Going Bananas for Beauty

I love a good au naturale beauty recipe. 

I believe that everything on this planet serves a purpose and is given to us for our use. I try my best to stay away from chemicals and pills and all that!

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A recent post on hudabeauty.com inspired me to share the benefits of bananas with you!

There are so many! Bananas are a great snack too. Every time you feel hungry, have a banana, it's so full of goodies (vitamins and minerals), low in fat, and boost your mood (serotonin level) and energy levels, making it a great snack to have at your work place as well!

I always have bananas stocked up in my house. They are high in potassium and rich in vitamin A, B6 and B12 which means they're great for preventing hair loss, beautifying your skin, & strong nail growth. 

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It's great properties, including being anti-fungal help allergic reactions and itches. Just rub the peel on the irritated area

Mashing up a couple bananas and applying them to your face, chest, or any part of your body (skin), keeping it for a couple hours and then rinsing off, is a great recipe for anti wrinkling, restoring needed vitamins and mineral in your skin, & beautifying your skin further.

It also a great moisturizer for you skin.

I feel like the benefits list is endless! They're that good for you. 

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Did you know: that the whole banana tree is considered a herb, which basically means you can eat everything from the banana to its peel, to the roots of the tree! I wonder how healing the parts of the tree are, the must be backed with vitamins and great properties! 

Tip: Some people just can't eat bananas, but apparently if you sprinkle just a bit of pepper on the banana, it works wonders! It sounds strange but is supposed to work great!

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On a side note - I can't finish this post without mentioning this - Speaking of bananas, but in another sense, I personally love Banana pudding, wether homemade or bakery bought. Specifically Magnolia Bakery's. It's delish!!

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If you haven't already, you have to try all of the above..the banana benefits, and the pudding ;)

Until Next Time

À Bientôt!

the 10 Commandments for Youthful Looking Skin - Part 2

Here's part 2 of the 10 commandments for youthful skin via SELF.com

Read part 1 here

6. GET EVEN

Don't neglect skin below the neck: Brown spots on the chest and on the backs of hands are red flags of aging just as much as when they appear on the face. Fade them away with creams with niacinamide, and vitamin C and/or treat yourself to an IPL (intense pulsed light)/laser treatment which gets rid of such pigmentation.

7. FIRM UP

Though age and sun damage can cause skin to lose elasticity over time, fighting back is getting easier: Recent research shows that maintaining a healthy, moisturized epidermis will help prevent the breakdown of the skin's collagen and elastin infrastructure. Also, look for creams containing barrier-strengthening elements. RE9 Firming Body Cream is pretty well known and celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe recommends the lavish Acrona 'Instant Magic' Reversal Serum

8. ERASE WRINKLES

The best way to banish wrinkles before they begin is to develop good habits, such as vetoing sunbathing and cigarettes, which trigger free radicals that damage DNA in cells Regular application of creams that have niancinamide head to toe will also help thicken skin and boost collagen synthesis, and keep skin hydrated. Thirsty skin means fine lines will be more apparent. 

9. BRIGHTEN UP

Glowing skin can make you feel better and define your body in a way that you look skinner too! But we all know we want to avoid the harmful rays so self tanners that react with your outer layer of skin cells and turn them brown. A daily lotion with a low does of DHA (responsible for the reaction) will allow a gradual and subtle glow to appear. My personal favorite is the Jergens' natural Glow. Available for light to medium and medium to tan skin tones. In just three days you really see a natural looking and gradual even tan on your skin.

10. LOOK AHEAD

Protect your skin for a beautiful future. A full-on solar defense starts with broad-spectrum sunscreen that guards against both UVB and UVA rays by using a mix of physical blockers and chemical blockers. Make sunscreen the first step in your regimen: applying it to bare skin, therefore binding it to cells, boosting its efficiency.

This ELLE approved Neutrogena sunscreen is great (Elle recently had a huge feature in it's july/august issue about the sun and protection from its harmful rays. LVP will be summarizing that for you very soon!). And if you've read my previous posts, Neutrogena is a personal favorite as it's dermatologist recommended and is trustworthy as all the products of theirs that I have used, I have been happy with!

Text adapted from SELF.com

Photos via Pinterest.com

the 10 Commandments for Youthful Looking Skin - Part 1

SELF.com explains to us how to keep our skin naturally glowing, free of impurities and looking young!

Some of this we already know, but sometimes we need a reminder or reassurance! 

Enjoy...

