter salt”, also with Green ‘aludoimos’, “bitter”, with possible connection to English ‘ale’

Sources: Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Online Etymological Dictionary

A new word and its unique story, every day
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Warning: Alcohol-based toners may be too harsh to dry and sensitive skin.

TIP FOR DRY SKIN: May opt to use water-based or glycol-based toners. Best recommended are the water-based toners, it’s loaded of good skin benefits.

xoxo

I have generally clear skin, prone to a few milia around the eyes (mainly my right eye), mild rosacea on my cheeks. My skin is combination, which means it’s dry around my eyelids, oily around my nose, dry around my mouth and cheeks. Slightly more oily around my lower eyelids and forehead. Weird right. I call it ‘sensitive’ but then whose skin isn’t sensitive seriously. It’s your face. I react to products that don’t agree with me mostly by getting itchy and feeling like I have a heat rash.

Reading back on that my skin sounds crap. I look perfectly normal trust me. If you saw me in the street you wouldn’t be all ‘what’s up with that dry, itchy, red faced chick?’.

My skincare routine at night goes like this: remove make up, cleanse, tone, moisturise. Over time it has become obvious to me why a good skincare routine is imperative, rather than my old ‘use a face wipe, fall asleep’. My skin is happier, healthier, less breakouts and I actually feel good stepping out.

1. tanGo Spray Tan Removal Cloth.

My holy grail of make up removal products actually came in a Lust Have It box. I know. I know. It’s my tanGo tanning removal cloth. It’s a microfiber cloth. It’s described on the tanGo website as a specially formulated polyamide cloth. Polyamide is a nylon by-product. This cloth is AMAZING at removing my make up. It’s honestly effortless. I run it under warm water, squeeze it out and gently wipe over my face. It really feels like it attracts make up like a magnet. I’ve never had mascara come off so easily with no smudging and smearing around my eyes. This cloth just grips to the make up and it’s gone. I also love that it’s long lasting, throw it in the wash and it’s good as new. This is a better quality microfiber cloth than many others, it’s thicker and more durable. I have a couple of microfiber cloths from Woolworths (sold in the cosmetics section) that are no way near as good as this. It costs $21.95 from the tanGo peeps.

I feel like using this to remove make up is way more gentle and effective than many make up removers – for me less is more. My face gets a nice steam too from the heat of the water on the cloth, and it gives a gentle exfoliation. This cloth can do no wrong for me! (I don’t fake tan, so can’t tell you how it goes with tan.)

2. Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser

photo from avene.com.au

The thing about this cleanser is, it does it’s job without doing anything drastic. It’s a no rinse cleanser made for sensitive skin. It’s fragrance, paraben, oil and soap free. Some people find that even tap water can dry out their skin so using this means you can cleanse with just a cotton bud. I use an amount about the same size as a 20c coin, massage it over my face and wipe it off with a cotton bud. I like the cleanse I get from this and feel like it’s super gentle. I’m not sure it would work just as a make up remover unless you only wear very minimal make up. It costs $30 for 200ml (purchased from Priceline) so it’s pricey but I find it lasts a long time. I sometimes follow up with a spray of Avene Thermal Spring Water (soothes my skin).

Ingredients are: Avene Thermal Spring Water 96% (Avene Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, O-Phenylphenol, Cetrimonium Bromide, Decyl Clucoside, Disodium Edta, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Water (Aqua).

3. T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel

Photo from sulit.com

This is the only toner I use, and I doubt I’d ever switch. Every other toner I’ve tried just burns and irritates. Way too much alcohol in those bad boys. Witch hazel is basically a herbal extract. This toner removes any dirt and left over make up from my skin without drying it out. It has improved my pores, skin tone and gradually reduced milia under my eyes (near my cheek bone). It lasts and lasts and only cost me $6 from Priceline. So the ingredients for this are 100% distilled witch hazel and 14% alcohol. It sounds weird that something with alcohol is non drying but this is what the T.N. Dickinson’s website says:

Q: How can Dickinson’s be all-natural if it contains alcohol?

A: Unlike other astringent products that contain high levels of either synthetic alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), our products contain only natural alcohol derived from a botanical source. This ingredient is used in limited quantities as a natural preservative.

4. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser for Combination Skin

Photo from neutrogena.com

I cannot tell you how much I love this moisturiser. If you have combination skin and are just sick of having dry patches and wanting to moisturise without ending up with oil in the wrong places then this is your friend. Take it out to dinner, buy it flowers, treat it real nice. I actually had dry patches on my eyelids (yes, EYELIDS) but underneath my eyes I get milia (damn those things, honestly, damn them) so I have been super cautious with moisturisers. I bought this because it’s alcohol free, fragrance free and oil free. I’ve since found that I can apply this all over my face without adding any oil under my eyes and all those nasty dry areas are smooth and happy again. It costs around $10 from supermarkets.

There you have my nightly skincare routine peeps. In the morning while I shower I use a dab of the Avene cleanser for a gentle cleanse and I just wash off in the shower. Mostly it’s just to feel like my skin is clean without over doing it. I also moisturise.

photo from feggari.com

Twice a week I exfoliate with my Feggari Peeling Glove. You can use this glove all over and it’s honestly the best way to exfoliate that I have ever come across. I use it very gently on my face, no pressure at all. I know the website says just to use it on wet skin (I use this in the shower) but I sometimes use it on my legs with a sugar scrub and it’s amazing. It really smoothes away any dry skin and helps with ingrowns. You can purchase at Priceline (seriously, where else? I should get a job at Priceline) for $50. I was lucky and bought mine on sale for $35. They last about 6 months and are worth the price.

What are your HG products? x

Hola

I’m almost through with my giant bottle of my current toner – Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion.

Just a little clarification – I was wondering what the major difference between toners and astringents are.

Both toners and astringents have mostly the same function – to cleanse traces of dirt and remnant make-up on skin (toners and astringents are usually used post-cleansers).

• Toners, in general, are designed to soothe and comfort skin while cleansing it and are usually supposd to be alcohol-free.

• Astringents are said to be stronger (and more stripping) as they usually contain alcohol and are meant to fight pimples and acne.

The Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion does just that – it is a strong lotion that contains alcohol that cleanses every last bit of grime on the skin. I initially bought this because I was looking for a clarifying  toner that did not contain salicylic acid in it for daily use – I was using a blemish-lightening product that recommended not aggravating the skin further with BHAs and the Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Lotion seemed to fit that bill.

Here’s a look at the ingredients list:

Not to fear the alcohol in it – the Blue Astringent Lotion contains Sodium PCA which is a known humectant that binds moisture to the skin. Here are more details on the key ingredients, according to Kiehl’s:

It also contains Witch Hazel, which is a prized anti-oxidant and natural acne eliminator.

***********************************************************************

I bought the larger version – it also comes in a smaller bottle of 250ml which retails at SGD$45 but I found the 500ml bottle more value for money at SGD$67. 

The packaging is simple and straightforward – a semi-translucent soft plastic bottle that allows you to see the blindingly beautiful turquoise blue liquid in the bottle.

It comes with a flip-top cap and a small dispenser in the cap. I’m generally not a fan of flip-top caps given that they tend to break at the hinges after some use.

Given the huge size of this bottle and the flip-top cap dispenser, I decided to decant the Blue Astringent Lotion into a smaller pump bottle.

This is easier to deal with for several reasons. Firstly, the big bottle is bulky and clumsy to deal with, especially if you’re in a hurry. 

More importantly, the pump allows me to dispense more accurately just the amount I need without spilling and dripping (and thus wasting) the lotion everywhere.

Just a tip if you’re a little icky about using these pump bottles for facial products – no matter how, these plastic bottles are manufactured in some factory and you can’t really tell how clean it might be – they’re supposed to be but for your own peace of mind, you can try what I do. I pour a little of the lotion into my pump bottle and swirl it all around thoroughly; pour that away and presto, a nicely disinfected bottle

**************************************************************

This is not a wimpy soft, soothing toner. This is the Warrior Of All Toners if I might say – it can feel quite harsh and if you have sensitive skin, this might hurt you. The first time I used it, I felt my skin literally SHRINK (which is what is the real meaning of astringent!) and it felt really tight but the tightness dissipated after I applied my moisturiser. Still, I was terrified and regretted the decision to buy the 500ml bottle. Then the next few times I used it, my skin reacted less to it and soon, all it felt was clean and cool. It really cleans off all remnants on my skin, prepped to receive the hydrating and nourishing properties of my moisturiser.

The scent is a little clinical – think menthol, a little alcohol and camphor, which I quite like. 

