Garden Of Wisdom–Picking a New Product to Try! Help!

Don’t you wish that there were just one skin care product that would fulfill all of your skin care needs?  I sure do…  I wish that I could just buy one great, natural, skin care product that would address hydration, and collagen, and wrinkle reduction, and pore size, and combination skin.  Alas, there is no such product.  I would not care, if I had all of the money in the world, but that I do not have, either.

Besides, I have nothing to review if I try nothing new, right?  I am all out of my beloved Garden of Wisdom Summer serum, with the coffeeberry, and since summer is over, so is my shine–for now.  I am also out of a hyaluronic acid serum, and DMAE serum, but I want to try something new, something with more zing for my aging skin–and of course, it will be something more expensive.  I read some of the skin care routines that GoW fans use, and I have a pretty bare bones program going here, but then I make a lot of face food stuff that works wonders, too, and does the job of some of these products.

So, right now, I am looking at the following products from Garden of Wisdom.  I know hat I am going to buy the Crisp Apple Hydrating Mist.  What I do not know is what comes next, and I am asking for you help.  Here are the products that I am considering:

The Garden of Wisdom Skin Communicator Serum–this is a peptide serum with Syntakes peptides, as well as rice protein, white lily, and hyaluronic acid.  It costs $27 for an ounce, while skin care companies such as Peter Thomas Roth, and many others charge $110 and on up for products containing the syntakes peptides.  Those who have reviews this serum say that it works wonders, plumping the skin and making it look better, and more radiant, too.

My other possibility is the GoW Renew cream with Renovage–another thing fancy skin care companies use.  This cream has lingonberry fruit extract, and seed oil, or reduce photo-aging, lift and firm the skin, and to lighten age spots.  The Renovage is said to help with cell structural recovery.  Again, rave reviews, and Renovage is suppose to ward off signs of aging, as well as healing skin.  Hmmm….this stuff is $32 for an ounce.

And then there is the GoW Matrix Majik Anti-Aging serum with M, DMAE, and R-ALA–lifting, and so forth.  This is $24.60 for an ounce.  See why I wish everything could be packing into one bottle, or jar?

Finally, there is the Vita Resuface Retinol Cream, which cost $48 for the 1% strength, and we all know that retinol is the *must have* anti-aging product.  This cream has a sample size, but I suspect you do not see results after sampling.  I will probably get the sample size anyway.

I want to try them all!  Alright, I have a sample size of all four product in my cart right now.  I removed the hydrating mist–it can wait.   What do you all think?  Should I try them all, or go full size one at a time?  Please!  Help me out there!  This is tough, and I want to know what you would like to see reviewed, too!  Comments please!  Thanks gang!

Quick Poll: Emu Oil Versus Olive Squalane Oil

Hey all–  My quest for the perfect, oil based moisturizer has left me questioning a few things.  Some people swear by emu oil as the cure-all, anti-aging, miracle oil.  Other people say the same thing about olive squalane oil.  Both have similar properties, softening wrinkles, soothing and relieving skin conditions like eczema, and acting as an anti-bacterial.  Both absorb quickly, and both help heal cracked skin and so forth.  However, olive squalane oil comes from olives, and emu oil comes fro, well, emus, which are birds.

I have found creams and serums with each type of oil, and one cream with both types of oil.  I do not mind the thought of an olive being squeezed for my face oil, but the thought of an emu squeezed or my face oil kind of gives me the heebie geebies.  While I do not eat a lot of meant, I am not a vegetarian, or a vegan, but I do like my skin care products plant based.

So, what do you all think, and what experiences have you had with either emu oil, or olive squalane oil?  When you look for natural skin care products, do you want then to be vegan, or at least all plant based?  And, while I am at it, I have found a wonderful looking, plant based, face cream, but it contains one non-natural, synthetic ingredient said to be the end all and be all in wrinkle treatments.  Would you allow one synthetic ingredient in the name of beauty?  

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!  As usual, tomorrow will be busy, so if I don’t post, well, I don’t post.  Have a great weekend!

More Fun With Oatmeal Skin Care-Oatmeal Cranberry Morning Face Mask

Do you ever have mornings when you wake up and look are yourself in the mirror and just thing…ugh!  Well, this morning I woke up and took a look in the mirror, and my skin looked like it was simply screaming for some nourishment.  I suppose that this is no surprise,as the last several days have been anything but slow and easy.  What with 12 articles to write in 4 days, a sick kid, and life, my diet and skin care regemine has been less than exemplary.

