Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s nest soup is a prized luxurious delicacy in Chinese cuisine for centuries. Deemed as a “cooling” food, it is consumed to restore health, repair skin, to keep skin young and supple and even used as an aphrodisiac.

Bird nest, having a high nutritional as well as medicinal value can be taken to strengthen the lungs and used for treating body heatiness and ailments pertaining to respiratory system such as coughs, colds and asthma. Patients who are recovering from illness or surgery have also been recommended to take bird nest to complement with other treatments as it promotes cell growth, tissue repair and provides resistance to diseases.

Other than health benefits, it is mostly valued by women for improving skin texture. Pregnant ladies consumed bird nest believing that their babies will be born with smooth and beautiful complexion.

Bird’s nests are made of long thin strands of saliva from the Swifts (small fast birds found in Southeast Asia), which wove their nest using their spit and built them high on cave walls. The spittle is known to contain proteins, minerals and vitamins such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

It used to be expensive as the tasks of retrieving the nests from immense heights are both dangerous and laborious. However, nowadays with the increase in safety standards and bird nests being farmed in commercial apiaries, such delicacy has become more affordable and easily available.

Pearls for Flawless Skin

It was a known fact. For the past 3000 years, women in China (especially the empresses, royalties and nobilities) had been using pearls topically as well as ingestion as part of their beauty regime.  Crushed natural pearl in powder form, used extensively in herbal remedies, ointments and creams are thought to have excellent anti ageing properties. To date, it is commonly used by many Chinese women trying to suspend the ravages of time.

Pearl powder, obtained by grounding freshwater cultured pearls or saltwater cultured pearls, is used as a skin conditioner and beauty supplement. Freshwater pearls are grown in mussels and farmed in fresh water. The cultivating technique usually produces 20 or more pearls in an oyster and is cheaper whereas saltwater cultured pearls are more expensive as 1 pearl is grown per oyster.

Non toxic and easily absorbed by the skin, this beauty tonic is rich in amino acids and minerals essential for cell renewal and nutrition, toning of skin tissues and brightening the skin. You can apply to the face in the form of beauty mask or add to your beverage and drink as a tonic for a silky and radiant complexion. Currently, pearl powder is one of the popular ingredients found in many cosmetics creams and lotions.

High in calcium, studies found that when taken internally, pearl powder can strengthen bone development, increase bone mineralization and reduce bone loss, an effective way to prevent osteoporosis. Also, pearl powder has incredible healing and antiseptic properties especially for rashes, acne, ulcers, age spots and even cancer as it clears toxic substances from the body and boosts your immune system.

Here are some DIY remedies to try out:

1) Honey Pearl mask

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon pearl powder

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoon honey

Method:  Mix the ingredients to form a paste. Apply to clean face and neck and wash off with warm water after 20 minutes.

2) Aloe Vera Pearl Mask

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon pearl powder

1 tablespoon aloe vera

1 egg white

Method:  Mix the ingredients and apply to face and neck. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse off.

3) Pearl drink

½ teaspoon of pearl powder

1 glass of beverage (fruit juice/ milk/ cold water)

Consume daily before meal to facilitate better absorption.

Dry Skin Brushing - To a Healthier Skin.

One way to achieve a healthier skin is to brush your body regularly with a firm brush. Termed Dry Skin Brushing, it is a natural skin care technique for shedding dead layer of skin cells and encouraging skin regeneration, at the same time creating a detoxifying effect by improving circulation in your body.

All you need is a body brush (with a handle for brushing your back) with bristles made from natural fiber as synthetic ones will damage your skin, and about 10-15 minutes each morning.  Start by brushing on your dry skin, first from your feet, then followed by your torso, hands, arms and brush upwards, towards the direction of your heart.  (Experts had advised to brush towards the core of the body.) Finish off with a cool shower to wash away the dead cells.

Brushed lightly on areas of thin skin and avoid facial area and sensitive parts where there are cuts, wounds and infections. For the face, you may want to consider lymphatic drainage exercise mentioned in my earlier post.

According to experts, here is a long list of what dry skin brushing can do for you.

1) Removes toxins and eliminate waste:

Brushing removes dead skin, open up pores and improves skin tone and texture. It stimulates lymph flow and blood flow. Lymph contains white blood cells and transports waste to the lymph nodes which fights bacteria and infections. By increasing circulation in our body, skin is refreshed and invigorated.

2) Strengthens immunity:

Through brushing, the process of toxins removal is accelerated. With the skin operating efficiently, more impurities are eliminated from our body and this put less stress on our liver and kidneys.