So far, using this has reduced the number of breakouts I’ve experienced – the last breakout I had on my chin area was largely due to heatiness (major overdose on durians and chocolate), exacerbated by threading (irritated skin) – I’ve also been told that breakouts on the lower half of the face tend to be hormonal. I stopped all other fancy skincare and just used a combination of my neem face soap, the Blue Astringent Lotion and La Roche Posay’s Effaclar Duo and it’s all cleared out now. 

I find that 4 pumps of the Blue Astringent Lotion on a soft cotton pad is just about right for the whole face and neck – anything more and it just dribbles everywhere. The very first time I dispensed it straight from the bottle, I accidentally over-soaked the cotton pad and the liquid dribbled into my eye as I swiped it around my temples – that was horrifying.

*********************************************************************

Will I repurchase? Yes, definitely – I think of all the clarifying, oil and zit-zapping toners and astringents  I’ve tried, this might be the best so far. I do love the Vichy Normaderm toner too – that was a staple for a long time but I love the super clean feeling I get with the Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion. 

The pretty colour helps too … not frou-frou at all .. we call that Chroma-therapy *wink*

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day ahead!

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Disclaimer: Product featured was purchased with my own money. Review is unbiased and contains my own opinions and official information extracted from the Kiehl’s website.

by Amazon.com

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Best Deal Today by Amazon.com

“Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA “Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA … See all Product Description by Amazon.com

by Amazon.com

by Amazon.com

The Cheapest Price is Here, Buy Now & Save More

Best Deal Today by Amazon.com

“Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA “Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA … See all Product Description by Amazon.com

by Amazon.com

by Amazon.com

The Cheapest Price is Here, Buy Now & Save More

Best Deal Today by Amazon.com

“Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA “Pamper Yourself” with Swisspers Multi Care Cotton Rounds. Interwoven layers are quilted for softness, and reinforced for strength – for all your cosmetic needs. Ideal for make-up removal, applying cleansers, astringents and lotions Perfect for lint-free nail polish removal 100% Cotton Convenient resealable bag Made in USA … See all Product Description by Amazon.com

by Amazon.com

To take better care of your skin in the winter, stop using face peels, masks, and toners or astringents that are alcohol-based. All of these products can strip the natural oils away from your skin. Instead, use a milk cleanser or foaming cleanser, toners with no alcohol, and only hydrating, not clay-based, masks.

Pay attention to puffiness under the eyes. You may not get it until after you are forty, but it will make you look much older. Prevent puffiness by getting more sleep and lowering the amount of stress in your life. When sleeping, lie down on your back and keep your head elevated to drain excess liquids from your face.

If you need to reduce the time you spend on skin care, cut down on your makeup. For example, if you replace a foundation with a tinted moisturizer, you can apply it faster and with fewer mistakes. Less makeup means less time putting it on, less time taking it off, and less damage done to your skin.

There are several plant hormones that can help keep your skin looking healthy and help to give you a healthy, youthful look. Most of these are vegetable estrogen and applied over an extended period of time. These hormones have been shown to cause your skin to look much healthier and maintain its youthfulness.

Dealing with fever blisters and cold sores is never fun but many people do have to suffer through them. Steep a tea bag of black tea, just plain black tea, for a few minutes in hot water. Take it out of the water and cool it down for a few minutes. Apply a black tea bag to the fever blister or cold sore for about 5 minutes up to three times a day for some relief.

To help with dry skin, run a humidifier in your home and if at all possible, at your work. Humidity will help with the moisture of your skin. If you live in a dry climate, a humidifier will help you with the fight against dried out and itchy skin. Many different varieties of humidifiers are available at very reasonable costs.

Turning 40 is an important age to evaluate your skin and make sure that you are doing everything possible to keep your skin looking young and fresh. Look at the products that you have been using in the past. Ask yourself if it is time to switch cleansers and moisturizers to a richer and creamier product. Also, find a softer exfoliating cream. Using a harsher cream to exfoliate might actually damage your tender skin.

Use baking soda to exfoliate your skin. This is a natural exfoliator and is cheap to buy and use. It will remove dead skin cells from your skin and bring out new skin cells. Baking soda will also leave your skin soft and it doesn’t leave any residue when you are done.

Have a good cleanser when you are trying to optimize your skin care routine. Be willing to invest in a quality product. You have to live with your skin for the entirety of your life, it is worth the commitment to obtain the maximum level of cleansing benefit. Pamper yourself starting today.

