Top DIY At-Home Beauty Tips On The Web

Because of the pandemic more have resorted to some at-home beauty treatments for a little TLC for our skin, hair, and body. And the best part is you can do some of these without having to go out and purchase beauty products, but instead use some goodies from your pantry with this round up of some of the top DIY at-home beauty tips on the web.

For fun we had someone scour the web for us to put together this list of DIY at home beauty tips. Some of these I've tried, some I have not. I am just sharing this for fun, so please do your research.

From a banana hair treatment to a coffee body scrub, and a dash of coconut for luscious lashes we’ve got your whole body covered.

CBD Oil

More and more people are turning to CBD oil as a treatment for a variety of medical conditions ranging from anxiety, depression, skin conditions, sleep disorders, chronic pain and more. There are some great capsules and more that are worth taking a look at.  https://cbdfx.com/collections/cbd-hemp-capsules/

Make sure to use high-quality CBD oil extracted using chemical-free processes. You can take a look at https://cbdfx.com/cbd-extraction-process/ to know more about premium CBD brands and their extraction processes. 

Turn To Your Eye Drops To Ease The Breakout
Nothing like waking up to an unwanted guest on your face... A pimple. One popular DIY tip is to zap that zit with some eye drops.

Simply soak a piece of cotton or a cotton pad in eye drops and place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Dab this cotton on the pimple, and you will notice the redness and swelling reduce.

Turmeric Face Mask
This is one I have tried as Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and is great at soothing and calming. And a bonus is it also defends skin against damaging free radicals that cause premature skin aging.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of organic honey (anti-inflammatory and antibacterial to hydrate, heal and soothe)
• 1 tablespoon of greek natural yogurt (fights fine lines and moisturizes) 
  

Baking Soda Works Miracles For Ingrown Hair
Ingrown hair is a common problem after shaving. It can ruin the texture and cause dullness of the skin. You can use a simple body scrub prepared with baking soda to get rid of this issue.

In a small bowl, add about one tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of water, and one tablespoon of ground oatmeal. Mix this into a paste and spread it on the skin evenly. Rinse the paste after 5 minutes by scrubbing to achieve smooth and supple skin.

Exfoliation Is The Key To Healthy Skin
Removing the dead skin debris that forms on the top layer is crucial to improving skin texture, reducing pore size, and eliminating the risk of breakouts and excess dryness.

You can choose from chemical exfoliators like BHA, AHA, or other enzyme-based formulas. They are known to cleanse the skin and remove dirt and debris from the pores to increase glow. You can also use homemade scrubs or exfoliants such as sugar and olive oil for excellent results.

Try Almond Oil For Under Eye Bags
Under-eye bags or puffiness is a common problem that could make you look tired. Massage a few drops of pure almond oil under the eye before going to bed. It will help in toning the skin to give a healthy and refreshed look.

Beat Up A Banana For Shiny Hair
A banana hair mask can lock in the necessary moisture to control frizz, dryness, and dullness of the hair.

Add one mashed banana, one tablespoon honey, one egg, and ½ glass of dark beer to a bowl. Mix into a smooth paste and apply to the hair. Let it rest for about 4 hours and wash off with a mild shampoo. Your hair will feel silky smooth and nourished within a few weeks.

Use Coconut And Lavender Oil For Luscious Lashes
I've used another oil for this, so I am excited to see how the coconut oil and lavender oil can help you achieve thick and long eyelashes. Especially if the lavender is scented? Not sure about that near the eye. 

Add ½ teaspoon of coconut oil and four drops of lavender oil to a small bowl. Dip a Q-tip in this mixture and apply it to the lashes before going to bed to get fabulous results.

Coffee Body Scrub
There is a great brand I love that has an amazing coconut coffee body scrub. Coffee grounds are a great exfoliant in homemade beauty scrubs. The grounds work to gently remove dead skin cells, which helps to rejuvenate and boost circulation.

Choose fine grounds, as the coarse kind can be too harsh for sensitive or delicate skin, and mix with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 a cup melted coconut oil and mix.

