Use Natural Enzymes to Replace Plastic Scrubbing Beads

I just came across this article on The Smart Mama's blog. (She has a great blog by the way!). Wow! I never knew that those little micro (usually jojoba) scrubbing beads in alot of commercial scrubs could be killing our sea life! Anyone concerned about our planet (and that should be all of us, right??) needs to know about this. Smart Mama has already written such a good article about this issue that I don't feel the need to add more. Read the article and then try to stick to natural exfoliants.

The only thing I would suggest is be careful which natural exfoliants you use on your face... some natural exfoliants, such as crushed apricot seeds or almonds have rough edges that scratch the skin's surface. While you might not be able to see them, the scratches are still there and they are damaging to the skin's surface...and of course, the skin on your face is more delicate than the skin on the rest of your body.

I personally try to only use facial exfoliants that are based on AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) & BHA's (Beta Hydroxy Acids) from fruits (such as pineapple or grapefruit enzymes, etc). Doll Face's all-natural Hoopla Enzyme Cleansing Wash uses apple and lemon enzymes to exfoliate and is so amazing that I can actually feel it retexturizing my skin even before I rinse. I am totally addicted to the fresh Green Apple scent of this product as well.

Another of my favorite exfoliators is Kanebo's Silk Peeling Powder. This powdered exfoliant is based on silk enzymes and always leaves my skin silky (no pun intended) smooth. The packaging is designed so that when you turn it upside down it dispenses a pre-measured amount just right for one use.. and each bottle contains about 100 uses if I remember correctly (my bottle lasted forever and was well worth the money). It is also great for travel...no need to worry about leaks or spills (I dispense some into a re-usable plastic jar or a ziplock bag).. and these days it's one less thing to have to fit into your 1 quart ziplock bag of liquids for flying (not to mention it takes up less space). The big surprise of this product for me was how much it foams. You'll get lots of foam, and I use the premeasured amount that is dispensed on my face, front & back of neck, decollate, and my hands (yes, ladies, always exfoliate your hands at the same time you do your face... especially when using an enzyme exfoliant... it helps use up that leftover product that is on your hands and gives the enzymes on your face a little more time to do their work as well).

Whatever you do, please try to boycott those plastic micro scrubbing beads. Our planet will be a better place for it.

Drinking Your Skincare

Last night I was given a bottle of Borba Skin Balance Water.

Honestly, I had tried these a few years ago and thought they were "ok, but pretty expensive" ($3.00/bottle).

Today I am drinking Borba's Replenishing water with Lychee Fruit. As a lychee lover, my first reaction is, "YUM!" My second reaction is, "Wait! How many calories are in this sucker??!!" and the answer is: NONE! Borba seems to have improved their products....I mean I would grab one of these babies to quench my thirst even if it didn't do any of the below wonderful things for me:

This drink is:

*Calorie free
*Aspartame free
*Preservative free
*Sodium free
*Carb free

and made with natural flavorings (yes, these are made with fruit solids...although you can see or feel any solids).

As I look at this list of what it DOES contain, I'm impressed with many of the ingredients:

*Magnesium Gluconate
*Vitamin E Acetate
*Green Tea Extract
*Flaxseed Powder
*Vitamin A Palmitate
*Grape Seed Extract
*Zinc Picolinate

Borba's labeling tells me that this Replenishing drink provides nutrients intended to diminish dryness, sensitivity, and roughness.

Borba makes 3 other drinks for different skin needs:

*Age Defying (with Acai for aging skin, fine lines, & wrinkles. Does anybody over 20 out there 'not' need this?)
*Clarifying (with Pomegranate for oily skin, clogged pores, and impurities)
*Firming (with Guanabana fruit for elasticity, smoothness & resilience...I probably need to be drinking this by the caseload considering elasticity & sagging are my biggest, generically inherited concerns)

And if $36.00 (+ shipping) for a case of 12 bottles of Borba seems expensive, they have the crystalline packettes (you know, just like those Crystal Light ones) for $100 for a box of 60. That's 'almost' half price (and much less shipping).

I can't afford to drink these on a regular basis to see if they really can/will make a difference in my skin in the long run, but I bet they would. I would (and will) also choose these as a cold refreshing, no calorie, no preservative option to a sugary soda or flavored water on a hot sunny day anytime!

