BRRRRRilliant Winter Skin!

The Winter Road by Otto Knirsch, printed by Currier and Ives


We all know that lovely old Christmas carol....

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.”

~ The Christmas Song
Nat King Cole 1946

We love the crisp snowy days, the festive scents and sounds, the heartwarming bonhomie and the smiles that seem to be on everyone’s lips......But what we don’t love are the effects winter can have on our skin.
Cold, whipping winds and dry indoor heat join forces in the winter to deprive your skin of its moisture, leaving you with scales, flakes, more visible wrinkles, itching and discomfort. Severe cases can even cause painful cracking and eruptions of skin rashes like eczema.
Moisture doesn't just make your skin look younger and healthier, it provides a protective barrier. When this barrier is stripped, you're more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections as well as friction that can cause irritation and further drying. Aside from environmental changes, factors like age, genetics, smoking, health conditions and hot showers can contribute to dryness. Areas of the body with the fewest oil glands, like the lower legs, tend to dry out the fastest. Luckily, changing your hygiene habits and the products you use can make a difference in just a few days.


Here are some helpful tips for you to stave off those horrible winter skin blues.

Shower in lukewarm water. It's tempting to luxuriate in long, hot showers and baths when the temperatures drop, but hot water is hard on your skin, stripping it of its natural oils. That doesn't mean you have to start taking cold showers, but it would help to keep the dial closer to body temperature than to boiling.

Choose gentle, natural moisturizers. Many common ingredients in lotions and moisturizers, including petrolatum and silicone, are not ideal for your skin and can actually exacerbate dryness over time. Plant-based oils like borage, cocoa butter and jojoba help maintain a protective barrier over your skin, and many have additional benefits, like assisting in cell turnover.

Moisturize while your skin is still damp. When you emerge from the bath or shower, take a moment to apply your lotion or body cream. The moisturizing ingredients in the lotion will help seal water into your skin, helping it stay hydrated longer.
     
Exfoliate on a regular basis. Help your body shed the dead skin cells that can build up visibly when your skin is dry. Use a gentle exfoliant like a loofah or a body scrub made with sugar, salt or other coarse ingredients to buff your skin to a soft, smooth finish.
     
Drink lots of water. If you're dehydrated, your skin will look dryer and saggier than it really is. Drinking more water can definitely help plump skin up and make it healthier, but it won't make a difference in the outer layers of the skin, so it's not a cure-all.

Consider using a humidifier. Adding moisture back to the parched air in your home will also benefit your skin, hair and mucous membranes.
     
Don't forget the sunscreen. We tend to associate sun protection with warm weather, but it's just as easy to get a sunburn in February as it is in July. Slather it on, and you'll prevent damage and dryness.

I leave you with this lovely Yule blessing and all my warmest wishes for the holiday season!

May you be filled with serenity on this the shortest day and longest night.
May whatever despairs or sadness you carry be burned away by the returning sun,
for every period of darkness there will be one of light.

May you be surrounded by loved ones and laughter,
May your home be filled with joy and warmth,
as you rejoice in this festive season.

May you take some time for yourself,
to reflect on days both past and future,
May you find peace in the beautiful quietude of Winter.


Love,

Brittany

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
– Cicero


This month we will celebrate our best and most important holiday, Thanksgiving. While celebrations of the harvest have existed for as long as civilization (for indeed it was agriculture that necessitated both), this particular holiday is uniquely American. Or at least it was until other former British colonies started having a festival called Thanksgiving too.

Okay, I know some enjoy pointing out the tragic irony of the American Thanksgiving: that it was originally a celebration of the bountiful harvest provided by the native inhabitants of the land, who were subsequently slaughtered by the beneficiaries of that kindness. But the tragedy of one action does not undo the beauty of another.

The beauty of that first Thanksgiving day rests in their acknowledgement of the blessings and good fortune they had received by the very fact that they were still alive. The pilgrims and the Native Americans saw the bounty before them and had the dignity, respect, and intelligence to be grateful.

I think perhaps we should all try to bring those very things to our Thanksgiving table this year and see how it improves our understanding of this holiday. No matter where you hail from, couldn’t we all use a day when we collectively sit around a gathering of our loved ones and BE thankful?

What are you thankful for?
I am thankful for my family more than anything else, for they are my true sources of sustenance and joy. I am thankful for my awareness of the importance and impact of my natural beauty products. I am thankful for crisp autumn mornings and the ever-present British rain (without it I would get NOTHING done!) and my friends. I am thankful that I am still on the right side of the grass.
And bacon. I am very thankful for bacon.

With Love and Thanks,

Brittany

I leave you with this fun recipe that will help use up some of those left-overs.



Photographer: Stephanie Frey

Cranberry juice helps detoxify the skin and is particularly useful for those who are acne-prone or suffer from psoriasis or have oily skin. In addition cranberries help reduce skin inflammation, redness, and itchy, irritated skin.

Cranberry Anti-Aging Face Mask
Ingredients

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup seedless red grapes
2 teaspoons grapefruit juice

1 raw egg white
Directions:
Mix ingredients until it becomes a paste. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes to let the mixture thicken. Remove from the fridge and let sit for about 10 minutes. Spread the mixture on clean, dry skin, avoiding the eye area. Relax for 15 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.
Be sure to test for sensitivity by applying the mask to a less sensitive area of the body, such as the forearm before applying to the face.

