Tag: natural

5 Miracle Foods That Will Help You Detox – Fast!

Published on by Lee1 Comment

As much as we all love a burger, we know it’s not going to help us get that glossy skin and beautiful mane we lust after. Sure, now and again it’s no harm, but no matter how much money you spend on miracle products, if you’re not taking care of what you put into your body, your newest potion is never going to reach its full potential. These five superfoods, however, will make you feel beautiful from the inside out and I swear in just a week, we’ve been able to notice a difference in our hair and our skin. Plus, by eating healthy you’ll have more than just extra energy and great hair, your concentration and mood will improve too. These five ingredients are so good you’ll want to bathe in them – and btw, I have the recipes so that you can:

Chia Seeds – The Glow-Getter 

Don’t be fooled by their size, these tiny seeds are literally full of beauty-boosting minerals and antioxidants. They’re super high in Omega 3, so they’ll give you the ultimate glow while reducing any inflammation or dryness. The amazing seeds also increase your blood circulation, thereby giving you more even skin. You can sprinkle the seeds on pretty much anything, from your yogurts and smoothies to your salads. I love mixing them with almond milk and honey for a delicious breakfast snack with fruit.

Chia Seed and Lavender Face Mask DIY:
My favorite Chia Seed DIY will gently exfoliate your skin leaving you feeling baby soft with a J Lo glow. Mix 2 teaspoons of Chia Seeds with 4 tablespoons of water, then add 2 drops of lavender oil. Massage it onto your face and leave the mix on your skin for 10 minutes, then just wash away with warm water.

Medjool Dates – Acne Banisher, Youth Booster

Medjool Dates are desert plants, originally from the Middle East. Most Medjool Date Palm Trees sold in Florida come from California fruit producers that are selling off the older, less productive cultivars to make room for newer, better fruiting cultivars. Plus, there aren’t well adapted here because it rains more in Florida than California. Dates (the fruit) can be produced in North Florida and South East US if planted correctly. It is best to choose cultivars that are more tolerant of humidity and rain.

Luckily, Target sells Medjool– I’m obsessed! But, not just because they’re mega tasty, they’re also a rich source of fiber, which will support your metabolism and help you debloat. In the Middle East, some like to use them to break their fast during Ramadan, as they’re great energy boosters – making them an ideal snack (just stick to a few though as they’re high in sugar). Medjool Dates are also a great source of copper, which helps your body absorb more iron allowing your skin to produce more collagen. Dates can even help reduce redness and will work as an anti-inflammatory, so if you’re acne-prone, ditch the crisps and grab a date!

Medjool Date and Honey Mask DIY:
De-pit 3 to 4 dates and blend with 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey (both rich in vitamin B) to formulate a thick paste. Spread this mix on your face and leave for 10 minutes before washing away with water. Your face will feel SO smooth.

Avocado – The Hair Helper

Avocados aren’t just for your breakfast Insta Story, they’re a beauty miracle ingredient too! Avocados are full of fatty acids and proteins, and whether you use them on your hair as a mask or you just eat them on toast, they’ll give your locks killer shine – Adriana Lima swears by it. The vitamin B and E content will also strengthen your hair follicles and help the strands remain strong and healthy, preventing split ends from forming.

Avocado and Coconut Hair Mask:
For the ultimate hair mask, mash one ripe avocado (if you have shorter hair you can use half and eat the other), and mix it with one egg yolk and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage it into your hair (from root to tip) and then wash it off 20 minutes later. Just make sure you shampoo your hair thoroughly or you could get a little oily at the roots.

Lemons – The Detox Queen

Whenever you ask a model how they start their day, I swear the answer will be with a cup of hot water and lemon. Lemon is an incredible detoxifier and cleans your digestive system so that your liver can eliminate waste more efficiently. It also boosts your lymphatic drainage, which will help get rid of any puffiness around your eyes and toxins from your body. And the best thing about a detox drink is that it can seriously help clear up your skin, so say hello to that glow!

Lemon, Honey, and Green Tea Face Mask: 
This face mask will revitalize your skin and cleanse your pores, leaving your skin super radiant. Mix the juice of half a lemon with 1 teaspoon of honey and the contents of one green tea bag (brew the tea first, and then take the leaves from the tea bag). Apply it your face and wash it off 15 minutes later with warm water.