But, the articles were all put to bed that night, as they say in the journalism business, my child is well, and the sun it out for now.  It is time to relax, and to get back on track, diet and skin care wise.

So, this morning I gave my battle weary face what it wanted, some nourishment.  I tossed a handful of organic oatmeal into my food processor, then I added a couple of tablespoons of honey, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, an organic egg white, and a handful of dried cranberries.  As I began to process all of these ingredients, I added milk through the feed tube, slowly, until I had a consistency that I liked.  I then processed it some more, using the pulse, to get it as mixed up as possible, sort of like me most days 😉

I spread this onto my face, or more patted and packed in on, making certain that the area beneath my eyes, over the orbital bone, was well covered.  It was a bit messy, and I did it over the kitchen sink.  Within a minute of two, bits stopped dropping off so I then went about my business for about 30 minutes, while the oatmeal cranberry face mask worked it’s wonders.

I rinsed it off with warm water, again, over the kitchen skin, then I headed to the bathroom to take a peak, patting my skin dry on the way.  Wow!  The fine lines and crows feet around my under eyes were softened to the point of being barely noticeable, my skin looked radiant, and is soft as can be.  I feel, and look, like a different woman compared to the one that I saw in the mirror this morning.  I am extremely happy with the results.

This mask is very gentle, so it can be used as often as you like during the week.  The oatmeal soothes the skin, and the oat beta glucans help stimulate collagen production.  The honey helps the skin retain moisture, and the olive oil softens, while providing vitamin E and those essential fatty acids.  The dried cranberries kicked in some vitamin C, and the milk added some lactic acid, and alpha hydroxy acid.  The egg white provided protein, and acted as a binder for all of the ingredients.

Of course, you can use this mask in the evening, too.  You will get the same benefits, but for a fresh faced start to your day, or to perk up your skin on a blah day, this oatmeal and cranberry mask is super morning skin nourishment.

I am off for a walk now–trying to beat the rain.  I will be back later with more fun newsy news!  Adios!

Does Your Moisturizer Contain Enough Green Tea To Do Any Good?

Green tea–it is a wonder.  Whether you drink it, use it on your face, or both, you are doing your body good.  With the powerful plant nutrient, ECGC.  ECGC is a super powerful antioxidant, and an anti-inflammatory, making it great for both mature and acne prone skin.  The ECGC is green tea is also said to help maintain collagen product–the skin’s support system.  It is also reported to aid those who are trying to lose weight!  What can’t green tea do?

Because of it’s high levels of antioxidants, 20 times high than vitamin C, and the soothing, redness reducing, anti-inflammatory properties, green tea has been added the a plethora of OTC and natural skin care products, especially creams for the face.  But, how do you know of your moisturizer/face cream contains enough green tea to be effective?  While green tea does not have the deep color of a black tea, it is a definite green/yellow color.   Camellia oil, the extract from green tea is a golden, or deep yellow color.

If your green tea infused moisturizer is a whiter shade of pale, it does not contain enough green tea, or camellia oil extract to do your skin much good.  A moisturizer with a good amount of green tea, of camellia oil extract will be a pale yellow in color, or an oatmeal color.  Certainly, the final color will depend on what else has been added to the cream, especially if it is a natural one, but no matter what else is added to the cream or moisturizer along with the green tea, the cream should have some tint to it.

So, if your green tea containing moisturizer is white, the green tea has been added in an amount to be listed as an ingredient, but not in a great enough amount to matter.

Do not want to worry about the effectiveness of your cream with regards to green tea?  The simple, natural way to do this is to bypass the cream all together.  Brew up your own green tea and make it nice and strong.  Cool it, then use a cotton ball to apply it to your face, straight up.  Allow it to soak in, then apply your olive oil, or face cream.

Keep the green tea in the fridge for some quick skin refreshment on those hot summer days!  Make enough for a glass of iced tea, too, and you will be doing your skin good, inside and out!  Cheers!

Kiwi Fruit Enzyme Face Mask-Vitamin C Powerhouse!

