Female Care

When it comes to beauty, sometimes nature knows best. Olive oil is one of the history’s most-used moisturizers, but just because it’s an ancient solution doesn’t mean it’s out-of-date. Olive oil has so many uses—and according to its fans, it works just as well as (or even better than) expensive products.

For skin, it’s possible to apply olive oil whenever needed for a smooth, dewy complexion. Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil is both aroma-therapeutic and soothing to skin. Also, as a preservative and to improve olive oil’s healthy effects, add Vitamin E: squeeze it from a vitamin capsule to get pure, undiluted Vitamin E benefits (Vitamin E from a bottle is usually not pure, as another oil is used as a carrier for the vitamin).

For a multipurpose overnight solution: Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar, and ¼ cup water. Wet face and apply solution. The vinegar lightens skin, acts as a disinfectant, and loosens dead cells; the olive oil moisturizes. Continue reading »

Eczema, also known as atonic dermatitis, is characterized by an inflammation of the skin, and it is accompanied by redness, swelling, crusting, oozing, scaling and itchiness.

A person’s susceptibility to eczema is thought to be genetic, and it is often associated with a family history of allergies, particularly allergies such as hay fever, and asthma. However, environmental issues and certain food can also trigger eczema. Eliminating those substances, however, does not always cause a remission of eczema.

Symptoms of eczema often appear in the first couple months of life, and they often present as moist red crusted lesions on the scalp, face, arms, legs and diaper area. Older children, teens and adults often have more localized and chronic forms of eczema, most often manifesting as redness around the elbow joint, under the knees, and also on the neck, wrists and eyelids.

Normally, eczema improves by the time the child is three or four, but often worsens again later in life, either during childhood, puberty or adulthood. Eczema causes a constant itching, rubbing and scratching of the skin, and bacterial infections often take hold in the exposed skin. Continue reading »

Tired skin? Hair that’s lost its shine? Then reach for an avocado!

The humble avocado pear is not only great to eat but can also be a valuable addition to your beauty regime. Rich in protein and polyunsaturated fat, and packed with 14 minerals and 11 vitamins, avocados really are the ideal natural ingredient for skin and hair rejuvenation.

If your hair or skin is in need of attention, and you don’t want to spend pounds on professional beauty treatments, making your own magic mix can be just as effective. So, reach for an avocado and try out these quick and easy recipes.

Cleansing avocado face mask

• Remove the flesh of one avocado, place in a bowl and mash with a fork.
• For dry skin add one teaspoon of honey, or for normal to oily skin add one teaspoon of lemon juice, and stir in well.
• Apply to the face, taking care to avoid the eye area.
• Leave on the face for 15 minutes then rinse off.

Continue reading »

Often, a few simple tricks are all it takes to walk out the front door looking and feeling great. From the right skin cleanse to the best way to accessorize, there are many ways to develop a look that is in keeping with your lifestyle. The following article discusses a myriad of tips and tricks regarding beauty and style.

Limp hair can be revived with a can of beer. Drench the hair with beer and then wash as usual for happier, fluffed-up tresses.

Using a wide-tooth comb to comb hair daily can help prevent split ends between haircuts.

Don’t worry about the size of the clothing when making a purchase. The key is that the garment is flattering and not too tight. It might boost the ego to squeeze into that size six, but if it shows any tell-tale problems than it is not the most fashionable route to take. Continue reading »

Do pickles and ice cream count as a vegetable? If you’re pregnant, you’re likely to justify just about anything in the name of eating for two. You know you need to make more nutritious choices but it’s hard. As if dealing with morning sickness, food cravings and aversions and a list of safe and unsafe foods weren’t enough, old standards calling for five fruits and vegetables a day have recently been increased to between seven and nine servings.

Getting these extra servings in doesn’t need to be difficult. Here are a few tips to get started.