Figs – The Beauty All-rounder

Figs don’t get the hype they deserve but we love them! Just like lemons, they’re an incredible detoxifier as the seeds inside the fruit will help cleanse the digestive tract of mucus and toxins. This is so important as when it’s blocked, it prevents essential nutrients getting into your skin. It’s also full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals, which cause fine lines and wrinkles to form. A great source of vitamins C and B6, figs can help even out your skin tone and regulate hormone activity, combatting breakouts. I love to snack on them, but make sure you limit your intake to just a couple as they’re high in sugar.

Fig and Oatmeal Mask 
For an amazing exfoliator, blend 5 figs with a teaspoon of powdered oatmeal and a teaspoon of milk. Once a smooth paste is formed, massage it into your skin, leave it for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water and a soft washcloth.

Let me know if you have any other fav healthy foods that are also great for DIYs!

3 Tips For Kissable Soft Lips This Winter

Published on by Lee1 Comment

We all want our lips to be as smooth and soft as possible. The problem is all the heating in our homes and offices makes the air really dry, which plays havoc with our delicately balanced skin, hair, and lips. So, to keep your lips protected – chapped lips can be seriously painful – we’ve got three tips to make sure your pout stays as gorgeous as ever, even when it’s cold as fuck outside!

Fix your surroundings

Do what you can to make the air around you as hydrating as possible. Invest in, or dig out your humidifier – it will add moisture to the air, which will benefit your skin, lips, and hair as well. The heated vapor produced by humidifiers also kills 90% if the bacteria and spores in the air, so you’re less likely to catch an annoying cold. Found a humidifier on Amazon for $16.99, which also diffuses essential oils – bonus!

Prevent chapping

Stop your lips from chapping in the first place and always keep a lip balm to hand. Look for lip balms with lanolin in, a highly moisturizing natural ingredient that comes from sheep’s fleeces (it can hold 200% it’s weight in water!). And always ensure that you apply lip balm before bed, so your lips don’t go without added moisture all night. Drinking water before bed can help too!

Lanolips has to be my all-time favorite lip balm for combatting chapped lips, it’s super protecting, and one layer lasts all day. Another lip balm I’ve been obsessed with for years is Carmex; not only does it contain lanolin, but also beeswax, shea butter, and Aloe Vera, which work together to heal chapped lips and prevent future drying. It also costs less than $2!

DIY lip mask

I love using natural ingredients to heal my skin, and honey is one of me and my mom favorite ingredients because of its moisturizing, hydrating, and repairing properties. It’s also antibacterial, which means it’ll help to prevent any infection that can occur when your lips get dry. You can apply pure honey as a mask to your lips for 15 minutes, before gently wiping it (or licking it) away. You can also make a lip oil by combining a teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of sweet almond oil; stir the mix well and store it in a small plastic container or lip tin so you can use it throughout the day.

Lip Beauty Tip:

Another great alternative is the Coconut LIPS by ToGoSpa – The Kisser Fixer- 3 Lip Masks, $15.

Coconut Lips by ToGoSpa are Micro-Infused Collagen Gel Masks with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins C & E that work to moisturize, re-hydrate and soothe  lips, creating a more full and moisturized appearance.

Each silky application is infused with a combination of natural high-density marine collagen, enzymes, amino acids, natural marine minerals, trace elements, proteins and vitamins. With just one 20 minute application, you will see improved elasticity, texture and overall appearance of the lips. Activated by the body’s temperature, the nutrients stored in ToGoSpa® gel pads work together to decrease the appearance of fine lines around the mouth. 

They added Coconut Extract and Allantoin for a SUPER DUPER moisturizing experience, with the gentle aroma of Coconut, you will be transported on your very own Tropical Staycation! (No Parabens, No Dyes, Cruelty Free)

The ToGoSpa Lip Mask + Balm make for a great combo, $25!

Organic Splash for Lips: A ripe zesty citrus scent of Brazilian Orange and Italian Grapefruit soothes the senses, and calm the mind. Organic jojoba, evening primrose, sunflower, and coconut oils deeply hydrate and protect lips from moisture loss, and Rejuvenating Shea butter and Vitamin E moisturize and condition skin, helping to soothe dry, chapped lips.