Listerine And Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Soak
What?  We ran across this Listerine and vinegar foot soak idea, I figured we'd share this too!  I know vinegar is great for a lot of aliments so it was an interesting share

To start, add one part original Listerine, one part vinegar, and two cups of warm water to a foot bath big enough to fit two feet.

So there you have it, so great DIY at home beauty tips. Do you have any DIY beauty tips that you love? Any of these sound interesting? Let me know by commenting below!

The Best Ways To Get Your Body Summer Ready

 

The summer is almost here, and I do not know about you but I need to get my body summer-ready, especially because of this darn pandemic. It’s about time to undo the shackles of these past 14 months and enjoy ourselves at the pool or in the surf. But do you feel comfortable enough to wear that bathing suit or summer attire? If you feel you need to get your body ready for summer, I've put some tips together for you.

The good news is there’s still plenty of time to sort it out. You can put together a training plan combined with a healthier lifestyle. Or you can opt for a more quick-fire method, such as body sculpting. Body Sculpting is the latest in weight loss technology and doesn’t require much effort at all. Find out more in the article below. 

Creating A Baseline Weight-loss Plan
If you want to go the traditional route to "Getting Your Body Summer Ready" then it’s time to get training. A combination of training and eating healthy can get you going in the right direction, with the correct mindset. As to maintain a certain weight, whatever that number you have to create a lifestyle and stick to it. Diet fads do not work. Furthermore, the word diet sets us up for failure as well, as this needs to be a lifetime change, not a quickie.

One way to get started is by establishing a baseline. This starting position will act as your measuring stick to help you keep track of results and motivate you to go the distance. In a diary, make a note of your starting body weight, body fat, workouts, the reps, miles you racked up, and do not forget to include a food diary, filled with healthy foods as well. Always think calories in calories out and work towards your goals.

Embrace Fasting
When people aim to get that summer body, they usually think about changing their eating habits. Obviously, nutrition plays a key role in your fitness regime and its potential success. But don’t think you abandon all your favorite food entirely when putting a meal plan together. A popular alternative is intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting works very well to reduce your weight and support muscle growth and toning. The 16/8 method is a popular form of the diet. With this approach, you fast for 16 hours and eat moderately for eight. This allows your body to adjust to periods without food and helps burn more calories.

Train Smart For Weight Loss This Summer
There are alternative ways to achieve the summer-ready body without daily workouts. We’ll cover these in the next section. But if you’re a traditionalist, or you want that feel-good factor to go with your new body, then make space every day for a bit of strength training.

Your summer body workout doesn’t have to be intense every day but do try to train smart. That means you should work for different muscle groups on different days so that you get a full-body workout by the week’s end. With this approach, you will avoid that weight loss plateau.

Body Sculpting And Fat Removal With truSculpt
There are times that no matter how much you diet or workout, there are always problem areas where you can't see to get rid of that unwanted fat. Those stubborn areas of the body can be resistant to diet and exercise! So what is a solution? Body Sculpting, with truSculpt® iD Body Contouring. A revolutionary, non-surgical, body sculpting and fat removal treatment designed to help you achieve your ideal summer body.

The body sculpting method is a fast body sculpting and fat removal method approved by the FSA. It uses non-invasive fat removal and radiofrequency laser energy (rf energy) to eliminate fat cells to permanently banish at least 24% of stubborn fat cells in each session to that specific treatment area.

Treatment time is fast with truSculpt, some can even see results after each session.

Juice It Up
Speaking of healthy eating, how can you make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and nutrients into your diet while keeping the calorie count down? One way is definitely the supplement route, but taking supplements isn’t always the healthiest option for your body.

A great alternative is juicing and this worked well with the fasting diet approach as well; they have very few calories and pack a punch when it comes to vitamins and nutrients. During your eight-hour eating period, have a juice drink made of apples, carrots, beetroots, and peeled lemon to give your vitamin A levels and massive one up.

The downside to this is juicing can be really expensive. I know I would cringe over the prices at the juice bar, but the truth is it is just as costly at home. A great alternative without juicing, shopping, or blending is with Lady Boss, Greens Superfood Powder that contains ingredients from 35 superfoods and the best part is it tastes like apple pie, it really does!