To take care of your skin–especially your face–take the time to wash your bedding. This tip may not seem obvious at first, but it has proven critical to many acne sufferers and people with blotchy skin. We often overlook our dirty pillows and sheets. By sleeping on this dirt and oil night after night, we subject our face to added contaminants. This, in turn, may lead to poor skin.

If you are a looking for a soothing mask at the end of the week, try a honey mask. Honey can control the redness on your skin and help to brighten and create a vibrant glow on your skin. This mask can improve your overall appearance by doing this every week and will reduce the quantity and size of the pimples that you do get.

Finding the right product for your skin type is a very important factor in making your skin look nice and healthy. If you have dry skin, you would not want to use products that were designed for oily skin. Make sure you research what the products you use are for, and your skin will thank you for it.

Infection

If you have severely dry skin on your hands, it can and should be treated with an antibiotic cream, like you would use on cuts and scrapes. In many cases, extremely dry skin crack open and bleeds. If these cuts are ignored they can become worse – leading to scarring or even an infection. Care for them early by applying an antibiotic cream before applying moisturizer. There creams for treating infections such as Quadriderm cream.

For healthy baby skin, make sure you bathe your child everyday. If you add a manganese solution to the baby’s bath, this can help protect the umbilical cord area from infection. Also, make sure to wash your baby’s hair and scalp, at least one to two times a week, with a gentle children’s or baby shampoo.

Don’t pop pimples. Popping pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring. If you notice a pimple coming before a big event, like the prom, a dermatologist can often treat it for you with less risk of scarring or infection.

Avoid using a pumice stone to scour the bottoms of your feet; although the skin is toughened there, rubbing that layer away leaves your feet vulnerable to infection, and rubbing that away will only make your body respond by making that even stronger. It is better to wear more comfortable shoes instead.

If your lips look chapped, do not lick them or moisturize them. What look like dry lips could be an infection caused by fungus. Apply a cream containing antibiotics on your lips regularly to stop the infection. If you have chapped lips, licking them is only going to make them dryer. Use a chap stick instead.

Ingrown hairs can be a common irritant for men and women, sometimes leading to infection. Shaving increases your risk of ingrown hairs, so be sure to shave properly. Aloe Vera plants are wonderful to have around for infected ingrown hairs. Break off a bit of the leaf and apply the liquid from inside directly to the ingrown hair to help the infection heal.

A great skin care tip is to apply Neosporin, an antibiotic ointment, on the corner of your mouth every few hours if you have a cut. You should make sure you never lick your lips because it could be a fungal infection instead of chapped lips, which is what you may think it to be.

It is important to make sure you get enough Vitamin E, which can be found in many food sources like avocados, in order to make sure your skin stays soft and pliable. If you do not get enough, your skin may crack and be vulnerable to infection and other damage.

If you are having frequent skin or acne flare-ups, keep your hands clean at all times and try to refrain from touching your face too much. We all have bacteria on our hands. This increases every time we touch something. And bacteria can cause infection in acne and pimples, making things a whole lot worse! Keep hand sanitizer handy and use it frequently to reduce your chances of infection.

Keeping the skin on your hands healthy is just as important as keeping your facial skin healthy. Having rough hands can actually cause an infection or fungus to grow. When doing chores or manual labor, wear rubber gloves. At nighttime, gently rub lotion all over your hands, even rubbing into the skin surrounding your nails. Remove any excess lotion.

You can learn great skin care tricks that could be highly effective for getting your skin to a much more youthful and pleasant appearance. Marks and blemishes don’t have to be your reality with the great number of techniques that are used to maintain beautiful skin, starting with these skin care tips and expanding to a great world of beauty.

Retinoids

Retinols occur naturally in the form of Vitamin A and can be synthetically made. Retinols are common medication used for acne but it does cause redness, flaking, and irritation for some people.  Retinols applied to the skin decreases dead cells from clogging pores that will reduce acne outbreaks.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid helps to fight acne by possessing three important qualities: anti- keratinization, anti-septic, and serves as an exfoliant. Salicylic acid keeps dead cells from clogging pores and it causes the skin to shed the dead layers of the skin cells which is the exfoliant element of it. The anti-septic feature destroys bacteria that promotes acne while blackheads or whiteheads are eliminated by the anti-keratinization of salicylic acid.  Anti-keratinization of salicylic acid will help to prevent those little white or black bumps on the face. The side effects may be dry and/or peeling skin. Some users have said that they experience short stinging sensation when applying the product.