3) Increased the skin quality and treatment for cellulite:

Another benefit of brushing is the stimulation oil glands beneath the skin, restoring moisture and suppleness, enhancing the quality of skin. The massaging effects of the bristle can break down stubborn fatty deposits and prevent build up of cellulite.

A simple and powerful way to revitalize and refresh your skin, it takes just a few days to see changes and experience the benefits. If you are disciplined enough to do every day, the results are worth the time and effort.

Recipes for Facial Scrubs/Masks

Good things about homemade scrubs are that you can alter the intensity of the exfoliation based on your skin type, avoid ingredients you are allergic to and know it is fresh and chemical free.  You may store it in jars and kept in fridge for a few days after mixing the ingredients, but it is best to use as you make.

Yogurt scrub

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

2 teaspoons of almond meal

2 teaspoon of honey

Add the ingredients and mix.  Apply and leave on for at least five minutes before rinsing.  Do not store unused scrub in fridge.

Photo Source: Megan

Papaya Scrub

One small piece ripe papaya

1 teaspoon sugar

Add sugar to the mashed papaya and apply onto face. Rinse after 10 minutes to see instant skin rejuvenation.

Sugary Scrub

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon of olive oil

A few drops of rose oil

Mix the ingredients well and massage onto face for a few minutes. Rinse with warm water and wipe dry with face towel to remove the oil residue.

Honey Lemon Mask

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 egg-white.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Apply to clean face for about 15 minutes before washing it off.

Avocado Delight Mask

½ avocado pulp

2 teaspoons honey

Add honey to the mashed avocado pulp and apply on face. After 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water.

Cool Aloe-Cucumber Mask

½ peeled cucumber

1 tablespoon aloe vera extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Blend cucumber in blender and add in other ingredients. Apply to face and wash off with warm water after 20 minutes.

Anti-Ageing Cookies The Rage Now?

I saw an article on Reese Witherspoon, along with other celebrities like Renee Zellweger and Courteney Cox, being fans of anti ageing cookies. Apparently, these cookies contain skin nurturing ingredients that help to combat signs of ageing.

Incredulous, I went to the website http://www.delusciouscookies.com and true enough, the Borba’s DeLuscious cookies on sale claimed to contain antioxidants and nutrients like acai, noni berries, vitamins B3, B6 and B12 and flaxseed.

As we know, acai berry has many virtues like fighting cancer, heart disease and obesity, boosting immune system and improving digestion while flaxseed is rich in omega 3 acids and lignan (an antioxidant).

Photo credit:Tomas N. Romero

With 24 flavours to choose from, such as Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Toffee and Cinnamon Sugar, these cookies don’t contain hydrogenated oils, ” …only premium chocolates, Grade AA sweet cream butter and pure cane sugar.” The cookies looks enticing, I mean how often can you find nutritious and vitamin-enhanced cookies near your neighbourhood?

Whether it is effective in reducing wrinkles I do not know, except we can indulge in our snacks feeling happier, without that pang of guilt, hoping at least there are some benefits for our skin.  So what’s next? Anti-ageing cakes and candies?

A for Green- Natural Beauty Ingredients

Aloe vera

A succulent plant which contains amino acids, minerals and natural antibiotics, is used for first aid, wounds, infections, irritations and some medical conditions. The gel-like substance inside the leaves is known to have excellent inflammatory properties. Good for eczema and soothing sunburned skin.  Even Cleopatra used it in her beauty treatments to rejuvenate her skin. Relatively easy to grow in a tropical climate, it is ideal for growing at home (near the window) and used in your own beauty preparations.

Photo credit:Carl Bodin

Apricot

Belonging to the peach family, apricot is a fleshy orange fruit with velvety skin. Rich in oil and has anti-carcinogenic properties, apricot kernel oil is extracted and used in skin care products. Commonly used as massage oil, it is well known for its ability to penetrate the skin and its softening properties. Rich in essential fatty acids like oleic and linoleic acids, apricot oil helps the skin to retain its elasticity and suppleness. Crushed apricot kernel is found in products like facial masks and body scrubs.

Almonds

Almond has a high content of fat as well as a rich source of essential minerals like magnesium and calcium. Prized for its high content of fatty acids that appear to be close to our skin sebum, it has great emollient properties and therefore are used in many beauty and hair care products. Almond oil is used in massage therapy and as essential oil in aromatherapy. Its benefits include nourishing the skin, soothing skin irritation and improving complexion.

Photo credit: Tim Broyer

Apple

You heard the old adage: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. True, as Apple contains high mineral contents, iron, potassium and vitamin C that can fight against anaemia, heart disease, stroke and lower blood cholesterol. Due to its nutritious value, even doctors recommend apple as an early baby food.  Apple extract are commonly used in facial peels and masks because of its powerful antioxidant activity.