Red Light Therapy At Home
One solution I've found highly effective to help reduce fat in my stomach is red light for fat loss. I had terrific results in the past with this by going to a physician. But with the pandemic, I needed a more at-home approach to red light therapy.

This is where the Lipo Wrap from Nushape comes into play, which offers the same "Red-Light Phototherapy Technology" used in a professional med-spa and weight loss clinics, but in a portable belt, you can use from the comfort of your home for a fraction of the cost in just as little as 15 minutes.

Embrace Yoga
Sometimes achieving that much-desired summer body is as much about the mind as it is about the body. Yoga can help you out with this. Yoga isn’t just a set of poses you do in the morning; it’s also a lifestyle that incorporates meditation, healthy eating, and mindful living. Yoga actually means “union with the divine” in the ancient Sanskrit language, so there’s that.

A yoga lifestyle can help you to lose weight fast and achieve a beach body because it puts you in the mode of healthy living and regular exercise. It’s a lifestyle really, so you have to live it. The more you do, the faster the weight will fall off, and you get to look the same way you feel. 

Replace Prepackaged Foods For Healthy Proteins
The body is kind of a learning machine; right, it starts to learn what you put into it through the various digestion processes. It then quickly starts to expect these inputs and knows what to do with any available nutrients. If it needs these nutrients, it starts to crave those things. If you feed your body sodium enriched repacked food or unhealthy takeouts, guess what? That’s what you’re going to crave.

It might be tough at first but getting rid of those foods is the best way to reach your beach body goals as quickly as possible. A great alternative is to look for foods high in protein.

Our body burns more calories digesting protein than carbs. More importantly, protein also helps you to stay full longer, as the biggest reason for failing a diet is feeling like you are hungry all the time! But not when you have a diet high in protein, combined with a good balance of greens, and minimal carbohydrates, you should not feel hungry. Oh, and do not forget about portion sizes as a 16-ounce steak, while protein is not included!

Tips for portion size:

•     Eat from small plates (smaller plates = smaller portions)
•     Calculate your calories with a nutrition app
•     Always measure your portions
•     If you are eating out. Split a meal or as soon as you get the meal place half of it in a box.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Permanent Makeup

Today I am going to discuss the pros and cons of permanent makeup. There are quite a few people in my circle of friends who have permanent makeup. From microblading (an eyebrow-tattooing technique), permanent eyeliner, tattoo freckles, even lip color pigmentation, these permanent makeup procedures can really seem appealing to many women, especially when it comes to saving time.  

Think about it how much time do you spend applying your makeup each day? Even if you only spend 15 minutes, that adds to over 90 plus hours in a single year. Wouldn't it be nice to have some of that extra time at your disposal?

Or perhaps you’ve sometimes wished there was a way to always look like you had the basics on and could just walk out the door or sleep-in. Well, now you can with permanent makeup.

Permanent makeup is a cosmetic technique that employs tattoos to produce designs that resemble the appearance of makeup. Although it is referred to as permanent, I call it semi-permanent as it will usually last anywhere between one and five years. You can choose to renew your treatment or go back to traditional makeup as you see fit.

Understandably, you might feel conflicted about the idea of receiving permanent makeup treatment, even scary if you do not like the finished look as it not like you can rub it off.  So, to help you make up your mind about the treatment, here are the key pros and cons of permanent makeup.

The Pros Of Permanent Makeup

• Time Saver:  I think this is most important, especially for older women, busy career women, or even a new mom. Helping with:  
• Feeling confident knowing that you have on some makeup 
• Helping to save time with your other makeup application 
• Less time in front of the mirror 
• Or if you want to run out of the door with the basics on you can look slightly made up with no effort of applying eyeliner, filling in your brows, or applying lipstick.
• Resilience: The worst thing about makeup is that it smears and smudges. We’ve all experienced the dreaded raccoon eyes or forgotten to remove makeup at night and awoken with it all over the pillow. But permanent makeup is always perfect, no matter what.
• Customization: There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to permanent makeup, and your treatment will be tailored to your unique style and preferences.