Breakfast – Add fresh fruit slices or a fistful of raisins, dried cranberries or dried blueberries to oatmeal or cereal. Make a smoothie using yogurt, orange juice and fresh or frozen fruit along with pureed carrots or zucchini and a touch of wheat germ. Freeze any leftover smoothie for a refreshing smoothie pop later in the day by pouring it in a cup and sticking a spoon or stick in the middle. In the place of maple syrup, use applesauce on pancakes and waffles. Drink your vegetables by stocking up on vegetable or tomato juice. Continue reading »

Facelifts are major surgery—especially the traditional kind, which give the face a pulled, unnatural look and produce un-concealable scarring. The cost can be prohibitive, the possible infections devastating, and the results can be spotted a mile away. However, there is an alternative, called the short scar facelift, which is less expensive, requires less downtime, results in a more natural look, and is safer.

Also known as s-lifts and minimal-incision facelifts, short scar facelifts are meant to minimize the scarring that occurs with other facelifts. What they do is reposition the soft tissue and the skin that has been affected by the aging process, rather than simply tightening the skin over the muscles. Relocating the layers of the face that have also been affected by gravity, facial expressions, and nature produces a more natural look that fits more closely with today’s ideas about beauty. Continue reading »

The term “essential oil” refers to any volatile fragrant liquid extracted from a botanical source. But the actual extraction methods vary and fall into 1 of these 4 categories:

• Distillation
• Expression
• Enfleurage
• Carbon Dioxide Extraction

Distillation of Essential Oils

Distillation of essential oils dates back to at least 3000 BC and today’s essential oils are produced using a distillation method that has remained virtually unchanged for the past 1100 years. Distillation simply involves heating a material until steam is produced then allowing the steam to re-condense in a separate chamber. After the re-condensed steam cools, the essential oils are simply skimmed off and bottled. Essential oils produced by distillation include lavender, mint, rosemary and tea tree. Continue reading »

Okay Mom-to-Be, who said you couldn’t still enjoy a luxurious spa like treatment at home? If you are experiencing any kind of discomfort, this would be the ideal time to relieve some stress. Do you have aching muscles or just feel like you need a little lift? The doctor needs to order a spoil-yourself- treatment. There’s no room for guilt. Who said being a mom meant no more spoiling just for you? Besides the feel good hormones that will run through your body from pampering are perfect to ensure a healthy happy baby. In order to have the benefit of happy hormones, you need to spoil yourself more than just once.

Your body now more than ever needs the perfect skin treatment. Your skin is stretching and it is important to moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize some more. A yummy selection of body butters, scrubs, and foot and hand creams that smell so good you’ll want to eat them, are at your fingertips. But remember this is only for your skin, not your tummy. Hey, have fun with it and have berries, bananas, or other fruits to match the indulgent fragrances. Continue reading »

Baby shower crafts are usually tied somehow to the theme of the party, which can be anything from storks to ducks to stars to teddy bears. Before deciding on what kind of baby shower crafts you would like to ask guests to bring to the party, decide on a theme and a color scheme for the event. If you are on a budget, at the very least decorate the party area with a banner that welcomes the mom. Featuring her picture in a prominent place is also a complimentary and flattering practice that makes her feel loved and appreciated by her friends.

Baby shower crafts are well suited to beading projects. A unique way to identify guests at a party would be to create baby necklaces, similar to the kind that are worn by babies at the hospital. These kinds of beads, which have letters on them, can be purchased at a supply store. The idea is that the necklace boasts the name of the guest and is worn during the party. Baby beads can be purchased at most bead and craft supply stores. Sometimes you can also get beads that are shaped like small toy building blocks. These building block beads suit showers that have an “ABC” or alphabet theme. Continue reading »

Quercetin is a type of flavanoid, or plant pigment, found in foods such as onions, apples, and black tea. It is also a powerful antioxidant able to protect the body against a variety of cancers. It is also partly responsible for protecting eyes from cataracts and the heart from heart attacks.

Cancer

Quercetin has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and prostate cancer.

Heart Attacks

Sometimes heart cells can grow unmanageably, and this ups risks of having a heart attack. Fortunately, quercetin has been found to keep this excessive cell growth at bay, acting as a preventative measure for those who may have heart attack risk because of genetics or other factors. In addition, the discovery of quercetin’s abilities to protect against heart attack is especially good news for women. Because it acts as an estrogen, this may be the cause of its heart-protective benefits. Continue reading »