Glow

Initially turned off by the heady scent of Burt's Bees, I was determined to stay away from this brand, but after years of hearing just how "great" Burt's Bees is, I finally succumbed to the bees. 

The two items I'm currently using are:

1. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (I bought it on sale for $3.99, normally it's around $4.99)

2. Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly ($24.99, but it was a gift)

I'm very impressed with the night cream. It's not thick, not greasy, and yet very moisturizing. My skin is going through a self-discovery phase right now; some days it feels dry, other times it's oily and this product definitely keep my face hydrated without the annoying little break-outs you'd sometimes get with a "cream" product. At first when you put it on, you almost feel like "what is this?!" because it takes a while for it to sink into your skin. It feels a little tacky to the touch, like you've just rubbed liquid honey on your face (obviously since this cream is made with royal jelly, a rich, nutritious honey bee secretion). This feeling should last for a couple minutes but once the cream settles, your skin becomes really soft. The best of all, the ingredients are 99.02% natural!

I started noticing positive changes to my skin about 3 weeks after I started using the Radiance Night Cream. My skin just looks more supple, well-hydrated, and has a natural glow. The skin around my nose was a little red and flaky before and now it's taken care of, and I'm very happy with the results. It's the perfect night cream for women in their 20's who are looking for a light, nourishing night cream to keep the soft lines at bay!

I was not so impressed with the lip balm however. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it really didn't win over my heart. I thought the cooling effect of the menthol was pleasing, and the 100% natural ingredients aspect was awesome, but the balm wasn't as moisturizing as I had hoped it would be. I felt like I really had to "push" the lip balm onto my lips and it didn't glide on as smoothly as my other lip balms from Dessert Essence, perhaps it's just because it's a brand new tube? My lips just didn't feel super hydrated at all, it didn't "wow" me and I had to reapply 30 minutes later. I have a hard time imagining this as my go-to lip balm when I have seriously chapped lips but I will give this lip balm a chance just because one night I put it on before I went to sleep and I did wake up with very soft lips. 

Overall, I think Burt's Bees have some great products, but not everything lives up to the hype. It's all about personal preference. I give the Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly a 8/10 and the Beeswax lip balm a 7/10

Ever notice how your skin changes when a new season rolls around? Just when you thought you finally had your skin under control, it starts up a whole new fuss--whether it's breaking out or flaking out, you don't have to be freaking out.

* If you're suffering from break-outs, don't immediately reach for a heavy-duty cleanser as it can further irritate your skin and cause more break-outs. Instead, try using a sea-salt skincare toner or sea-salt towel mask. Dissolve a tablespoon of sea-salt in a cup of water and use it as a regular toner. The salt will act as a disinfectant for your skin and relieve inflammation. You can also use a warm and damp towel and toss sea-salt all over one side of it and press that side of the towel onto your face and leave it for 5-10 minutes. The heat and dampness of the towel will dissolve the salt and let it seep into your skin.

* If you're suffering from dry, flaking skin, try exfoliate your skin once a week with a gentle facial brush and always put on an emollient moisturizer right after you wash your face, when your skin is still a little damp to lock in moisture. I think moisturizers that contain honey are great for dry skin because honey is a natural moisturizer that our ancestors have been using for centuries. The only honey moisturizer that I've ever used is from Burt's Bees but I'm sure other brands work just as well. Just make sure honey is near the top of the ingredients list or else the product probably won't give you the benefit of honey. 

 I also recommend a honey and yogurt mask: just add a teaspoon of warm honey to 2 teaspoons of yogurt. Apply to face (avoiding the eye area of course) and wait for 10 minutes and wash it off with warm water. 

* If you're suffering from rosacea or skin allergies, the first thing you should do is simplify your beauty routine. The less products you use on your face, the less chance of you causing irritation. Use only a gentle, fragrance-free face wash and moisturizer and resist the urge of piling make-up on your face to hide the redness. I used to have bad rosacea and my skin just looked red all the time. I remember getting all sorts of green powders and green concealers to counteract the redness and believe me, it was stupid! I ended up looking like the incredible hulk and needless to say, I stopped using them. 

