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.

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.

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.

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.

What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is a natural fat extracted from the nuts of the shea trees, found in Africa. It is obtained and prepared without using chemicals. The nuts are cracked, pounded and boiled in waters to extract the fats. After extraction, the fats are cooled and solidified at room temperature.

It is an ivory solid which melts quickly when apply to the skin and it penetrates the skin easily.

It is used widely in the cosmetic and food industry because of its remarkable properties. Known to be a super moisturizer and emollient with anti-inflammatory properties, it is effective for treating skin irritations and conditions such as burns, rashes and eczema and so on. Read more »