Astringents

Astringents constrict the pores and overuse can lead to drying out the skin. If too much astringent is used the skin will produce a lot of oil for those who already have an abundance of it. Due to the drying nature of astringents it is recommended that it is followed by a moisturizer. However, there is a rule of thought that believes astringents aren’t good for acne prone skin due the fact that pores are restricted by this product. The restriction is thought to increase the potential of infection and even more blockage. You’ll never know unless you try.

FYI: People use baking soda as an exfoliant. The basic recipe is to mix baking soda and water to make a paste that is rubbed in circular motions on the face. Some people let the paste dry on their face, sit on the face for about a minute, or just immediately rub the paste off.

Related Articles:

Oily Skin: Part Two

Do’s & Don’ts of Oily Skin

We can spend a huge amount time, effort and money trying to find the right set of products to address each and every skin care issue we have. We spend that much time and effort as no one product deals with every issue, so we need to spend our money on three or four products at a time.  Taking more time than you actually have in the store aisle reviewing and reading ingredients ‘..with peppermint oil..’ ‘..for sensitive skin..’ ‘…deep cleansing..’ How could you not buy a product with such gorgeous labels?  “This new one must work, the label looks too good!”  You walk to the checkout with one thing in mind..”I hope this one works”

The labels lead us to believe that the bottle of ‘moisturising cleanser with added avocado oil’ will be the next miracle worker, and it must work because the label looks expensive, like something that’s sold in a high end spa.  The price also leads you to think that they must have put really good ingredients into it this time.  But when you look at the ingredient list on most commercial skin care products, they present the same things till about 3/4 of the way down and then you will see that the magic ingredient, that has been promoted so beautifully and expertly on the front, makes up about 0.5% of the total product.

So what did you pay for?  Labelling?  Marketing?  0.5% of Avocado Oil?

Let’s look at one of the main ingredients used in skin care products:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

Both are commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to “foam up”. Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants.

Unfortunately, both SLES and SLS are so very dangerous, highly irritating chemicals. Far from giving “healthy shining hair” and “beautiful skin”, soaps and shampoos containing SLES can lead to direct damage to the hair follicle, skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity.

Although SLES is somewhat less irritating than SLS, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting. This not only means it stays in the body tissues for longer, but much more precious energy is used getting rid of it.

So if one of the first ingredients can do so much harm, and has been printed and included so blatantly in our products, how much care do we think has been given to the remaining products or even the two or three to follow? not including the 0.5% Avocado Oil.

So, what price are you prepared to pay to a) cleanse your skin? b) nourish your skin?  c) tone your skin? d) firm up your skin e) prevent and remove spots/ acne?

NATURALLY – No Small Print

Sure enough, the solution comes with four simple ingredients that do not come with side effects, high cost and ingredient lists as long as your arm.  Tried and tested, for me, they are nothing short of a miracle.

No hype, no talk-up, no marketing, just the facts.

Put them to the test and let me know how you get on.

1.  LEMON

Why?

• Lemon is antiseptic. Bacteria grows on the skin, hence the need to cleanse thoroughly.  The body’s immune system suppresses the growth of bacteria, but when our immune system gets low, the skins pH will become unbalanced and the bacteria will grow.  This is why we end up with really ashy-type skin.  For this reason, we would need to help out the body’s immune system to neutralise the bacteria growing on the skin surface. (Have you noticed that your skin tends to be more ashy in the Autumn/ Winter months?  The same time that you’re likely to be feeling more run down or get a cold.  Your immune system is trying to tell you something.)
• Lemon contains fatty acids that nourish the skin.
• Lemon contains a tremendous amount of melanin which is the substance that gives skin and hair it’s colour.
• Lemon contains astringent properties

Action: Will cleanse, nourish and restore complexion.

Directions for Use: Rub lemon on the skin.  You can use the peel and actually massage with much more force.  The key is to rub into the skin as much as possible.  It may take a few weeks to notice the benefits.  Remember, it take time to undo what has been done.

If you’re drinking the lemon first thing in mornings as Nadia’s previous posts suggest, you now have a use for the remaining lemon!

2.  BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES

Why?

• Blackstrap Molasses contains vitamins and minerals that are healing agents.  The nutrients contained will give the skin cells something to feed on and tone the skin
• Blackstrap Molasses will work with wrinkles that are developing and will firm a sagging jaw.
• Blackstrap Molasses will remove pimples and acne.
• Blackstrap Molasses will cleanse the skin.

