Category: Skin

These 2 Small Changes Had A Major Impact On My Skin

Published on by Lee3 Comments

It’s amazing when you find an insane new formula that makes all your skin dreams come true. It might be the perfect pimple treatment, a new cream that’s making your fine lines disappear, or even just a serum that is giving your skin a legit glow. But, there’re two super simple things I’ve started doing to my skin that have made an incredible difference.

The first step – and I cannot tell you enough how important this is – is the process of double cleansing. Double cleansing basically means washing your face twice, which is essential because cleansing once will hardly even make a dent in the makeup on your skin – especially if you love wearing as much makeup as I do. By thoroughly cleansing, not only is all the dirt, oil, and makeup completely gone, but it means that your following skincare steps can penetrate deeper and better absorb into your skin, as there’s no barrier.

The most effective double cleansing method is to use an oil cleanser first, and then follow with a water-based cleanser that suits your skin type, like a gel, foam or cream. If you don’t have an oil cleanser, you can wash twice using your usual cleanser. And remember to take your time; gently massage your skin to make sure the cleanser can work its way into your pores. I like to spend at least 40 – 60 seconds on both cleanses, as this will also give time for any skin-boosting ingredients to perform. Check out my full guide and tips on how to double-cleanse properly here.

The second skincare trick I swear by has meant that the performance of each of my products has improved, and I’ve seen a massive change in my skin without even replacing my products. It’s as easy as switching the order that I apply my creams and oils – I used to use my face oil after toning, and I’ve noticed a huge difference since I made oil my last step. Layering your skincare in the right order is quite possibly one of the most important things you should learn. For example, if you apply a moisturizer before your serum and eye cream, because moisturizers have occlusives in (ingredients that create a barrier on your skin), the potent ingredients in your serum and eye cream wouldn’t even get a chance to penetrate your skin and work their magic. Typically, the rule is to always apply the most lightweight formulas first, finishing with the heaviest creams and oils. Check out my in-depth guide to layering products like a pro here next week.

Finally, the most important thing I’ve found when trying new skincare products is to do it one by one. I know it’s tempting if you’ve just bought a few new skincare products to start using them all at once, but if you do, you won’t know which are the ones improving your skin and which could potentially be breaking you out. So try to be patient, and don’t forget to double cleanse and ensure you layer your skincare in the right order. I hope you guys find this helpful, and let me know in the comments if you have any other skin concerns you’d like advice on.

Mind Blowing: This Basic Beauty Step Is THE Most Important Of Them All

Published on by Lee6 Comments

When writing about beauty 24/7, sometimes it’s easy to forget that the skincare steps we’re so used to aren’t necessarily a worldwide phenomenon. While there are certain steps in your skincare routine that could be skipped now and again, there’s one thing above all, that should never, repeat never, be skipped – especially if you like to wear makeup as much as I do. The basic essential beauty step? Double cleansing, aka washing your face twice – I told you it was basic! If you’re already in on the secret, tell your friends, because honestly, you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t double cleanse.

Double cleansing is THE fundamental rule of K-Beauty routines and a must for anyone wearing makeup. At the end of the day, if you’re not removing pollution and bacteria that can lead to breakouts, aging, and rashes, then no amount of moisturizer can fix that. It also means that your next layers of products won’t be able to effectively penetrate your skin.

Think about it, when you wash your face once, all you’re really doing is removing the makeup on top of your skin – you’ll notice if you’ve ever used toner after, that there’s still plenty of makeup left on your skin. This is why washing twice is SO important, as the second wash will actually be able to do its job, penetrating your pores and remove impurities from your skin. Especially if your face wash contains active ingredients like salicylic acid which targets blackheads, or AHAs that gently get rid of dead skin cells. But it is possible to overwash; in the morning or if you haven’t worn any makeup all day, you don’t need to double cleanse.

How to double cleanse:

The technical way to do it is to start with a cleansing oil, and then use a water-based cleanser:

Step 1: The cleansing oil works to break down makeup, SPF, pollution, and sebum on the surface of the skin. This is a super gentle way of removing dirt as the oil binds with impurities and is washed away without stripping your skin. They’re also made up of natural oils, which are antibacterial and packed with antioxidants that help to improve your skin texture while retaining your skin’s typical moisture level. Shop cleansing oils here.

Step 2: Using a water-based cleanser (like a foam, gel, or cream) will remove any water-based impurities like sweat and dirt, while it’s also able to clean deeper into your pores. Another important thing to remember is to massage both your oil and water-based cleanser into your skin for at least a minute each. If you only do it quickly it won’t give your skin time to absorb the restoring and treating properties of your cleanser. Think of it like brushing your teeth, you need to do it for at least two minutes. Shop water-based cleansers here.