The Cons Of Permanent Makeup

• It Is Permanent: There are a few concerns here. 
• A Semi-permanent Mistake On Your Face: The look may not turn out how you wished it would. There are mistakes in everything and this is your face, not something your can cover-up if there is a mishap. 
• Like A Variety: If you like to mix up your makeup look then permanent makeup may not be for you. Once applied, it is there for a few years, so you will need to be certain that you love it. 
• Can't Change With The Trends: If you are a trendy person this is not for you. Personally I do not think it’s a good idea not to go too outlandish with your look or pick a trendy fad that will one day go out of style. 
• Safety Concerns: Permanent makeup is not a dangerous process, but as with many cosmetic treatments, there is some element of risk and possible side effects. All tattoos can carry a slight risk of infection or allergic reaction, but most people undergo the procedure with no problem. Most beauticians will ask you to sign a permanent makeup consent form just in case. You can also have them do a test spot, which they usually place an inconspicuous mark on your arm to see if it causes any skin conditions, like a rash, hives, etc.    
• It Can Fade Unevenly: Remember this is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo and like all tattoos, it will fade over time. I know some people who have had an odd uneven color fading with the lip tattoos. And tattooed blush, stay away from it as it looks horrible when it fades. 
• Cost: Permanent makeup can be an expensive procedure upfront, but when you think about all the time and money you spend on makeup, it may just be worth it in the long run.

So there you have it some of the "Pros and Cons of Permanent Makeup."  Love to know your experience with permanent makeup, let me know below!

Skincare Tips A Beauty Influencer Learned From An Esthetician

 
Today I will share with you seven tips I learned from an esthetician.

I have been working in the skincare industry for over ten years. During this time, I've gained tons of knowledge, training, and education. You see, I am not just an international awarding beauty blogger/influencer. I also have my own marketing boutique where I provide marketing services for those in the beauty industry, primarily skincare. I offer various services from handling social media to email marketing and being a ghostwriter for multiple clients within the skincare realm catering to different skincare brands, dermatologists, plastics surgeons, and of course, estheticians.

And as with anything in life, experience comes education but also comes from mistakes. And today, I am going to debunk some things I've learned over the years that were incorrect. Skincare tips I relearned from my favorite esthetician, Pila from Heaven on Earth Day Spa, in Aspen, Colorado.

Tip 1: Your Skincare Doesn't Suck; It Has Reached A Plateau
I now love saying this to people. But the truth is it's not a matter of your skin getting used to the products. A product can only do but so much. There comes the point where those ingredients have done all they could do for your skin... They have hit a plateau. Just like when you have been trying to lose weight and hit your positive energy balance, you will stop losing pounds. When this happens you try something new-maybe recalculate your caloric intake, add more protein, or try a different workout.

It is the same with your skin: You found a fantastic skincare line, you see the viable improvement, but then it comes to a halt. Or this that happens to me frequently. There is a skincare product so many love; I try it, and it doesn't do anything for me, and I think this product sucks. No, the ingredients are still working, but they're maintaining a new normal. Your skin has come accustomed to that ingredient or skincare product. So if you’ve been doing the same-old-same-old, you’ve hit a plateau, and your skin is not getting where you want it to, your skincare doesn't suck. It's time to try something new!

Tip 2: You Can Over Exfoliate The Skin
If you follow my blog regularly, you will notice I talk about exfoliation all the time. Exfoliation is an essential part of a skincare routine. You see, as we age, the process of desquamation slows down, meaning that our body is slower to shed dead skin cells and produce new ones. Exfoliating is a successful way to speed up your natural cellular turnover to uncover the fresh, healthy skin underneath the layers of dead surface skin cells. Also, which is why I talk about exfoliating the skin so much, it is fantastic at...