As I have said, when it comes to my kitchen cupboard skin care, a lot of what I choose to use in any given week–from the produce section, anyway, has to do with what is one sale that week. You may have noticed by now that I am a tad frugal. It is a frugality born out of circumstances, but it has become second nature, and when I think of all of the money that I have wasted on OTC skin care and beauty products, I am quite comfortable being cheap 😉

This week kiwi fruit are 3 for 99 cents and I cannot pass that up! Some for a salad, some for my face. If you look online, you will find a bunch of kiwi fruit skin care products, all hailing from New Zealand, the home of the fuzzy kiwi fruit. Well, there is no need to send to another continent for kiwi fruit natural skin care products, when you can reap the benefits of the modest kiwi fruit after a trip to the grocery store.

Today, we are going to whip up a little kiwi fruit enzyme face mask that is simply packed with vitamin C and alpha hydroxy fruit acids. First the simply recipe, then the science behind it. For this natural enzyme face mask, I suggest that you use a blender or food processor for the mixing, as crushing up those little black seeds is something that you want to do. So, toss a peeled kiwi fruit into the blender, or food processor, and add 2 tablespoons of honey, and an egg white to hold the mask together.

Process the ingredients until you have a smooth consistency, then apply it to your face and let it work it’s wonders for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and then stand in front of the mirror and admire your fresh faced, glowing skin. If you want a thicker mask, and the benefits of anti-aging beta glucans, you can add a couple of teaspoons of finely ground rolled oats to the mix. You can also toss in a strawberry or two if your skin is oily or acne prone, or some pineapple if you are feeling especially tropical.

Kiwi fruit are loaded with vitamin C–the highest vitamin C containing fruit. As we know, vitamin C is a superior antioxidant, and it plays a big role in supporting healthy collagen production-that all important element in the skin that decreases as we age. Kiwi fruit is also a great source of potassium, and those little black seeds contain the omega 3 acid, alpha lipoic acid, which is a big name, and much used ingredient, in the skin care world. Now you see why you want to crush those little black seeds!

At the same time, kiwi fruit is chock full of the protein dissolving enzyme, actinidin, which like the enzyme papain in papaya, acts as a chemical exfoliant to remove those pore clogging dead skin cells, which are protein, of course. Actinidin is an alpha hydroxy fruit acid, as well as an enzyme. Add to all of that great stuff, high concentrations of vitamin A, and vitamin E and kiwi fruit is an absolute antioxidant super power!

Use this multi-functional kiwi fruit vitamin C enzyme mask and your friends will be green with envy over radiant skin, all done for less than a dollar!

I am off now, I have some samples to try 😉 I also will have some information regarding the amazing coffeeberry coming soon! Goody, goody!

Staying Hand-some–Natural Vegan Anti-Aging Hand Cream with SPF!

I said yesterday that I am just bubbling over with things to talk about, and now I am simply percolating! Again, I remind myself to pace myself, but as i said, she excitement!

I did a little online, natural skin care product shopping yesterday, and found some things that I cannot wait to try, and to review for you. I am hoping that I will love them all! Ah, but I am only going to chat about one thing at a time.

Do you have things in your skin care and beauty arsenal that are not exactly natural? I know that I do! I hear that collective gasp 😉 When a person, or a family, decides to go green and natural it is usually a stepwise process. You usually don’t just run around the house, tossing out everything and instantly replacing it with something more Earth and body friendly, all in one fell swoop. That would be extremely expensive, and it takes a while to find suitable replacements for your mainstream products. So, unless you’ve been green and natural for years, you are bound to still have some products laying around that are less than a verdant green.

For me, one of those products that remained to be replaced was my hand cream. I do have a couple of tubes of Aveda Hand Relief Cream, that my daughter,, the Aveda stylist gave me, but it has no SPF, and a good hand cream needs SPF, just like a good day time face cream.

Next to your face, or maybe before the skin on your face, no place on your body will give away your age like your hands. Some will say that it’s the neck, but I disagree. We pamper our pretty faces, but we put our hands through the wringer with hot water, detergents, cleaning products, the sun, and all sort of other hand battering activities, yet we give this nary a thought beyond slapping a little hand cream on now and again.