TIPS: If you don’t yet own a cleansing oil, you can still double cleanse, just use your face wash twice. We’ll be honest, on the days when we really cake it on, sometimes we even go three times, using micellar water as our final step. It’s also important to make sure you use warm water. If it’s too hot it can strip your skin of its natural oils and make acne or rosacea worse, so stick to lukewarm water. If it’s your day for exfoliating, do this after your double cleanse.

No matter what your skin type, trust us, if you’re oily or acne-prone a cleansing oil is still amazing – it will actually help with blackheads! You can find different cleansing oils that have different ingredients to benefit different skin concerns, and it’s the same with your water-based cleanser. Check out our guide for finding the best cleanser for your skin type here.

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If These Celebs Swear By This $1 Beautifying Ingredient, I Want It Too

Published on by Lee3 Comments

There’s nothing more satisfying than finding something completely awesome for your skin that costs next to nothing. It’s even better when you know that incredibly gorgeous celebs like Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah (and the A-list list goes on!) credit their stunning figures and glowing skin to the same thing. Jessica Alba uses it in a smoothie to boost energy levels, Jennifer Aniston relies on it to keep fit and trim, and Lady Gaga swears by it for reducing her stress levels – we all know what stress does to our skin! The genius ingredient is green tea; its impressive qualities include the power to lower your sebum levels and fight against acne, reduce sun damage, flatten puffy eyes, and even diminish wrinkles. It’s literally the answer to all our prayers – for our skin and our bodies!

The magical ingredient comes from the Camellia sinensis leaves that originate in China. Green tea leaves have extremely high-levels of polyphenols, aka micronutrients that come from plants, which are packed with antioxidants that protect against skin-damaging free-radicals, infections, toxins, and even some cancers. Not only is green tea super inexpensive, but you can use it topically and internally for MAJOR health benefits – even lowering bad cholesterol and detoxing your body. Put the kettle on now; guarantee you’ll be wanting a brew…

The difference between green tea and matcha green tea: Green tea is referred to as your standard tea bag filled with dry leaves, and it needs to be brewed for a couple of minutes to release the goodness. Once brewed you can discard the leaves and drink the tea, or you can use the brewed leaves to make a mask. Matcha is green tea leaves that have been dried and finely ground, which you ingest completely, making matcha a much more intense dose of goodness. Matcha contains 137 times more EGCGs (powerful antioxidants, up to 50 times stronger than vitamin C and E) than green tea does, so you would need to drink around 10 cups of green tea to get the same benefits that you would from one cup of matcha green tea. Look out for organic matcha tea like this one.

Find Your Zen: Believe it or not, having a green tea brew will actually chill you out. The tea lowers cortisol levels (stress hormones) and contains an amino acid called L-Theanine that gives a calming effect and helps your brain to focus.

Fight against wrinkles: Free-radicals attack our skin and breakdown skin cells to deplete skin’s elasticity, causing sagging and wrinkles – they’re our ultimate nemesis! Fortunately, the high-levels of antioxidants (the best kind: catechins and polyphenols) in green tea help our skin cells to fight against the damage done by free radicals. They can both slow down the signs of aging and contribute to reverse skin damage.

Combat acne: Drinking green tea works in numerous ways to combat acne: your skin produces less sebum, your inflammation levels are reduced (that’s what causes pimples to get all red and angry), and your immune system is bolstered. The aforementioned EGCG is also a potent regulator of your hormones, in particular, male hormones, which cause your glands to produce excess sebum. Combined with its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it makes a fierce face mask. Combine a tablespoon of matcha tea with a tablespoon of honey, or matcha tea with yogurt to balance and soothe your skin.

Reduce sun damage: Green tea can’t block UV rays like sunscreen can, but instead, it fights damaging free-radicals and reduces inflammation that the sun causes – it can even destroy cancerous skin-cells. To get the full benefits you can drink green tea and use it as a toner in the morning: dip a cotton pad in a cup of cooled green tea and wipe it across your face.

Boost energy levels and shed pounds: There’s a reason green tea is favored in Hollywood and among models, it’s been clinically proven to boost your metabolism and increase your bodies ability to burn fat. It’s caffeine content – about a quarter the amount of coffee’s – increases your energy and concentration levels, which can improve physical performance and mobilize fatty acids to be used for energy. A matcha smoothie makes the perfect pre-workout or morning wake-up replacement for your cup of coffee. Make a smoothie with one banana, one spoon of matcha green tea powder, ice, almond milk or coconut water (enough to cover all your ingredients in a blender), one tablespoon of almond or peanut butter, and a sprinkling of granola, you can even add a date or honey as a natural sweetener.

Deflate puffy eyes: Green tea bags make the perfect under eye treatment: the caffeine shrinks blood vessels, while the tannins constrict capillaries. Brew two tea bags for a couple of minutes, remove and place in the fridge until chilled (around 30 minutes – they should be cold but not dry) place the tea bags under your eyes and chill out for half an hour.

