Cherries and Skin Care
The Benefits of Cherries
November 10th, 2011
Packed with a multitude of vitamins and minerals the cherry is not only good for your interally but externally as well. Cherries do everything from protecting your skin from free radicals to helping with hyper-pigmentation (discoloration of the skin/age spots). Cherry juice may also help with the treatment of rosacea and can kill most of the bacteria that causes acne. The antioxidant properties held within cherries make it a powerhouse when fighting damage from UV exposure and signs of aging.
Cherries also help with inflammation (and inflammation is directly linked with how fast we age) Chronic inflammation can cause undesirable change in skin making it rough and damaging elasticity.
Another benefit of Cherries is that they are a natural humectant. This means that they pull water out of the air to moisturize the skin. So cherries natural moisturize the skin and improve the penetration of other nourishing ingredients.
Other benefits:
- Cherries have a strong detoxifying action and purification
- A healthy source of potassium which helps maintain healthy skin
- Cherries are rich in iron, phosphorus, magnesium
- Contains Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C
- Contains Melatonin which destroy free radicals
- Has antiseptic qualities which help soothe and heal damaged skin
- And let’s not forget they taste good!
The body has an amazing ability to detoxify itself. But in today’s world where we are constantly exposed to toxins in our water, air, food, and even many skincare products.
Like herbs, essential oils can assist the body with detoxification. To limit your exposure to toxins, the use of essential also are a wonderful natural alternative to synthetic perfumes, air fresheners, and cleaners.
What Essential Oils Can Help With Detoxing?
There are numerous essential oils that can help cleanse the body’s organs, assist in moving lymph and fluids, and even reduce the look of cellulite.
Clove Essential Oil. The health benefits of Clove Oil can mainly be attributed to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac and stimulating properties. Clove Essential oil is used for treating a variety of health disorders including toothaches, indigestion, cough, asthma, headache, stress and blood impurities. This is generally safe to use topically and orally. (Although needs to be used cautiously during pregnancy or for those with sensitive skin.) I quite like the taste of clove essential oil and I love the fresh breath it gives you (wonderful for gargling)but beware this oil is really strong and can cause extreme skin sensitivity and if not diluted when taken orally…really it can blow your head off!
Grapefruit Essential Oil has a wonderful clean citrusy scent. Grapefruit Essential Oil also has a long list of medicinal uses including relief from migraines, stress and depression. Most notably, if you are looking for a slimming and detoxification effect, Grapefruit Essential Oil may assist with reducing Cellulite, lymphatic decongestion and water retention.
Rosemary Essential Oil has been historically used to drive away evil spirits and protect from plague and infectious diseases. Now I’m not sure about its affect on evil spirits but it does have antifungal, antibacterial and anti-infectious qualities. So there’s definitely something there when it comes to warding off disease. This essential oil is also known to fight cellulite and fluid retention. (Although generally safe for most people its best avoided during pregnancy or if you have epilepsy or high blood pressure)
Geranium Essential Oil has one of the more intense scents of the Essential Oils I use, so if you are sensitive to strong smells you may not enjoy using the individual oil. As with most essential oils (I’m sure you see a pattern here) Geranium is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. This oil is also excellent for circulatory problems as it improves blood flow (Note that areas of excess fat and cellulite have poor circulation) The oil also assists in dilating biliary ducts or liver detoxification.
Next time you have a massage at Zen Body & Skin in Las Vegas, NV ask about adding an essential oil for detoxification. You may also purchase essential oils for your own personal use. Add a couple of drops to a warm bath or carrier oil or diffuse in a cold diffuser.
*unless pregnant, have high blood pressure, or epilepsy, please consult your doctor if you are unsure
Sea Buckthorn Oil – give it a try!
October 14th, 2011
Many of my favorite skin care ingredients are derived from plants. Often what is good for us inside is also good for us outside. (Keeping in mind that our skin IS after all an organ that absorbes much of what we put on it – the good and the bad.)
Lately I have my eye on an ingredient that many of us have never heard of, or don’t know much about: Sea Buckthorn Oil! Buckthorn oil has been used for centuries to aid in blood circulation, improve digestion and inflammation, repair mucous membranes of the stomach and other organs, improve cardiovascular health, relieve coughs, boost energy and acts as a natural painkiller. Wow! That’s alot of benefits. But I’m not done…
Sea buckthorn berries have a high content of vitamins including C, A, B1, B2 and E and is high in antioxidants. This may explain why it promotes smoother skin, less wrinkles and aids in the healing of many skin problems….now that sounds good to me! But I’m still not done…
Because of its unique properties Sea Buckthorn also helps alleviate acne in several ways. One way is its antimicrobial properties assist in killing off the bacteria that makes acne worse. It also actually lessens the pain associated with more severe cases of acne, and can help your skin heal more quickly and cleanly after an outbreak. There is also a natural antihistamine called quercetin contained in sea buckthorn oil, which helps to eliminate any allergic reactions that may contribute to your acne, whether they’re from nature or your day-to-day activities.
What I totally love about this ingredient is that whether you’re going for the anti-aging benefits or trying to fend off acne…or in my case both…Sea Buckthorn oil has got you covered!
Want to try the ingredient for yourself? Try it in LaRocca’s Cocoa Gold Vitamin Mask.
August 26th, 2011
Fight Sun damage and dehydration with three key ingredients found in the Green Tea Intense Hydrating Facial: Hylauronic Acid, Shea Butter & Green Tea.
Hylauronic Acid
Las Vegas weather can be pretty devastating to our skin. I have so many clients tell me that when they moved to Vegas their skin really started to show the fine lines and wrinkles. Much of this is due to the dry weather causing dehydration in our skin. As we age our skin starts losing its ability to hold water – this has a lot to do with sun damage and our skin slowing down in the creation of what’s call Hylauronic Acid. Hylauronic Acid is what attracts water to our skin (it actually holds 1,000 times it’s weight in water).
Shea Butter
Another excellent moisturizer is Shea Butter. The common misconception is Shea butter is too think to absorbe into the skin and will also clog pores. But in truth Shea Butter easily penetrates the skin allowing the skin to breathe and not clogging pores. It can deliver it’s nutritional payload better than other man-made moisturizers.
Shea Butter is like food for the skin containing Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamins A and E are especially important when it comes to helping sun damaged skin heal. Vitamins A, E and F assist in staving off premature wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin F serves to protect the skin as well assist in the healing process. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. Shea Butter is high in unsaponifiables (a type of fat). Shea Butter contains somewhere between 7-12% unsaponifiables. To put that in perspective, avocado oil, a well known skin conditioner, has between 2-6%. It is this amount of unsaponifiables that is a contributing factor to Shea Butter being able to treat so many conditions. Shea Butter also naturally contains cinnamic acid, a natural sun screen. It actually does provide some degree of protection from the sun’s harmful rays (You will still need to wear sunblock).Green Tea
There have been a number of encouraging studies about the effects Green Tea has on the skin. Studies have credibly demonstrated that topical green tea formulations reduce sun damage. Green tea appears to exert sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays. Therefore, green tea may synergistically enhance sun protection when used in addition to a sunscreen. Green Tea also has well documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Topical green tea polyphenols are likely to slow down the development of some signs of aging.
Do it at Home!
The Le Mieux Hylauronic Shea Mask and Calming Gel are both available at Zen Body & Skin at a very resonable price. ($30 for the set) So you can incorporate the benefits of these three amazing ingredients right into your home regiment.