1. RUB IT IN

Hydrated skin not only looks great - glowing, healthy, and even-toned - but it is also stronger, more resilient and better equipped to fend off irritation. So obviously don't stop drinking water, but also, to keep skin supple post-shower, use a body wash that contains hydrating ingredients - such as jojoba butter - or even try an in-shower body lotion. 

Moisturizers contain two skin saving components: a) Humectants - e.g. hyaluronic acid - draw water from the air into the skin & b) Emollients - e.g. mineral oil - strengthen the lipid barrier, thus holding in moisture.

2. CALM DOWN

If the skin's lipid barrier is compromised, and irritants slip through, the resulting inflammatory response leads to: redness, itching, and overall discomfort...so prevent this by using fragrance-free lotions (bonus: with niacinamide - a skin-strengthening and protecting derivative of vitamin B3). To calm skin quickly, spot treat areas of concern with cold compresses/packs. This will help draw redness away from skin's surface.

3. SNACK SMART

Your diet doesn't just affect your waistline - it can also save your skin: 

Green tea is a given and we've mentioned this one before, which not only protects collagen, it could also help prevent skin cancer.

Wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which aid skin's battier-repair function.

Sweet potatoes are chock-full of antioxidant beta-catotene.

Blueberries' antioxidant content protects precious cells inside and out

Spinach's antioxidant lutein helps preserve your vision (less squinting = fewer wrinkles ;) )

4. BEAUTY SLEEP
While you're fast asleep, your body is busy releasing hormones that boost cell turnover. Take advantage of this nightly skin-renewal window by applying age-fighting actives that include beta hydroxy acid and retinoids. BUT if you're not the cream applying kind of person, personally I think just drinking lots of water and getting a good amount of sleep can be a natural age fighter!

Satin sheets, however, are a good idea. Trade up to satin sheets if you want to realize your dream of sag-free skin. Over time, rubbing and reduced circulation caused by tossing and turning in rougher sheets can create more friction = break down collagen = leading to wrinkles

5. BRUSH IT OFF
Dead skin cells? Yuck! Keep skin smooth and boost radiance with cell-sloughing (shedding) exfoliation. A physical exfoliant such as a scrub, or a body wash with gentle beads, buffs away debris, while alpha or beta hydroxy acids dissolve the bonds between cells, so the old cells easily wash away!
Revealing...soft, glowing skin.

There are many recipe for home made scrubs (they often include coarse particles such as salt, oats, sugar, etc. and oils to moisturize and scent, but search up some recipes, they work really well!). In-store options - especially the body washes - are also great and hassle free!

...to be continued....

PS. Come back for Part 2 (and all other LVP posts) later this week!

Text: From via SELF.com - Some text was adapted/paraphrased for this post.

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9   

Nutrients for Gorgeous Skin

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It can be hard to keep your skin looking fresh and clean all the time, but with a little effort and some extra care on what kind of food you eat & snack on, you can work your way to even that much better looking (and feeling) skin. While on Glamour.com I found these nutrients as suggested to be the best booster for gorgeous skin:

Omega 3s: these fats (and they're the good kind) act as a lubricant to keeping your skin supple and aid in hormone production that improves the skin's texture by fighting off free radicals (which cause inflammatory damage, wrinkles, and blotchiness)

A thought: these fats are essential for pregnant mothers...maybe they are one of the reasons for skin as soft as a baby's?!

Where to find 'em:

Nuts, seeds, and fish such as salmon

Photos: 1, 2

Vitamin B3: commonly knows as niacin-amide helps in boosting the produce the compounds that make up the outside barrier of the skin, which subsequently locks in moisture. This B vitamin has also shown to reduce the redness and helpful for dry/sensitive skin

Where to find it:

 Roasted Chicken, Mushrooms, and even Steak

Photos: 1, 2, 3

Vitamin E: By helping the skin retain its natural moisturizers, this vitamin helps to ease dry skin, and supports UV defense (kaching!). Studies have shown that when used prior to UV exposure, skin is less red, swollen, and dry (hence its often existence in sunscreen ingredients). Additionally, it also showed reducing numbers of skin damaging free radical (which are created after exposure to cigarette smoke)

Where to find it:

Sunflower seeds, Olives &

Almonds

Photos: 1, 2, 3

If I may...

Let me just add that even though this can be overstated it is definitely true; Drink Plenty Of Water! :)

Hope this can be somewhat useful!

Until Next Time... À Bientôt!