• Diminishing fine lines and wrinkles
• Minimizing the appearance of age spots and other sun damage
• Evening out skin tone and texture
• Unclogging and reducing the appearance of pore size
• Stimulating blood flow to help improve the skin's elasticity
• Offering better penetration of your skincare products
  

Exfoliation sounds like youthful perfection, doesn't it? Well, that is what I thought until I found out from Pila, we can overdo it. If you exfoliate the skin too often, the skin’s barrier function can become compromised. Your skin can become dehydrated, and capillaries can become damaged (the capillaries are something I see from my thinning skin).

Generally, the skin should be exfoliated only one to two times per week to help expedite skin cell turnover without causing damage. Yup, one to two times per week...WHAT??? If you’ve been slathering on the exfoliating acids daily or using a sonic cleansing device, like myself, there’s a good chance you are over-exfoliating.

Tip 3: Your Face Is Not Your Stomach, So Stop Putting Food On It
The expression you are what you eat; has never been more real than when it comes to your skin! Healthy skin starts with healthy foods containing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are good for the body and your skin.

Leave it to Instagram, where some have taken this to all new heights by applying actual food on your face. While this may seem like a good idea, in theory, it is a bad idea, according to my esthetician! But why?

Your face, stomach, and digestive tract work in quite different ways. Our skin is our largest organ, and it serves many purposes. One is to protect and keep things out of the body. Your stomach absorbs necessary nutrients and then delivers them to your skin via the blood.

Hence, putting food on your face with the hopes of getting the nutrients to where it is needed to make a difference isn't the best solution. Why? Because the molecules from food are generally too large to do any good and will most likely end up irritating your skin, not helping it.

Skincare products are created using ingredients that are chirally corrected (or purified). With chirally correct ingredients, skincare products will provide better, more potent and effective results with minimized irritation or adverse reactions. So, if you are looking for skincare with ingredients from fruits and vegetables. An excellent skincare line is SKINFOOD.

Tip 4: You Should Not Use Coconut Oil On Your Face
Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't... coconut, that is! Boy, do I love me some coconut oil. I use an organic brand of coconut oil that is hardened to exfoliate and cleanse my face, and it works wonders for me. Which is why I was surprised when I was told, "Coconut oil is comedogenic and will clog your pores as it sits on top of the skin."  So my new solution? Use a cleansing oil like Purify Botanic Cleansing Oil that includes active ingredients like squalene, a fantastic antioxidant that is great at improving the skin's appearance and health.

Tip 5: You Can Use A Microneedle On Your Hand
Our hands are one of the places that can show your actual age, and the truth is they are often an afterthought when it comes to anti-aging treatments. While many may put on a lotion, we usually only do it during the winter, when our hands are dry and chap. But not thinking our hands need anti-aging treatments as well.

The truth is there’s less muscle volume and very little fat and collagen on our hands. The small amounts of collagen break down quicker than other parts of the body. Making our hands more prone to wrinkles and, worse, a loss of collagen, and the skin becomes loose and starts sagging. I'm looking at my hands now, and they look about 20 years older than the rest of my body! Yuk!

And this is where Micro-needling, also known as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), can help as it aids in tightening the skin on the hands and gives it a smooth texture.

Tip 6: Dryer Sheets And Fabric Softener Clogs Your Pores
While those dryer sheets may smell so wonderful, they are not so wonderful for your skin. I knew this, as I am sensitive to a lot of fragrances. I was not aware that they could leave a waxy residue that will clog your pores. Especially in the days of Maskne, this is something we need to be thinking about when washing and drying those darn face masks.

Tip 7: Pore Strips Cause Broken Capillaries
While this does not personally apply to me as I would never use pore strips as I know they are not safe, I did not know they can also cause broken (collapsed) capillaries. For us beauties over forty, the skin is already becoming weaker and thinner, making us more prone to broken blood vessels. You do not need to add to that by using a pore strip.

For those currently using pore strips, why not consider replacing them with an exfoliator containing salicylic acid, clay-based masks, and even prescription-strength retinol (which will also increase cell turnover). Just what us beauties over forty want!

So there you have skincare tips I learned from my esthetician. And if you want to keep up on all things skincare, make sure to subscribe to Pila's newsletter by clicking here. Or better yet, schedule a virtual facial where Pila is bringing the spa experience to you virtually.

Until next time!