Action: Will cleanse, nourish, tone, address acne and restore complexion.

Directions for Use: Apply molasses on skin every day for two weeks and leave on all night.  Work the molasses into the face as you do this, it will lose it’s stickiness.  Keep working it in.  Make sure to cover the whole face. Keep on overnight.  In the morning, the best way to remove it is with olive oil on a piece of cloth.  Splash on some cool water and pat dry your face.  The cold water will tighten up the skin.

NOTE: Honey can be used in place of Blackstrap Molasses.

3.  BENTONITE CLAY

Why?

• Bentonite Clay is a powerful clay and is one of the strongest clays.
• Bentonite Clay works similarly to charcoal in that it can absorb many times it’s own weight, thus making it able to draw out impurities from the body.
• We have a similar chemical composition to the clay found in the earth.  The only difference is that it is an inorganic form and we are made up of organic matter.  The body can still  convert the inorganic matter to organic so it will absorb the minerals in the clay and that will serve to replenish or revive the skin.
• Bentonite Clay has a tremendous therapeutic effect and can bring back the pH balance.  It will remove a lot of the Uric Acid and Purine Acid out of the system.  We have learned previously, restoring the pH balance to skin will remove the ashy-type complexion.
• Bentonite Clay is able to accelerate cellular growth, helping cells to perform more effectively and healthfully.
• Bentonite clay will tighten up the skin, encourage the removal of wrinkles and sagging skin.

Action: Will replenish, tighten, restore and purify skin.

Direction for Use: Mix 1 cup of clay and enough Olive Oil to be creamy.  The olive oil makes it softer and smoother when applying to the skin.  Stir the mixture well.  You can leave it on for 15-20 minutes or let it dry.  It will tighten up the skin.

4.  WITCH HAZEL

Why?

• Witch Hazel is an astringent as lemon is. An astringent is a substance that causes contraction of tissues on application.
• Simply, it is an agent that tightens everything up, firms and brings everything back to proper balance.

Action: Will firm the skin.

Direction for Use: Apply to the face with cotton wool and let dry.

NOTE: Distilled Witch Hazel is recommended.

As I mentioned before, I know it works.  I want you to try it and tell me about your results.  I can’t wait!…

Astringents are by far the skin care more common in the market today. In addition to being affordable, they are rarely known, have allharmful side effects. If you are cleaning agents that prevent the medication, acne, not really. Note that not recommended astringent acne are required because they can clog pores. Astringents are best for care and prevention of future breakouts, and if you have already faceless Pimple, astringents are then recommended for maintenance.

The word comes from Latin astringent "astring", meaning to bind fast. Because of thecleaning properties, astringent, it could also heal insect bites, minor cuts and other infections. They are chemicals that can shrink tissues composed mainly. Astringents, when the skin is applied to protect them effectively against harmful substances, but worse, or acne occur because the skin astringents tend to dry out, it is important to use a moisturizer after every appropriate. Be sure to stay out of sun glare orUse sunscreen.

You can try astringents counter you can find in stores pharmacy or beauty. They come, so make sure it suits you better get different concentrations. In commercial products may contain astringents silver nitrate, sulfate and zinc oxide, and benzoin. It may also contain a certain amount of bile acids and tannins. Alternatively, you can also natural products rather than synthetic products. You can try oatmeal, talc, alum, light cleaningAlcohol, Witch Hazel, and even very cold water.

To keep your face acne – without question one of the good hygiene practices. Wash your face with clean water and soap or a good scrub every night. The key to flawless skin is maintenance free. You can try using astringents, if it occurs appears to be suitable for your skin type, but remember to consult your dermatologist if the irritation.

My Links : Buy Acne Products

1) T.N Dickinson’s Witch hazel is a great inexpensive all natural astringent for the skin and can be found at your local drugstore.

2) Ever forget your blot powder or need to tone the shine down? Try a light dusting of baby powder.

3) To get a nice pout of the lips, after lipstick & gloss is applied use  concealer  and apply around the lips blending with brush.

4) To achieve an instant brow lift, apply a sheer layer of brow highlight above the brow.

5) To give lips a fuller appearance, add gold or silver to the center of the bottom lip. This technique can be applied to any lipstick or gloss. Remember to slightly blend.