I found that the easiest and fastest way to relieve these symptoms is to wash your face with cool water. After I switched to a gentle cleanser and started washing my face with cool water, my rosacea gradually went away. If your skin allergy persists and you have little red bumps on your skin, avoid using perfume and scented hairspray, avoid inflammatory foods such as coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, peanuts, red meat and processed/fast foods. Look for natural skincare products that contain aloe, feverfew, or colloidal oatmeal as these all help with healing the skin and calming irritation. 

My newest skincare adventure?
After only two weeks of using the J.R. Watkin's Aloe Vera and Green Tea body lotion, I raised the white flag.

My initial excitement about that lotion has now subsided and I'm left with a good-looking bottle of lotion that does nothing. The only consolation I have is that it smells nice, but what good does that do?

Defeated, I pushed the bottle aside and started from square one. I went around to every local supermarket that carries natural skincare lines and tested a whole bunch of body lotions and finally found my match:

Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Lotion 532mL $8.99

I admit I was first attracted to this lotion because of its size. Compared to other organic/natural body lotions that come in only petite packages, this bottle actually looked like it could last me for more than a couple months, so I thought: why not?

I didn't read the ingredients list right away. I learned that it doesn't matter if the product has a truck load of natural ingredients that promise to do everything, if it doesn't moisturize, it's just a useless mixture that costs money. So I let the back of my hand make the decision, and it LOVED this lotion. The scent instantly won me over. Does it smell like pomegranate? No...Sunflower? No....The smell is closer to a tropical fruit blend--mangos and peaches, oranges and pineapples. The texture is not super rich but it is very blendable and it seems to penetrate my skin right away, leaving a silky finish. Unlike the previous J.R Watkin's lotion that looked and felt rich but failed to spread easily and keep moisture in my skin, this pomegranate sunflower lotion is much lighter and much more spreadable and hydrates very well. Just a little dab of it goes a long way. Feeling great about its moisturizing properties, I picked up the bottle and started reading the ingredients list.

The product claims to be great for all skin types and that it is "rich in powerful antioxidants and skin-protecting botanicals". It contains antioxidant-rich pomegranate and red tea, aloe, calendula and marshmallow. Yes, marshmallow. Not your Rice Crispies' marshmallow, but a plant that has emollient properties. It also contains sunflower seed oil and many many other plant extracts and of course, it is paraben-free and pH balanced.

Although I was impressed by this lotion right away, I didn't immediately put it in my shopping basket. Instead, I went to the library next door and browsed books for an hour before I headed back to the store shelf and made the purchase. Why? After my last stint with J.R.Watkin's moisturizer, I learned the importance of testing a moisturizer's ability to last before I make an impulsive decision. I was happy to see that my hands stayed soft after an hour of sifting through books and a good handwashing afterwards. I had a very dry, flaky patch of skin on my right wrist and this lotion gave me much-needed relief and kept it smooth even long after. The non-greasy formula that this lotion claims to have really stood up to its promise. It didn't leave a greasy feeling on my hands and I didn't have an angry librarian yelling at me for leaving oily fingerprints on book pages. Overall, I was ecstatic with the results. A great product for natural skincare!

Before I moved to Canada, there was only one type of vinegar in my known world--a dark, pungent liquid that my mom kept in our cupboard--the Chinese vinegar. And so I grew up thinking that there was only one type of vinegar in this universe and was satisfied with just this one choice and happily stayed oblivious to the vast array of vinegars out there--until I walked into a Canadian grocery store and fainted at the sight of a whole shelf of different vinegars.

Apple cider, Japanese, white, sherry, red wine, balsamic...

The world has gone mad.

Slowly, I grew accustomed to the idea that vinegar had many different looks and tastes and learned to use vinegar not only in cooking, but in my beauty routine as well. That's when I discovered that vinegar, this humble kitchen sidekick, is pure genius.

I've been using apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse to treat a sudden bout of uncontrollable dandruff that seized my scalp this winter. My head felt so itchy and the flakes were so overwhelming that I was afraid to move my head too much as I tore my way through the store crowd and landed in front of the shampoo section. I looked closely at a few dandruff shampoo items. Head&Shoulders? Been there done that. I picked up another bottle that seemed promising and gagged in disbelief. coal tar? Then I gagged even more as my eyes shifted to the price tag. $14.99?!

Desperate for a solution to my flaking problem but feeling uneasy about putting coal tar on my hair, I turned to a store clerk for advice, who in turn informed me that apple cider vinegar was on sale for $0.99. Curious and fascinated by her description of the wonders of vinegar as a scalp treatment, I purchased a jar and hurried home.

