Natural Skin Care Ingredients

• Protect against ultraviolet radiation and avoid the sun-induced skin inflammation that triggers hyperpigmentation in the first place. No skin lightener will work if sun-induced inflammation isn’t avoided. Use a top-quality sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Also make sure it does not contain any inflammatory ingredients such as PABA.
• Cleanse gently and always moisturize. For the treatment of age spots, try using a mild facial cleanser once a week unless your face needs a thorough washing—for instance, if you have a lot of makeup on. On the other days, cleanse twice a day with oil instead of soap. Using about 1/4 teaspoon of a high quality, perfume-free oil such as organic jojoba, olive, grapeseed, or macadamia oil, gently massage your face. Then, wet a clean washcloth with warm (not hot) water, and remove the oil by scrubbing gently in a downward direction to clean and close your skin’s pores. Follow by massaging in about 1/4 as much of the same oil, preferably while your face is still damp. If your skin feels too oily afterward, gently dab away the excess with a clean cloth.
• Twice a week, exfoliate with 10 percent glycolic acid. For most women, 10 percent is gentle enough even for everyday use without causing inflammation. I recommend Mango Madness SkinCare’s Exfoliate Me Glycolic Acid Cleanser.

• Hot peppers. Capsaicin is the “hot” ingredient in hot peppers. Studies show that, in spite of being fed a high-fat diet, laboratory rats given supplemental capsaicin actually lost body fat and 8 percent of their starting body weight, while the rats not given capsaicin gained both weight and fat. I recommend Nature’s Way Cayenne 40,000 H.U. Take 450 mg three times daily with food.
• Turmeric. A well-known antioxidant and anti-cancer agent, turmeric is also a traditional Ayurvedic weight-loss agent. Its active ingredient is curcumin, which studies show suppresses fat deposition in mice fed a high-fat diet. I recommend a turmeric extract standardized to 95 percent curcuminoids, which you can find at any health food store or vitamin retailer. Take 500 mg three times daily. Or, simply add this wonderful spice to your recipes! You can find many recipes that include turmeric online.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and add the berries.
4. Spread in a 9×9 pan that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil.
5. Bake 20–30 minutes and enjoy warm.

The final step in controlling emotional eating and kick-starting your natural weightloss is to take the following supplements, which have been proven to help curb the cravings associated with emotional eating:

• Saffron has long been used as a seasoning and coloring agent by gourmet cooks. But saffron also has amazing medicinal value that is beginning to turn heads, including benefits that can help free you from the clutches of emotional eating. Scientists have identified at least two of its active ingredients: safranal, which has been found to promote levels of the well-being neurotransmitter serotonin, and crocin-1, which inhibits the neurotransmitters dopamine (believed to condition you to expect “rewards” from comfort food), and the acute stress hormone norepinephrine. Saffron’s effects on these brain chemicals is believed to be one mechanism by which it combats mild to moderate depression; increases a sense of fullness and satisfaction; helps blunt the triggers of emotional eating; and promotes not just weight loss, but reduction of fat mass. A new, patent-pending, clinically proven optimized saffron extract, developed in France from Mediterranean saffron and used in the study above, is available as a supplement called Satiereal. I recommend one capsule, twice daily.
• Sublingual 5-HTP. Your brain is a major source for the production of the appetite control neurotransmitter called serotonin, and 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan) is serotonin’s main ingredient. In a placebo-controlled study of overweight women, eight weeks of treatment with an under-the-tongue form of 5-HTP resulted in a significantly greater sense of fullness and satisfaction, and reduced body mass index, skinfold thickness, and hip measurement. I recommend Life Link’s 5 HTP lozenges .

To  learn more about appetite control techniques and ways to aid in your natural weight loss plan, visit my Web site.
 

• turkey;
• seafood;
• whole grains such as quinoa;
• brown rice;
• legumes;
• eggs;
• almonds; and
• sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds.

• Six large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about six pounds)
• Spray olive oil
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 2 red onions, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon erythritol (I like the Z Sweet brand)
• 3–4 dashes hot sauce
• ground pepper to taste
• 1 bag organic mixed lettuce
• 4 ounces dried cranberries, unsweetened
• 4 ounces sliced almonds

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped or pureed ginger
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• ½ cup truvia or erythritol
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon allspice

Best Natural Skin Care for Dry Hands--Step 2
To keep your hands smooth and soft during harsh winter conditions, you should exfoliate weekly.

Exfoliating the skin on your hands helps to remove dead skin cells and can encourage the formation of undamaged new ones. There are plenty of exfoliating products on the market, but if you want to make a natural skin care recipe at home, try this:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1–2 teaspoons coconut, jojoba, avocado, or olive oil
1–2 teaspoons honey

Mix all these ingredients together and massage into your dry hands for about one minute (or less). Then add a little water and continue massaging for a minute (or less). Wash your hands, then moisturize (see below).

Best Natural Skin Care for Dry Hands--Step 3
During the wintertime, you simply need to moisturize frequently. However, I am not a fan of the chemical-laden drugstore brand moisturizers. Most of them contain petrolatum. Also known as petroleum and paraffin jelly, petrolatum is a type of mineral oil used to seal in moisture. This is the ironic part, because petrolatum actually interferes with your skin’s own moisturizing ability, leading to even more dry skin and chapping.

When you use a skin care product that contains petrolatum, you will usually find it to be very waxy. This is a sign that your skin is not absorbing the product. Instead, it just sits on top of your skin, suffocating and clogging your pores.

Fortunately, there are plenty of moisturizers that do not contain petrolatum and other questionable chemicals. Some of the best natural skin care contains shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe, and other soothing and easily absorbed ingredients from nature. Just look in your local health food store or at any of the countless online retailers that sell products with natural skin care ingredients. Some of my favorite natural beauty care products Aubrey Organics Collagen & Almond Enriching Moisturizing Lotion, Devita Tahitian Shea Butter Brulée, and 100% Pure Lemon Shea Body Butter.

Be sure to use your moisturizer after washing your hands, before and after going outside, and any other time you feel you need it.



 

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup erythritol
• 1 egg
• ½ cup light molasses
• 1 ½ cups Pamela's baking mix
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup boiling water

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup erythritol
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dagoba cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups Pamela’s wheat-free baking mix
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup goji berries

• 1½ cups almond milk
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• ¾ cup frozen cherries
• 1 banana

The media today are reporting on new research that says that girls are starting puberty earlier than ever--some as early as age 7. Researchers speculate that rising obesity plays a role, since fat increases estrogen levels in the body. Environmental toxins, such as BPA and pthalates, and even common ingredients found in beauty and personal care products, like parabens, also cause changes in estrogen levels in the body.

According to researchers, not only does early puberty have negative emotional and mental affects on girls, but it can also increase their risk of breast and endometrial cancers when they get older, due to the fact that they have a longer lifetime exposure to estrogen.

This study is quite disturbing, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and your daughters and granddaughters. First, choose the most natural beauty care products you can because these are the ones that tend to be free of estrogen-like chemicals. Second, choose organic (and, if possible, locally-grown) produce. It may be a bit more expensive than conventionally-grown food, but the peace of mind you get knowing you and your loved ones are eating more nutritious, cleaner, purer food is worth those extra few cents.  And finally, make exercise fun! Go to the park and kick a ball around, play on the monkey bars, or go for a walk to your local store or library. Anything that gets you and your kids or grandkids moving will help prevent obesity.

For more information on estrogen levels and natural weightloss, visit my Web site.