6) Baking soda mixed with water gives a paste consistency that makes the perfect exfoliant.

shopping & Styling for eyeglasses:

1) consider frames size, shape, and color when choosing Frames. Gold metallic frames are best on individuals with warm or golden skin tones. Individuals with cool or olive skin tones look best in silver or pewter-colored metallic frames.

2) Dark frames make the face look smaller.

3) Thinner, more delicate frames flatters a small face.

Facial toner should not be confused with astringent, which can strip the skin of its vital acid balance due to higher concentrations of alcohol. Alcohol-free toner helps to instantly restore the natural PH level of your skin. Toning is a step usually taken after cleansing and before moisturizing. It works best to help balance the skin, remove residual cleanser, clear the pores and soothe the skin.

“Alcohol-free facial toner is a vital transition between cleansing and treatment. The Vivoderm toner, for example, is enriched with minerals and natural herbal astringents to purify hydrate and normalize the skin. The grape seed and green tea extracts soothe and tone the skin preparing it to readily receive the maximum benefits of skin care to follow,” reports Dr. Noushin Adhami, Vice President of Vivoderm Laboratories.

Natural facial toner that combines herbal ingredients, like grape seed or green tea extract work more holistically than alcohol-based astringents. Grape seed contains “oligomeric proanthocyanidin” or OPCs showing medicinal and pharmacological properties against oxidative-caused cellular stress. Radical-scavenging effects have also been reported. The bioflavonoids in grape seed are water-soluble and have antioxidant and ‘adaptogenic’ or stress-resistant properties, which help defend against a number of negative environmental factors, including smoke, radiation and chemicals. Green tea extract has been reported act as a protective agent of skin from ultraviolet light.

What all this means is, in order to achieve optimal health, your skin needs sufficient blood supply, hydration, moisture, oxygen and thickness. The natural facial toner is also a complementary part of the anti-aging prevention tools. Facial toner should promote skin health and vitality by toning the skin and retaining the skin’s natural moisture.

Even within the different categories you may find yourself faced with dozens of products that you are not sure about. What are they for? What are the supposed to do to your skin? To your pores? To your face in general?

There are several main categories you should be looking into in case you have oily skin. Each product in the category may be slightly different in its strength, physical appearance, and other properties, but as long as you have a better idea of what you want to look for, you should feel more confident in knowing what to buy.

Cleanser. This is obvious. Most people, with or without oily skin, look into finding the right cleanser. In the case of oily skin, you will want your cleanser to be oil free and strong enough to help remove oil, but not so strong as to completely erase it.

Cleansers are better than most bar soaps because they are specially formulated for facial skin and do not have some of the ingredients bar soaps have that can lead to clogged pores or worse acne due to stronger PH levels.

If you have a cleanser that can be easily washed away with just water and without the use of a washcloth, you are helping give your face an edge over acne, as washcloths can be a place for bacteria to grow.

Toner. These products are meant to be put on the face after cleansing. Toners can help remove any excess cleanser left on your face as well as dirt, makeup, and of course, oil.

Depending upon which type of toner you decide to buy, you can apply toners with damp cotton, as a spray, or by use of a tonic gauze mask. There are also different types of toners based upon their alcohol content. You can find skin bracers or fresheners which have a 0 to 10% alcohol content, skin tonics with 10 to 20% alcohol content, and astringents with 20 to 60%. As a sufferer of oily skin, you may want the latter.

Astringent. Some people skip toners or are not familiar with toners altogether and move straight to astringents, which are actually a type of toner. Astringents are the strongest form of toner, as you can see above with the 20 to 60% alcohol content, and also contain antiseptic ingredients, water, and some ingredients that are humecants.

Astringents help to dry out the skin and close pores, but if your astringent is too strong, your skin may try to make up for the oil lost and produce more. A good idea when using astringents is to use as spot treatments for specific areas of your skin that are particularly oily as opposed to wiping it all over your skin.

Mattifier. These products are becoming more widespread and have been growing in popularity. Mattifiers often come in the form of liquids, but are not moisturizers. Instead, they are meant to help control the shine oil can bring to a face.

By putting a mattifier on, you are creating a matt look to your face so you can go throughout the day without worrying about your face appearing greasy. Some mattifiers can be put on directly over makeup, and they do not contain any ingredients that will induce your skin to look or become oilier the way a moisturizer might.

Blotters. For extra oil control, you can carry around oil absorbing tissues or blotters. These are specifically made materials that are meant to soak up extra facial oil that can be used at any time.

These make for fast and easy oil removal when you are on the move and are not in a position to give your face a quick rinse.