I mixed 1 part vinegar and about 4 parts warm water and poured the mixture on my head in the shower. Instantly, the smell of vinegar exploded in my nose and filled my bathroom. I felt a stinging sensation on my scalp because I've been scratching my head so much that the skin was a little raw. After the initial sting subsided, I noticed that the itching has stopped and I continued to shampoo and condition as usual. It was so simple and effective that I started using this rinse every time I shampooed.

So why is vinegar a great solution to hair woes?

The acidity of vinegar exfoliates the scalp and removes the dead skin cells commonly known as dandruff. It also regulates the pH level on your scalp and strips buildup on your hair caused by different products.

The result? soft and shiny hair that looked and felt light. I noticed extra volume in the body of my hair, making the overall style fuller. Most importantly, the vinegar rinse relieved itching and delivered a HUGE improvement in the appearance of dandruff. 

I also use the vinegar rinse on my hands to keep them soft. Some people even dilute vinegar with water and use it as a toner on their faces, and I've done so in the past when I had oily type skin and it worked wonders on pimples and acne scars. It's a natural way to exfoliate and renew skin cells. It also faded unsightly tan lines around my face in record time! I must warn you however, that using a vinegar rinse on your face is tricky and the key is to use a little vinegar and a lot of water, NEVER the other way around.

Vinegar beverages are sprouting up everywhere in Asian countries. Sounds gross? These flavoured vinegar drinks are very popular among Asian women due to its natural detox effects and weight control benefits. I tried making my own vinegar drink at home by mixing 1 shotglass full of apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of honey and a large cup of water. The taste was a little unkind at first, but nothing that a health fanatic like me can't handle. If I can drink a shot of wheatgrass or raw broccoli juice blended with beet, I can drink anything...

I remember blinking my curious eyes as a little child who first laid eyes on the different vinegars, each in its own unique bottles with its own interesting colour. Years later, I continue to be amazed by the almighty vinegar. Not only does it keeps my skin and hair soft, it  purifies my body inside and out.

My next goal? Experiment with and indulge in all kinds of vinegar and rediscover its beauty over and over again. Just imagine how horrible it would have been if there indeed was only one kind of vinegar in the world like I thought and we were all forced to embrace just one kind of beauty.

Most of us probably have had some experience with facial masks of some kind, whether they're homemade fruit masks or expensive and luxurious masks that we've tried at the spa. I personally prefer DIY masks over any other ready-made mask products out there simply because I like to play with different ingredients, and today I'm going to talk about the pure green clay mask from the company A.Vogel that I bought from a local Caper's a year ago. I've never heard of A.Vogel before then, but seeing that their slogan stated "Pioneer in Natural Health-Since 1923" and that the product contained nothing but pure clay, I decided that it was natural enough and safe enough to give it a try. 

This green clay mask came in a 900g box at an unbelievably low price: $16.99. Its label says that it's 100% non-ionized surfine green clay from Germany, and it's best for oily and problem skin. Since the clay is in powder form, you have to mix it with water to form a paste. You can also add other ingredients such as aloe and green tea as an enhancer to the clay, to help calm your blemish-prone skin and promote healing. 

I usually mix this clay powder as follows: 

2 teaspoons of green clay + 1 1/2 teaspoon of cold water 

Stir the mixture until it forms a smooth paste that's not runny or too thick either.

Make sure the mixing container is not made of metal since it ionizes the clay. I use a glass jar and a wooden spoon to do this. I let the mixture sit for an hour as instructed in the booklet and I spread the paste as evenly and as thinly as possible over my face and any other area on my body that may be oily( like chest and back).  

ALWAYS avoid the eye area because the skin around there is very sensitive and delicate and plus, you don't want any powder clay falling in your eyes. The paste brings an instant cooling sensation to my skin very similar to the effects of mint. It calms any inflammation due to acne and it draws out impurities and detoxifies the skin as it dries. When the mask is completely dry, you can even see the little dark spots where the oil and dirt was sucked out of your pores. I always get a feeling of tremendous accomplishment when I see these dark green spots because I know my pores are finally clean!