Photo credit: Ivo Stad & Land

Avocado

They have a good source of vitamin K, potassium and has a high fat content of about 70 -90% of their total calories (many times more than the average of any other fruits), but these are mono-saturated fats which is good for health.

It is a highly effective emollient used in many beauty products because of its deep penetrating oil, which according to studies is known to increase the amount of collagen in our skin.  The presence of sterolins or plant steroids found in avocado is known to reduce age spots and treat damaged skin. Besides, the pulp of the fruit is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Avocado paste is sometimes applied on sunburned skin or rashes to sooth the skin.

Beautiful Eyes

We have delicate skin around our eyes and it is known to be several times thinner than the rest of our face. In fact, our blood vessels are just a fraction of an inch away from the skin’s surface.  Since it is more vulnerable, this is why wrinkles appear here first.

Some consumers may think eye care products are unnecessary and is just another marketing gimmick by companies to sell them more products but the truth is, a separate cosmetic product should be used for the eyes. The normal day or night moisturizer for the face is too heavy for our eyes.

To get best results on eye care, use an eye cream with SPF factor for day use. As you use, pat gently on the eye contour beneath the eyes to stimulate blood circulation. At night, use another eye cream to moisturize.

Dark circles

Dark circles can happen at any age, it is true. My three year old kid gets dark circles whenever he sleeps late or goes without his afternoon nap.  The most common reason for this is lack of sleep although there are many other reasons such as genetics, stress and food intolerance such as cow’s milk. One common belief is that dark circles formed because of waste accumulation around the eye area.

According to experts, the capillaries under our skin at the eye area are so narrow that red blood cells lined up (in a single file) to pass through. Sometimes, these red blood cells break the walls of capillaries and leak into the surrounding skin. Special enzymes then break down the red blood cells, changing it to blue-black colour. It is the same mechanism that produces bruises when we knock our body into something.

Factors that cause dark circles such as thickness of skin under the eyes, genes that caused the weakened capillaries, our skin tone (the lighter it is, the more apparent the dark circles) and whether you have deep set eyes (the shadows contribute to the dark circles, making them more visible) are hereditary.

Puffy eyes

Caused by trapped fluid in the tissues under your eyes, it is usually more obvious in the morning due to accumulation of fluid overnight.  Other than fluid retention, factors such as stress and allergies can result in puffy eyes. More often than not, it is usually caused by too much crying (due to over production tears in our eyes) or too much intake of alcohol.

If it happens regularly when you eat certain things, it could be a food intolerance problem. Common culprits are dairy products like milk and cheese. Or you could be sensitive to a certain brand. Try switching brands to see if your condition can improve.

Some researches shown that lymph flow (flow of bodily fluid i.e. mainly white blood cells) has an important part to play in reducing puffy eyes.  Therefore doing some simple exercises daily can keep puffy eyes at bay!

Remedies for dark circles and puffiness

1)      Wrap an ice cube using a hanky and place over your eye area for a few minutes to stimulate blood vessels and improve flow of toxins. Cold stainless steel spoon kept in fridge may also do the trick.

2)      Tannic acid in tea is good for reducing swelling. Soak two teabags in cold water and squeezed out the water. Place them over your eyes for 10 minutes.

3)      Put slices of cold fresh cucumber or raw potato on eyes for 15 minutes - cucumber has a soothing and cooling effect while raw potato contains Catecholase, an enzyme that works as a skin lightener and is also used for removing dyes of staining fruits.

Photo credit: Andrea

4)      Gentle massage using middle finger to tap the puffy area from inwards to outwards and repeat for few minutes to improve blood circulation.

Face Workout!

Our skin needs pampering in some ways or another. Having a face massage occasionally helps you achieve beautiful skin. Just like exercising, a quick weekly session on the face will eliminate eye bags and puffiness in your skin. Massages have their benefits:   it helps us to relax, detoxify our body and improve our blood circulation.

Massage maybe deemed as personal luxury by some and by others, necessity. If you do not want to do in a salon, you can always DIY. In fact, DIY is one of the best ways because it can be done wherever and whenever you want and it’s free.

To begin with, we know that our body has toxins, caused by the foods we ingested, pollutants in our surroundings and stress in our lives. Our lymphatic system consists of a network of vessels that move fluid in our body.  Essential functions of these vessels include removal of toxins from our cells through lymph drainage where toxins are directed to the nearest lymph node for dispersal.   Through massage, we are promoting drainage by improving the flow of fluid through our body, getting rid of unwanted waste products, reducing toxins accumulation.

Here’s one short section of Diana Moran’s book entitled Fresh Face that gave tips on how to do that Lymphatic Drainage Massage.