The Great Pumpkin!

The Great Pumpkin!

Pumpkin makes us think of harvest, of holidays, of family and friends gathered around the dinner table. But as it turns out, pumpkin should also make you think of healthy, radiant and glowing skin throughout the dry and chilly fall and winter seasons.

Pumpkin is high in antioxidants and jam-packed with vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, potassium, beta carotene and zinc, which are all fabulous anti-aging ingredients that can give your skin a rejuvenated, healthy glow. Pumpkin can soothe and protect your skin, nourish tired or dry skin, refresh and soften the skin, unclog the pores, remove impurities and help to control acne.

Pumpkin also works as an accelerator for other ingredients, helping your skin absorb vital nutrients and vitamins quickly. Pumpkin offers so many benefits when applied topically to the skin, and that is why beauty product companies are making a variety of skincare products that contain pumpkin enzymes as a the main ingredient....it is the PERFECT food...skin and body!!

Last month, we had such a great reaction to the natural toothpaste recipe I posted, I thought I’d continue the trend. Here is another natural, homemade goody for you to whip up.

Pumpkin Honey Face Mask

2 tsp canned pumpkin puree or stewed fresh pumpkin

½ tsp honey
½ tsp milk or yogurt
1 tsp oatmeal

Mix all of the above ingredients together into a paste, and massage onto freshly cleansed skin, making sure to avoid the eye area. Sit back and relax for fifteen minutes while your facial mask exfoliates and conditions your skin, and then rinse off with warm water. Ahhh your face will feel like silk!

That Perfect Smile....Naturally!

There was a time when if you wanted whiter teeth, it seemed that the only option was to go to the dentist and have the teeth bleached. Now there are numerous tooth whitening products on the market that you can use at home. But both of these options involve using potentially dangerous chemicals, and they can even make teeth very sensitive, replacing one problem with another more serious one.

Not only are you looking at the expense of these treatments; many of them just don’t work. I personally have a basket FULL of products for teeth whitening that just didn’t live up to all the hype.
You see, I am a coffee drinker and when I say ‘coffee drinker’ I mean that I can pretty much have a cup of coffee in my hand from morning until night. Therefore you can just imagine how much all this evil bean consumption can stain the teeth.

I spent hundreds looking for the best products to whiten my teeth and always ended up tossing the product into the basket under the bathroom sink. As a Cosmetic Chemist by trade I finally did what I should have done all along......look for natural and effective ways to whiten my teeth.

Below you will find a few natural, inexpensive and highly effective ways to achieve that brighter smile!

1.) Some fruits are excellent tooth whiteners. Strawberries, for example, can be rubbed directly on teeth or mashed up and brushed on. The inside of an orange peel is also great for whitening. You can rub it directly on your teeth, or make a paste of dried orange peel and ground bay leaves to brush on. A mixture of lemon juice and salt also works well. *Using fruits should only be an occasional treatment as overuse could causes teeth sensitivity*

2.) Use baking soda. Many of the toothpastes on the market include baking soda in their ingredients because it is so effective. But you don’t have to buy a special toothpaste. You can mix baking soda with a dash of salt and add a little hydrogen peroxide or vinegar to make a homemade tooth whitener.

3.) There's a growing body of evidence indicating that eating a small amount of cheese after a meal can potentially help to prevent tooth decay and promote enamel strength, Glosman says.
Along those same lines: "Milk and yogurt keep teeth sparkling and cavity-free because they contain the minerals calcium and phosphorus, which promote the remineralziation of tooth enamel," says Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D., author of "The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious."

4.) Snack on lots of crunchy vegetables and fruits, like celery, apples, carrots, and such. These foods will help to dislodge plaque and keep food particles from sticking to your teeth and staining them that way. This is more of a preventative measure.

5.) Coconut oil (solid oil or fractionated liquid) is a super way to whiten your teeth very quickly. Make it part of your tooth cleaning regime. Take a mouthful of coconut oil and swish around your mouth like mouthwash. Pull it through your teeth and really take your time. It’s best to do this for a full 2-5 minutes. Once you spit it out then clean your teeth with a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide/vinegar. Add a drop or two of peppermint oil to really freshen your breathe and don’t forget to brush your tongue too! Coconut oil can be found in some grocery stores, most health food stores or many places online.

Here is a neat recipe to make your own natural toothpaste.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 small packet of stevia powder (opt.)
20-25 drops of peppermint essential oil*

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, using a fork.
*Add about half of the amount of peppermint oil to start, and test the toothpaste to see how much you want/like.

* You can also use essential oils like cinnamon, spearmint, clove and lemon. Always start with a few drops and then taste to see if you prefer more. Don’t make it too strong as you wouldn’t want to irritate your gums and over sensitize your teeth.

** As long as you keep this in a sealed container it should keep very well as there are no ingredients in it that could cause bacteria growth. All of the ingredients are naturally anti-bacterial.

Whitening your teeth does not have to be expensive, and you don’t have to use harsh chemicals. By using preventive measures and natural remedies, you can make your smile brighter without harming your teeth in other ways.