Ginger Has It All

It's been a while since I've posted, and when I was using my Brazened Honey Face Mask from LUSH, I was inspired to confess my love about Ginger. (One of it's main ingredients.)

Ginger has been a skin life saver for me, and there's many reasons why! First and foremost, ginger is a great natural antiseptic because it contains zingiberene, a wonderful bacteria killing enzyme. So for all you acne sufferers that are looking for a natural alternative to Salicylic Acid, this is a great one! I also love it because it's extremely anti-inflammatory so it's great for soothing any redness that comes with breakouts. (or other skin types)

Ginger doesn't just cater to acneic skin types, it's great for aging too. It contains gingerol, a powerful antioxidant, to fight off free radicals in the air/food/sun that's around us everyday that contribute to aging. Gingerol also has great skin smoothing properties to help diminish any fine lines and wrinkles. It's also warming so it's great for increasing circulation and getting blood flow to the skin, which is also important in the aging process. It's an awesome ingredient to use in body scrubs or treatments because it's warming circulatory properties are great for fighting cellulite! It's also known for pulling toxins from the body, which is cellulites main component.

I love the ginger in Brazened Honey mask from LUSH because it warms the skin, which means it opens up my pores, which means all the wonderful ingredients from the mask can penetrate a lot easier!

Ginger is also a great ingredient to use in massage oils. It's warming nature is great for loosening up sore muscles and the scent is very therapeutic for the mind. The Hottie Massage Bar from LUSH has lots of ginger and black pepper for that very reason!

So there you have it, yet again another amazing natural skin care ingredient that caters to almost all skin types!

Homemade Antibacterial Toner

A good toner is one of my favorite skin care products. It's great at refreshing, bringing skin to it's correct PH balance, and deeply cleansing excess dirt that your cleanser may have missed. One of my favorites for more oily, acneic skin is an herbal apple cider vinegar toner. It's an easy, DIY recipe for clear, bright skin!

First things first, you have to buy organic raw apple cider vinegar that still contains 'the mother'. This is the stringy enzymes that contain all the wonderful astringent and exfoliating properties.

Next is buying some fresh antibacterial herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and lavender. These will all kill the bacteria that's causing break outs and balance out oil production. Finely chop these herbs and add them to boiling water. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Strain this mixture through a mesh seive and save the herbally liquid. Mix 2 parts herbally liquid and one part apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. And voila! A spritzy, refreshing oil balancing toner made from scratch. :)

Natural Alternatives - Part 2!

We're all concerned about aging. Whether it be fixing the wrinkles we already have, or preventing them from ever coming! Here are some natural alternatives to some of the harsh anti-aging products.

Retin A - This is a topical treatment commonly used for aging and acne. It is the acid form of Vitamin A. Retin A is extremely exfoliating to the skin, so it's constantly stimulating new cell growth. This is great for aging because new cells means brighter, new skin! It travels deep into the skin stimulating collagen and elastin production as well. And as far as acne goes, Retin A keeps the follicles extremely exfoliated.

Some effects of Retin A is extreme irritation and sensitivity, blistering (if skin is exposed to the sun), hyperpigmentation, and redness. Your skin is extremely photosensitive so any exposure to the sun is putting your skin at risk of damage

Natural Alternatives -

Rose Hip Seed Oil -  This contains a natural source of tretinoin (the active ingredient in Retin A) This molecule causes new cells to grow. It's also a great source of Vitamin C which is also great for stimulating new cell growth, brightening skin, and stimulating collagen and elastin production. This will not cause some of the sensitivities found with Retin A

Fruit Enzymes - Fruit enzymes that are found in fresh fruit juices (papaya, pineapple, grape, lime, lemon, pumpkin) are a great topical exfoliant for the skin. They digest dead skin cells that are built up on the surface revealing brighter, new skin. They brighten up sun spots and keep congested follicles nice and clear! By exfoliating, these enzymes stimulate new cell growth, collagen and elastin production, and have natural astringent qualities. You can also use them in your hair to cut through grease and tough build up!

Vodka - This is a weird one, but vodka is known for its tightening and brightening powers! It's a great astringent as well to remove any excess  dirt or oils. It tightens the skin reducing fine lines and wrinkles. It helps even out skin tone by brightening up dull spots.

Here are some products with these lovely anti-aging/exfoliating properties :)
http://www.lushusa.com/The-Sacred-Truth/06098,en_US,pd.html

http://www.lushusa.com/Ayesha/06090,en_US,pd.html?start=4

http://www.lushusa.com/Skin%27s-Shangri-La/00221,en_US,pd.html?start=1&q=skin%27s%20shangri%20la

http://www.lushusa.com/Brazened-Honey/06092,en_US,pd.html

Natural Alternatives

I love finding natural alternatives to some of the common active ingredients in over-the-counter skin care products. Here are some favorites for my skin type- which tends to be fairly oily and prone to breakouts.

Salicylic Acid - This ingredient is found in a lot of acne products and even anti-aging products as well. Salicylic Acid kills bacteria that's causing the acne, but it is also a chemical exfoliant as well. It removes layers of dead skin to keep follicles clear, but it also helps with aging because of it's exfoliation abilities.
Some negative effects of salicylic acid are severe dryness and irritation. A lot of these products with salicylic acid are very alkaline and stripping to the skin. Stripping the skins natural oil barrier causes our skin to over produce oil to compensate for lost oils. This process can actually make acne worse because there is so much excess oil being produced to make up for the lack of oils on the skin. The skin can also become sensitive and red due to the constant, harsh stripping from these products.

Natural Alternatives - Tea tree oil, rosemary, lavender, thyme, nettle, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, grape juice, sage, honey
These are all anti-bacterial herbs and ingredients which help kill bacteria causing acne. These are great alternatives to salicylic acid because they are natural and won't disrupt the skins natural barrier.
Even ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, and rose absolute can help calm and soothe redness caused by acne


Here are some products I use that are all natural and contain some of these powerful antibacterial ingredients! :)
http://www.lushusa.com/Herbalism/9999906956,en_US,pd.html?start=2

http://www.lushusa.com/Grease-Lightning/02896,en_US,pd.html?start=3

http://www.lushusa.com/Vanishing-Cream/02805,en_US,pd.html?start=2&q=vanishing%20cream