Even just drinking a green tea every day will do your body good, and it’s another alternative to help you reach your daily water target. It’s insanely good when you use it topically too, so play around with different recipes and find what works for you. There’s also an insane amount of products starring green tea, in case DIY isn’t your thing, check them out at ToGoSpa here.

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5 Easy Food Swaps Your Skin Will Thank You For

Published on by Lee3 Comments

The bottom line is, you could have the most amazing beauty regime consisting of dozens of miracle products, but if you’re not eating well and drinking plenty of water, it’s going to negatively affect your skin. You have to remember, your skin is the largest organ in your body, so if you’re not providing it with the right nutrients, minerals, and vitamins, you’re more likely to experience dull skin and breakouts. But don’t worry, I am not suggesting you drastically change your diet and only eat steamed broccoli, instead, try just a few healthy food swaps; cut out the bad stuff and replace it with something more nutritional. I promise, it won’t even feel like your making a sacrifice, and you’ll be trading in skin aggravating ingredients for beauty-boosting foods – it really is a no-brainer.

Swap lattes for Americanos and green tea

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from countless dermatologists and celebrity nutritionists, it’s that we should avoid dairy (more specifically milk) as much as possible. The reason being, dairy is full of hormones and when you consume it, it’ll cause your other hormone levels to rise; including testosterone and progesterone. These hormones are the main cause of excess oil and sebum, which can block your pores and trigger breakouts. So try and stay away from milky lattes, and trade it in for either a black coffee or an almond milk latte. Almond milk is full of skin-loving vitamins like vitamin E, which helps strengthen your skin’s epidermis layer while giving it a healthy glow. But, possibly the healthiest trade, would be to ditch your latte and have a Green Tea instead, which can lower oil production, fight against acne, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sun damage while removing toxins from your body. Plus, it’s practically calorie-free.

Trade milk chocolate for dark chocolate or cacao

Ok, so I have to admit, this trade may take a little bit of time to get used to, but once you’ve committed to this health swap, you’ll be thanking me. Chocolate doesn’t just contain dairy; it’s also really high in refined sugars and white sugars, which are bad news for your skin. Sugar can dehydrate your skin, cause inflammation, and it can even cause premature aging (digested sugar attaches to the collagen in your skin, breaking it down rapidly). Obviously, I’m not suggesting that you give up chocolate entirely (I’m not crazy!), just opt for dark chocolate cacao-based sweet treats instead. Dark chocolate and cacao are the rawest form of chocolate bean and aren’t sweetened, and they actually have a ton of health benefits! I know they may taste slightly bitter, but they both contain beauty-boosting anti-oxidants and will improve blood circulation so that more oxygen is delivered to your skin, leaving it looking radiant AF. Just make sure your dark chocolate is 75% or more, or find some delicious cacao recipes here.

Swap butter or oil for grapeseed oil

Even though it may taste great, cooking with butter or sunflower oil isn’t good for your health or your skin. Both are super high in cholesterol, which triggers your body to produce more hormones, thereby increasing your oil production, making breakouts more common. Cold-pressed grapeseed oil, however, reduces harmful cholesterol. It also has a very high ‘smoke point;’ the temperature at which oil begins to smoke – the higher the smoke point, the better. So next time you’re cooking, reach for the grapeseed oil to improve your health and your skin.

Switch sugar for Manuka honey

As mentioned, white refined sugars aren’t good for your skin, so you should try and avoid them wherever possible. Instead, try using honey to sweeten your food, more specifically Manuka honey – whether that’s in your morning coffee, your oatmeal, or in your cooking.  Not only will it help you curb your sugar cravings, but since honey is a natural humectant, it will make your skin super soft, whether applied topically or ingested. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, so it will help remove toxins from your body while improving digestion. Manuka honey is especially beneficial as it’s the rawest form of honey, which is free from preservatives and has a higher concentration of nutrients.

Swap soda or fruit drinks for detox water

The truth is, no matter if your fav soda or fruit juice is ‘calorie-free’ or ‘not from concentrate,’ a soda or fruit juice is never going to do good things for your skin. Not only are these soft drinks high in refined sugars (the average can of soda contains 8g of sugar), but sodas also contain nasty chemicals such as aspartame, which make you crave more sugar. And when it comes to fruit-based drinks, like orange juice, although that may seem like a healthier alternative to a can of Coke, chances are it’s full of sweeteners and additives that’ll dehydrate your skin and steal that glow your favorite face oil promises to deliver. Instead, make your own detox water that will hydrate your skin and rid it of toxins that cause inflammation. Check out BLB Readers fav detox water recipes here.

For more beauty-boosting miracle foods, check out this post. Let me know if you have any other healthy food swaps in the comments below.