I usually wash the mask off in the shower with an exfoliating cleanser just before the clay completely dries because if you wait until the paste looks like the Nevada desert, the powder would start to loosen and shake off of your face and then you'd have to tiptoe to the bathroom to avoid leaving a trail of clay in your house. I've tried getting if off at the bathroom sink before and it proved to be a total disaster! Not only did the water splash everywhere, carrying the gooey green stuff all over the counter, it also got into my hair and onto my clothes. Plus, you really need to rinse your face very very well because if you don't, you'll end up with a powdery look all day.

This green clay mask can also be used in mud baths and body wraps, although I've never had the guts to try these treatments at home due to the immensity of the clean-up process afterwards. This mask is definitely a worthy investment for those who have oily and blemish-prone skin because it makes a significant difference to the T-zone area. If you have normal to dry skin however, don't even think about touching this clay because it's much too overdrying for any other skin types. A 900g box would last you at least 6 months if applied once a week--an economic, safe, and natural alternative to any other chemical masks out there!

My first "green" body lotion was a gift from a friend. It was an orange tube with the brand "Jason" slapped on the front of it. Although it was leaps and bounds above any conventional moisturizer that was full of useless chemicals, it failed to win over my heart with its funny organic scent and hideous packaging. It did however, open my eyes to another world of body lotions, where things that I rub onto 98% of body doesn't have to be all artificial and possibly harmful to my health. 

Since then, I've been keeping my eye out for a new natural moisturizer that doesn't cause a crater in my bank account, but I've been largely unsuccessful. Some of the big names in organic toilettries do deliver a whole variety of body lotions that promise all sorts of wonderful effects without the toxins, but they are so out of my student budget that I literally cringe in the store aisle. How do they expect someone like me to overlook the HUGE bottle of Jergens that sells at $6.99 and go for a tiny bottle that costs 3 times as much? They must think they can rob me blind!

So I always just browse through these products, never fully committing myself to anyone of them--until today. Today, I took the plunge and took one home, legally of course. It's from the brand J.R.Watkins Natural Apothecary, in the Aloe and green tea formula. At a decent 325ml size, it sold for $8.99 on sale. It claims to be 97.8% natural, Paraben- free, Phthalate-free, Propylene Glycol-free, and dye-free. This brand is certified by the Natural Products Association and this lotion contains many natural extracts such as shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, green tea extract, aloe to name a few. With all these natural extracts however, it does contain some artificial ingredients like glycerin, fragrance, and sodium hydroxide. 

This lotion has such a cool packaging. It's in a retro-looking bottle that resembles antique medicine bottles from the 1900's. I adore this kind of design because I'm addicted to history and I like things that remind me of the past.

                                                      

I tested this product in store. It's a rich, white lotion with a FANTASTIC flowery scent. It spread very evenly onto my skin and felt very smooth and didn't feel tacky or greasy at all. It absorbed quickly into my skin and left a divine smell on my hands just like I thought it would. However, it wasn't as rich as I had hoped it would be, but I find that a common problem with organic/natural moisturizers, that they just seem to lack that bit of  "OOMPH". 

In the end, I bought this lotion anyways. It contains a lot of natural extracts that heal and protect the skin and I really like the fact that it's Paraben-free. Paraben preservatives have been linked to breast cancer and although science hasn't fully proven this to be true, since it does nothing to improve the quality of the product, why not live without it? I also fell in love with the scent because it added a little bit of summer to the dreary winter days and lifted my mood instantly.

Overall, I give this lotion an 8/10 and would definitely buy it again.

For reviews on J.R.Watkin's Head To Toe Kit, please check out ShimmerMeBlue: J.R. Watkins Head to Toe Kit Review

Update: After 2 weeks of applying this lotion I must admit it fell flat. It failed to keep moisture in my skin and leaves a tight feeling on my skin after applying. It's just not good enough for the winter days. I downgrade this lotion to 4/10 and would not purchase this again.

Love going to the spa? Like the fresh glow on your skin after an afternoon of pampering? You can also have a facial at home with 100% natural ingredients--things you find in your pantry or fridge. Here's how:

1. Exfoliate with a brown sugar scrub. Mix brown sugar with some honey and gently exfoliate in circular motion.

A few weeks ago, I fell to the temptation of grapeseed oil.

Grapeseed oil, a neutral carrier oil full of antioxidants and fantastic fatty acids that supposedly will "keep you looking young forever", was a brand new concept to me at the time. I did some research online and visited several other blogs where people have tried this holy oil and went GA-GA over it.