When checking out Borba's website today, I also see they've come out with topical applications of their products... now where do I get some samples of those?

C&M Couples for Valentine's Day

As we approach Valentine's Day, have you started thinking about what to give your significant other?

Are you in a hot, steamy relationship that needs a little more excitement? Or are you one of the many who have lost that original fire that once existed between the two of you? Either way, we could all benefit from C&M Couples by Life Elements.

C&M Couples is a line of high-quality, all-natural, aromatherapy based bath and body products for couples to help them create a romantic atmosphere.

These are not your average, low quality couples products in cheap, tacky packaging, but instead high-quality, natural products in sophisticated fragrances and packaging. They are carried in 4 & 5 star hotels & spas around the country... and coming soon to a location near you. (I also hear they are going to be featured in American Spa's February 2008 issue... cool!)

C&M Couples' travel set, in a sleek little silver lunch box, is the bomb... take it anywhere: throw it in your suitcase, trunk, picnic basket, keep one at the summer house, and so on and so on.

The line consists of products in 2 fragrances:

Inspire Romance: Essential oils of fruit, herbs, and spice, plus calming accents of lavender, frankincense, bergamot and more. This one is my favorite

Create Passion: Rich, warm and sensuous with hints of spices, fragrant flowers, and fruit, along with exotic notes of ylang ylang, black pepper, ginger and more.

Both are so complex...like nothing you have ever smelled before...prepare your nose for a scent scintillation.

Every product has a different scent and they layer together to create the whole experience.

Imagine...

First you light the candle in your bedroom (say perhaps after a romantic dinner &/or a bottle of champagne) and spray your linens with the Linen Mist.

Then go take a long hot bath or steamy shower with your beloved (using C&M Bath & Shower Gel, of course).

Afterwards, return to the bedroom where your heavenly scented sheets are waiting and give each other a massage using C&M's Massage Creme. Make it a Valentine's to remember...or make any day a special day with C&M Couples.

Need a little chocolate in this story? Ok, pick a box of Emily's Chocolates Milk Chocolate Covered Love Fortune Cookies with messages of love and romance inside... the perfect compliment to C&M Couples!

For those of you interested in taking the moment a step further than just massage and cuddling, C&M's Create Passion line also provides tastefully presented Lubricant and the biggest, thickest moist towlettes, appropriately called Tela D'Amor, you have ever seen. Because let's face it...once someone gets up to get a washcloth, the moment is over, the connection is lost. Use Tela D'Amor to keep that wonderful feeling and connection for as long as absolutely possible.

Oh, but wait...did I mention these are paraben free & SLS free? The packaging is 100% recyclable, and the company is 100% sustainable. They are a Co-op America member, and also offer carbon free shipping. Yes, not only are they providing great products for couples, but they are doing their best to help save the planet.

The company not only works to bring couples & families together, but also makes a positive impact in peoples lives. They partner with Achievement House Inc., a non-profit agency dedicated to providing vocational and community living services for developmentally disabled adults, to assemble and package their travel sets.

So, your purchase can not only get you some great products, it can save your marriage, save the planet, and help provide employment for adults with disabilities. What other product can do all that and provide romance and passion? This stuff is priceless!

Wishing you a romantic and passionate Valentines!!!! And remember... green is the new red for Valentines!! And while you are whoopin' it up on February 14, please lift up a prayer for those in need who might not have anyone to celebrate with.

-N-

Is it just the British?

Ok, I'm back after a long hiatus. My business has taken off and demands more and more, but I do miss Skin Wench, and it's time to get back to it!

After reading the following article, http://www.skininc.com/news/12985582.html, from today's Skin Inc. newsletter, I was extremely disappointed in the attitude of skin care in the UK, and I wonder if it is a global attitude as well.

It seems that 50% of women in the UK who wear makeup do not remove it before going to bed. 64% of those are too tired to clean their face, and more than 25% just don't care. I have to ponder whether this is reflective of women allover the world? Or is it, for some strange reason, just the British? Any thoughts?

I will admit that I have been guilty many times of being one of those who is too tired to take my makeup off, but it was never because I didn't care. Hint for those who are too tired: mineral makeup is much less harmful to your skin.

The article also offers skin care tips at www.respectyourskin.co.uk. What a spectacular name for a website Respect Your Skin! What more does one need to say? Alas perhaps it is not what we need to say, but what we need to do.....wash our faces!