Compiling the right products for yourself can significantly reduce your oily skin problem. Now that you know what products to look for, you have already taken the first few steps to winning the battle against oily skin.

Like people at My Beauty Hub, King and her colleagues at Nivea have taken pains to correct consumers’ commonly accepted but harmful practices in skin care. 

Conventional wisdom, for instance, dictates that the best way to manage oily skin is via regular washing with soap and water. Some even resort to strong, alcohol-based astringents to keep the shine at bay. Bad idea. 

King describes such practices as part of the “deadly cycle.” Since soap and harsh astringents have a drying effect, they strip the skin of its so-called pH balance. That’s not the end of it.

Stripping your skin of excess oil has an opposite effect. In no time at all, the brain will feel something is amiss with your skin and signal it to produce more oil. In short, the more you strip your skin of oil, the oilier it becomes. 

“That’s why we have an oil-regulating line,” King adds. “The trick isn’t to strip the face of oil, but to regulate it.” 

It seems Gonzalez and Coscolluela are right in junking soap and water in favor of more sophisticated and expensive skin cleansers. But are they brave enough to use makeup for men, especially if doing so will make them look like a brooding Johnny Depp? 

“As long as it’s not too obvious, why not?” says Gonzalez, “If the occasion calls for it, especially during evening functions, I don’t see anything wrong.” 

“I’m not going to say no, but neither am I going to say yes,” says Coscolluela. “I think they’re good products, and if they work for you, then use them. I draw the line at lipstick and nail polish. The eyeliner is something I have to think about.” 

Eyeliner for daily use? Men have indeed come a long way from their soap-and-water days. – Alex Vergara  avergara@inquirer.com.ph

What is a key important skin care habit?
Think of it as going back to basics to look better longer. When using chemically treated cosmetics, once you stop using the artificial ingredients, your progress will eventually revert back. With rinse bath & body’s special blend of ingredients, your skin will maintain all improvements naturally. After all, your skin is your biggest organ and you want to take good care of it.

Tell me about your most popular “rinse” product?
Dead Sea Mud Soap: Cocoa and Shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, mud from Israel, spearmint oil and lavender oil. This soap is so wonderful that many customers use it to treat their eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Any new products that we should be on the lookout for?
Dry Masks:
Oatbrasion: Colloidal oatmeal, honey powder, powdered pumice….great for exfoliating and moisturizing.
Dead Sea Clay Mask: this will have bentonite clay which will pull out impurities without over-stripping your skin and at the same time still replenish it with moisture.
These masks can be mixed with a tablespoon the following liquids based on your skin type:
Yogurt (for dry skin), milk-(for normal skin), and tomato juice or witch-hazel (for oily skin).

Anything else on the horizon?
Premade salt scrubs, new skin sticks and lip balms that consist of coffee butter and chocolate. They smell absolutely delicious! I’m also working on a travel pack. Perfect for when you’re on the road.

Heather is about to celebrate the “rinse bath & body” 5 year anniversary. She is proud that she still personally makes all of her products and that the soaps are hand poured and packaged. To make a reservation for the “rinse bath & body” Food School on Sunday, June 1st please call Harris & Clark, 770.463.6000. You can also visit Heather’s website at http://www.rinsesoap.com

Posted by: Julia Hurwitz

Exfoliants

Apple extract

Baking soda

Comfrey extract

Grapeseed extract

Green tea extract

Papaya extract

Strawberry extract

FYI:  Some extracts can come in the form of powder and liquid while others may come in only one type of form. Powder extracts will melt in liquid extracts, water, and hydrosols. Just heat the liquid up and pore the extract in it. If the extract doesn’t blend in as much as you prefer trying the first method then pour powder extracts in liquid before heating.  Be aware that applying more than one exfoliant at a time may be unpleasant on facial skin, it just depends on the individual.

Helps to Control Sebum

Orange blossom (neroli hydrosol)

Rose hydrosol

Astringent

Calendula hydrosol

Chamomile hydrosol

Melissa hydrosol

Orange blossom (neroli hydrosol)

Peppermint

Sandalwood hydrosol

Anti-septic

Basil hydrosol

Calendula hydrosol

Lemon hydrosol

Peppermint hydrosol

Sandalwood hydrosol

FYI: Orange blossom and neroli hydrosol are the same product.

Related Articles:

Do’s and Don’t of Oily Skin

Oily Skin: Part One