Boxing Day Beautification.
And yes, there is such a thing, of course. So for me, it shall comprise of drinking copious amounts of water, eating salads and fresh fruit, a clay face mask and maybe a super sneaky bit of trifle. I reckon my skin (and my kidneys) will really thank me for it after yesterday’s not so frugal repast. What about you? Fancy a face mask, mani, pedi or a languid soak? Go the whole hog, why not? You are so worth it and as quiet as it’s kept, that’s what Boxing Day is really all about. Enjoy!
Great Expectations!
“Cheerfulness and Contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks.” -Charles Dickens
Post Shopping First Aid For The Feet.
As if the crowds and the passive/aggressive Tango-like tussle for last minute Holiday gifts wasn’t madness enough, fingers and toes (if you can bear it) crossed you don’t have to call (or rather feel like you want to call) Emergency Services to resuscitate your fagged out feet. This is the perfect time of the year to make sure you, absolutely, have some Epsom salts and peppermint essential oil on hand if needed to bring your feet back around post shopping. The “too-easy” foot fixing combo of a warm foot soak of Epsom salts with a few drops of quality peppermint essential oils tossed in for good measure ought to have your feet back in fine enough form to face heading back to the shops to pick up that last present for the Auntie Agnes or the Cousin Clancy type you’ve just heard will be joining you on Christmas Day! Eep! Nothing much is ever a problem when your feet are feeling fine. So do remember these handy items along with your “sensible” shoes (if one’s outfit dictates, of course) and you’re sure to stay in good step for the Holiday Season.
Masked Magic!
Face masks are a gloriously fabulous and an ever-so-effective part of any successful beauty regime. Often it’s the first thing to be jettisoned by those who see themselves as being time-poor and is chalked up as being the unnecessary part of the beauty program. Beauty Marked! just has to pipe up to say don’t loose the mask, as they are far more beneficial than you’d imagine and are so blissfully revitalizing.
Most masks, when used weekly, can be perfect ways to inject marvelous minerals and vitamins into the skin. Some masks are stellar pore de-gunkers and detoxifiers, whilst others are miracle workers when it comes to adding much needed moisture to your gorgeous visage. Certain masks are designed to exfoliate to perfection, soothe and heal the stressed, clarify, stimulate the circulation, balance the skin’s pH and oil production, to name a just a few of their varied and highly efficacious uses. Another benefit of masking is that it offers you the opportunity to relax for a little heavenly-while, sitting still, breathing deeply, and enjoying the peaceful break from the chaotic lives we can so easily lead. nice one! We reckon you’re getting the drift. Mmmm! Masks…Just magic!
What Type Of Flower Is A Couperose?
Okay, okay, I’m being silly, I know. Even though a touch of couperose can impart a rosey flush, I do know that it’s a skin condition that can leave you a tad red faced (much like my bad jokes, right?). The skin condition called couperose is largely caused by very small, dilated, fragile but rarely broken capillaries (blood vessels) laying superficially just below the skin. Couperose generally occurs around the cheeks and very occasionally across the nose and chin and can give the appearance of localized or diffuse redness in these areas. Couperosing is most visible in fair skins and in skins that are exceedingly thin.
Couperose skin conditions are often caused by taking very hot showers and placing one’s face directly under pressure of the jets of the hot flowing water. This causes the blood vessels to overdilate which triggers fragility. Unprotected exposure of the skin to harsh elements and extremes of temperature like chilling winds etc. for a prolonged period of time can also produce couperose. Our ever familiar foe the free radical can also incite couperose conditions to develop if only to add insult to injury to all the other damage free radicals can bring about. Smoking, alcohol, poor nutrition, and ingesting excessively hot drinks may also cause the skin to couperose.
Unfortunately, if you do have couperosed skin, there really isn’t anything that one can do to reverse the fragility of the capillary wall once it has occurred. Luckily though, the skin does respond to being supported and protected, which seems to reduce the visible appearance and spreading of it. Topical antioxidant use and ingestion seems to lessen the effect and prevent couperose, especially when paired with good nutrition and avoiding extremes in temperature on the skin, which is great. Choosing beauty products that don’t involve over zealous scrubbing or harsh ingredients will also help to prevent couperose or won’t exacerbate an existing couperose condition. At the risk of stating the obvious, I will mention and pay tribute our best mate Mademoiselle Sunscreen as she will always keep us protected when used liberally and often. *idea* There are things that you can do to manage and prevent couperose, which is great. I suspect the trickiest thing about this condition is identifying what can cause it. But now you know all about a rose by another name that definitely doesn’t smell as sweet.
Post Waxing Wonder.
Here’s a quick and super effective little essential oil number to apply to your skin after waxing which not only soothes your skin, but act as a natural antiseptic too. Just mix the following bits of gorgeousness in an amber or similarly dark coloured bottle, cap, and gently shake. Be sure to store in a dark, cool place, out of reach of children. Not a bad drop this one. Enjoy!
- 75 ml of organic sweet almond, jojoba or apricot kernel carrier oil
- 25 ml of Calendula infused oil
- 25 drops of True lavender essential oil (lavandula angustifolia)
- 10 drops of Tea Tree essential oil
- 5 drops of German chamomile essential oil (the blue one)
Wednesday Is Selenium Day.
Well actually every day is selenium day where a healthy diet that supports great skin and health is concerned. But for today, this Wednesday, Beauty Marked! has decreed it to be Selenium Day! *happy dance*
Selenium is a trace mineral that is a big league player on Team Antioxidant and is metallic grey luster in colour (it’d make a nice eyeshadow colour actually). This powerful trace mineral and the antioxidant enzymes it makes play an important role in many of the body’s varied processes and without it, not much is smooth sailing. Selenium is only required in very small amounts, but its potent antioxidant presence helps to fight damage caused by free radicals (a by-product of oxygen metabolism) in the body. Selenium’s main partner in crime is vitamin E and betwixt them both, they work flawlessly to assist in correcting UV-A damage.
Scientific research has also proven that Selenium’s presence has a protective effect on the heart, which seems to decrease the risk of heart disease as well as lowers the risk of many different cancers. It’s certainly worth noting too, that when selenium is in chronically low levels or absent within the body, one is at a much greater risk of illnesses of the immune system, mood disorders, thyroid dysfunction, degenerative disorders, and skin problems to name a few.
So where do you get Selenium? Luckily, there are many natural food sources rich in Selenium:
Shellfish, whole grains, Brazil nuts (but don’t over do it as the Selenium content is mega and you only need a little), fish such as tuna (canned in oil) and cod, meats (turkey, beef, and chicken), garlic, eggs, foods grown in soil rich in Selenium, Brewer’s yeast, and natural spring water are all fab sources of Selenium.
Many quality supplements will also have the perfect daily amount of Selenium present in it too. Just check the ingredient listing thoroughly before purchasing. But if your anything like me, you’ll go the food option, as any excuse will do to eat something yummy and (of course, Selenium-) rich!
Happy Selenium Day!
-BM! xx