” 1. Applied oil to hands. With sweeping movements, slide your hands from your chest to your chin upwards from the left side of your neck, lightly over your windpipe and then to the right.

2. Place your first fingers horizontally above your lips with your middle fingers below. Apply slight pressure and slide fingers backwards to your ears.

3. Place ring fingers by the side of each nostril and apply pressure. Release the pressure as you sweep fingers across cheeks to your ears, then reapply the pressure.

4. Place your first fingers in the centre of your forehead. Pressing firmly, slide your fingers as you trace along your eyebrows and out to your ears.

5. Now from your ears, continue sliding your fingertips lightly, tracing inwards under the eyes to your nose.

6. Close your eyes and cover your entire face, from chin to forehead (leave your nose protruding) with open hands. Press your whole face firmly, hold for 5 seconds and release.”

Ageing Foods to Avoid

In one of my previous post entitled Key Foods for Healthy Skin, I wrote about foods that are good for our skin. Now I added this post on foods that age people, so that you would think twice before reaching for that favourite snack.

Trans-Fat

The word trans-fat will send alarm bells ringing for many health food junkies. Yes, we all know it is bad for our health as it increases the bad cholesterol, reduces the good cholesterol in our bloodstream and put our heart and liver at risk. What exactly is trans-fat?  It is produced when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to process into more stable semi-solid or solid fats.  Hydrogenated oils are often used as they can increase the shelf life of processed foods.

Food such as French fries, deep fried chicken, cookies, pastries and margarine contain trans-fat. Not only it is bad news to our body as this increases our risk to diseases, it also produced more free radicals that cause us to age more quickly.

Source: B.Heliker

Nitrates/ Nitrites

Speaking of nitrates or nitrites, foods like luncheon meat, sausages, hotdogs and bacon come to our mind. Nitrites have been used as preservatives for processed meat and it is supposed to make the meat taste and look better. However, when such preservatives are added, Nitrosamines are formed and they are proven to be carcinogenic, causing normal body cells to turn into cancer cells. It doesn’t help us to know that sausages and hotdogs consist of mainly fatty meat. Besides, additives in these foods will only make our liver work harder to detoxify them. In fact, one European study found that sausages increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Carbonated drinks

Another culprit that is commonly found in our daily life is carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks are drinks containing dissolved carbon dioxide, usually added to improve the taste or texture. High in sugar and low in nutrients, it makes you fat, weakens your bones and contributes to tooth decay. Research revealed that a carbonated can drink per day can make you pile on 7 kg in a year! Other than obesity, regular intake of such drinks increases your chances of diabetes, hypertension and stroke.

Remember that your skin reflect your state of health. It is not just about the waistline when you eat. Think about the lines on your face as well.

What’s in a Beauty Cream?

People in the world spend millions of dollars on skin care.  This competitive market has produced an extensive array of products. What do some of them actually contain?

Retin-A

Retin-A is a prescription drug, also known as tretinoin, belonging to a family of skin care medication called the retinoids. A vitamin A derivative, it is used for treatment of acne, blackheads, whiteheads and hyper pigmentation.  Retin-A medication comes in different concentration for different purposes and skin types. When applied, your skin becomes more sensitive during that period.

The main purpose of Retin-A is to exfoliate, stimulate the development and growth of new skin cells, including collagen and improving skin texture. Retin-A is also mixed with other bleaching agents to remove pigmentation on the skin (especially effective when used together with microdermabrasion).

AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids)

AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids), derived from fruit and milk sugars are widely used by dermatologists and aestheticians as peeling agents. Similar to microdermabrasion, AHA such as glycolic acid (from sugar) or lactic acid (from milk) are exfoliants, commonly used for smoothing out wrinkles and reducing the appearance of scars.

AHA is the most effective in concentration of 6-8% at pH range 3-4. Being acids, it can irritate the skin, producing side effects such as rash, redness and swelling. AHA products over the counter must not contain more than 10% concentration, beyond which only certified professionals are allowed to use.

HA (Hyaluronic Acid)

HA (Hyaluronic acid) is a complex substance found in the dermis and epidermis that maintain the amount of moisture in our skin. This is what gives skin its firmness and fullness by holding water and allowing nutrients to reach our cells. However, this element gradually recedes over time and the loss is known to be as high as 50% by the time we are 50 years old.

People buy anti ageing creams containing HA in order to compensate for this loss, hoping to reduce acne scars, wrinkles, sagging skin and rehydrate the skin.  It is a good alternative to collagen due to its ability to produce skin plumping effects. Found also in medical applications, it is used for treating eye disorders, arthritis and other joint ailments.