So there I was, at my local natural foods store, staring at a bottle of Italy-imported grapeseed oil, secretly chuckling in my mind because I thought I had discovered the fountain of youth. "Every night before I sleep until I die." I said that to myself, imagining me as a wrinkle-free, radiant 80-year-old. 

So that night, I rubbed this stuff all over my face. It was light, odourless, and it seemed to penetrate into my skin unlike other oils that just sit on top. I liked it instantly.

The next morning, I woke up feeling kind of....itchy. I looked at my groggy face in the mirror and noticed that something was off. My skin, instead of looking renewed and vibrant, looked...off. I shook my head in self-denial. "NO! NO! Grapeseed oil is awesome! Every night before I sleep until I die..." I convinced myself, still grasping at the dream of becoming the world's hottest grandmother.

A few days later, I was deep in the realm of uncontrollable skin itch. A rash had appeared whever the oil had touched, sparing nothing, not even *cough* my boobs.

After 2 nights of unrest I gave into Benadryl and officially parted ways with this oil. Although it is a great natural oil and usually calms allergic reactions instead of causing it, it just isn't for me. 

How did I finally get rid of the terrible rash? I had to stop using all my usual cleansers because even Dove was too harsh for me. I switched to Aveeno Moisturizing Bar with natural Collodial Oatmeal. This bar is soap-free and it's made with powdered oatmeal. I spotted this soap bar in a corner at the drugstore and was immediately attracted to the calming aspect. I took it home and opened the box and....

Plain jane...very very modest-looking soap. It smelled like oatmeal, looked like ground-up oatmeal, and just lacked any physical appeal. It felt nice and smooth on my skin and didn't irritate the rash like my other cleansers. The next day, I saw a BIG improvement to the texture of my skin and the redness was reduced. 

Since when did women's skincare get so complicated? My mother's mother used cooking oil to prevent wrinkles and my mother uses Vaseline and now suddenly women everywhere are bombarded with all sorts of secret active ingredients like blah-blah-peptide-complex, this-and-that extract.

OMG

Too much work, too little result.

Here's 10 Tips to easy skincare that will make your life easier and looking prettier without breaking the bank and making a fuss...not too much anyway.

1. Wear an SPF15+ moisturizer everyday (freckles at 4 is cute, agespots at 40 isn't). It doesn't have to be an expensive one, just make sure it's "broad-spectrum". I use Dove, it costs less than $10 and it works fine.

2. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser ONCE a day. No matter who says what, your face is not that dirty in the morning. Gently pat your face with a warm facecloth in the morning and end with a splash of cold water. If you have oily skin, yeah sure, wash twice a day with a cleanser targeted for oily skin.

3. 1-minute facial massage everynight after you wash your face works wonders. It boosts skin elasticity and promotes renewal and circulation. Gently draw little outward circles on your cheeks with your fingers and do the same for forehead and chin. For the skin around your eyes, use ringfinger only! Gently stroke the skin from the inner corner to the outer corner.  Use a good extra-virgin-olive-oil or simply Vaseline for the massage. Wipe off excess afterwards or you'll be looking at oily pillowcases and sheets in the morning.

4. Drink plenty of water. Sure, Dr.Oz said that drinking fluids have nothing to do with better skin but really nothing looks worse than a face dressed in pretty make-up and thrown off by parched lips.

5. You DON'T need a toner. That's right, toners are useless. Unless you dabbed into serious face-paint, I don't see why your normal cleanser can't take off the junk for you if you cleanse properly. Forget about the advertised benefits about toners. They don't minimize pores, NOTHING will. They're just more chemicals packaged in pretty bottles that make you think you're doing something good for your face. Instead, try using chilled rose water, chilled green tea or chilled mint water.

6. Exfoliate once a week. Try this: pour a quatre-size amount of sugar onto your palm and mix it with a dab of any moisturizer and exfoliate away!

7. Take the stairs. Walk to work if you can. Push the shopping cart with more effort. ANY exercise will do. Just get your heart going and you'll see a rosy glow on your cheeks.

8. Reduce sugar in your diet. Sugar ages you BIG time.

9. EAT avocados. You need the good fat for your skin to look alive. Just don't go overboard.

10. Try Chinese Goji berries. They're packed with Vitamin C and help with blood circulation.

Look in the mirror after a while, you'll notice a new glow to your skin!