Scented with a brilliant splash of Brazilian Orange & Italian Grapefruit to invigorate and refresh; fortified with a skin-conditioning blend of healing evening primrose and grape seed oils to protect your lips from the damaging effects of daily pollution and provide long lasting moisture protection.

Energizing, invigorating and oh so moisturizing.

Organic Love Balm for Lips: Fresh and tingly on the lips, our Organic Love balm is crafted with a scrumptious formula of certified organic virgin coconut oil and ultra-softening African Shea Butter to prepare your lips for their chosen role. When our ever vigilant product crafters extraordinaire came across a report indicating that the act of kissing worldwide was on the decline they immediately cried as one, this shall not be and sprang into action with the single goal of correcting this most egregious of situations.

Lip smackingly good-for-you this unique blend of organic oils moisturize lips from within rather than sealing them off like petroleum-based lip balms. Fortified with Lavender, Peppermint and Spearmint to soothe and refresh and a super skin-conditioning blend of evening primrose and grape seed oils to revitalize dry, parched and cracked skin. Hooray for happy, healthy kissable lips! No synthetic ingredients or flavors.

WILL YOU BE TRYING ANY OF THESE PRIMP TIPS? IF YOU HAVE MORE TIPS FOR KISSABLE LIPS, COMMENT DOWN BELOW!

Vitamin 101 | Green Tea Blemish Buster

Published on by Lee1 Comment

We all hate breakouts, but sometimes it seems we are fighting an uphill battle with these little red devils! If you are looking for a way to fight acne without harming your skin, this may be the solution for you. According to Dr. Jennifer Gan Wong, Green tea extract has been proven to be effective in its fight against acne without the harsh effects of the commonly used benzoyl peroxide. Green tea nourishes skin while it combats acne and keeps you clear. It also helps reduce inflammation and works as a detox for your skin! Talk about badass blemish buster!

Get a good quality green tea from your local health food store, traditional Chinese or Japanese store or online. You can use any type of green tea, such as Sencha, matcha or genmaicha and should aim to drink two to three cups per day. To prepare it, heat fresh water to just before boiling point, pour into the cup and steep for five to 15 minutes, depending on individual instructions. Do not add sugar to green tea as it will diminish health benefits.

Drinking green tea daily can also help prevent new acne breakouts, which are caused by bacteria, because, as Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. of Green Tea Library notes, the catechins in tea kill bad bacteria while maintaining good bacteria.

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According to Dr. Jennifer Gan-Wong of Memorial Medical Center, green tea also works as a topical application for skin problems, including acne scars, eczema, and psoriasis. Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is another type of antioxidant found in green tea that is very beneficial in reducing acne and scars by both cleansings the skin of toxins and neutralizing the bacteria that causes acne. Green tea has astringent properties which help diminish redness and inflammation.

For a facial cleanser, use pure, unflavored green tea. Heat one quart filtered water to just before boiling, pour over one cup of green tea leaves and let steep for about 20 minutes. Allow the tea to cool and splash on your face, or use cotton balls to dab directly onto acne scars. Apply the green tea extract to the affected area three times daily. Really simple! Do not rinse. Store the tea in a sealed container in the fridge. 

Easy DIY | Awesome Green Tea Eye Brightener!

Published on by Lee1 Comment

It’s such a bummer, but your eyes can give away far too much, and by that I mean EVERYTHING! It can tell someone if you’re healthy, well rested, or not feeling at the top of your game! Fortunately, there are some awesome tricks to help mask those issues other than your favorite concealer! I have had issues with eye bags since I was in high school, so I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with them over the past years! This is SO easy and SOOOO good! It requires two things–Chamomile Tea + Green Tea! Chamomile Tea is awesome because it helps to relax the area around the eyes, reduce puffiness, while the caffeine in Green Tea improve circulation, improving drainage around the eyes, and brighten the area of skin. So this is so easy, I hope you all start doing this!

LEE’S AWESOME GREEN TEA EYE BRIGHTENER

1 Green Tea bag
1 Chamomile Tea bag
Cotton Pad
Water

Heat one cup of water, then remove once boiling. Add both tea bags, and cover with a saucer, let sit for 30 minutes. Let tea cool, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, soak two cotton pads with cold tea, and slightly squeeze so there is no tea dripping from the pad. Apply to eyes for 5 minutes, then turn over apply for another 5 minutes. Repeat daily or as needed. Discard tea after 3-5 days.