Case in point; Many years ago I was at a Holiday program at my children’s school. I happened to glance to my side and my eyes were met with the ugliest hands that I had ever seen in my life. They were red, cracked, and huge, almost in a swollen way. They looked rough as sandpaper, and downright angry! I thought to myself, “Well, those hands must belong to one of our lobsterman fathers.” Then I looked up and saw the hands attached to a woman a good deal younger than myself, whose family owns and runs an organic farm. Superb veggies, I must say. Sad, sad hands–yikes!

Now, I am in no way a pampered princess. My hands have encountered with many hostile environments. When I worked as an R.N., I had to wash my hands with a very strong soap over and over each day, to the point that my hands cracked despite a hand lotion. Then, just living, I have been up to my elbows in hot water for what seems like almost half of my waking hours 😉 I have cleaned, and gardened and quilted, and so forth. I live my life. I may not have the hands of a 20 year old, but they don’t look bad, and besides, the 20 year old who I’d have taken them from might complain 😉

So, for a hand cream with SPF I have been using Bath and Body Works, Glove Me Tender, and I have liked it just fine, in a very guilty way. It has an SPF 15, which is the minimum one wants for their hands, just like the face. Well, yesterday I googled for a natural hand cream with SPF, and within a few minutes, and the click of a few buttons, I had one ordered, and it is now winging it’s way towards me! I am tickled to try it!

I found it on Etsy.com, from seller ayelet17. It is called Pampered Hands, and it is a natural, vegan, anti-aging and repairing hand cream with SPF 15! It’s like manna from heaven! The hand cream contains hemp seed butter, organic babassu oil, avocado oil, aloe vera, as well as other good stuff. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide provide both UVA and UVB protection, naturally. The cream is handmade and free of parabens, fragrances, and such.

As I have said before, I love to support small, independent companies, and craftspersons, so I am truly dying to try this natural hand cream with SPF, and I really hope that i adore it! it is certainly priced right, at $9.95 for a 2.5 ounce tube, and the description says that it is not greasy. Ayelet17’s Etsy shop has many more natural skin and face care products, all wonderfully priced, so while I await my delivery, you take a look. Can it be that I have found another super source for natural skin care? I will let you know!

For Acne Prone Skin–Strawberries and Cream!

When deciding what I will mush up to use on my face in any given week, I always try to use seasonal ingredients, especially of they are on sale at the grocery store that week 😉  This week it is strawberries and peaches, and right now the local strawberries are at their peak.  I am planning to make a small batch of jam, and you can be sure that my cereal will be berried, but I think that I can abscond with a few berries for my face.

I am not particularly acne prone, but as I have mentioned, my skin gets oily in the summer, and I have had a small spot or two in the last few weeks.  A strawberries and cream face mask might be just what I need, and it’s easy to make.  Again, this recipe is customizable to suit your needs.

Start with 1/2 to 1 cup of ripe strawberries and mash them up well with a fork, you you can use a food processor or a blender.  To this, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of milk, plain yogurt, or cream, and enough corn starch to make a paste.  If you’re skin is quite acne prone, you can also put a drop or two of tea tree, or lavender essential oil at this point.  Smear this goo all over your face, then leave it on for about 20 minutes or so.

Be sure and relax while letting this sit, as any excuse to relax is a good one, and if you truly want to send he message that you are “closed for business” for a bit, put a slice of cold cucumber over each eye.  When you are ready to “open up” again, go rinse the mask off with warm water, and you will feel refreshed, and your skin will look the part, too.

Other variations of this recipe could include 2 tablespoons honey in place of the cream, and finely ground oatmeal in place of the corn starch.  You can also add a beaten egg white, and if you want to use cream in the variations, do so, adding enough oats to thicken to the desired consistency.

So, how does this work?  To begin with, as mentioned in the aspirin mask post, strawberries contain salicylic acid, this main ingredient in aspirin, and most acne creams.  At the same time, the strawberries are packed with skin loving vitamin C, and those exfoliating alpha hydroxy fruit acids.  With the addition of cream, milk, or yogurt, you are adding lactic acid, another natural exfoliating acid.

Should you choose to add honey, you will treat your acne and oily skin without drying it, as honey is a humectant-helps retain moisture, and the oats contain beta glucans used in many OTC skin care produces for their anti-inflammatory action, as well as their collagen promoting and wrinkle reducing properties.  All of that good anti-aging stuff.

If you look at the ingredients in each mask, it would seem that the first mask is more suited to young, acne prone skin, while the variation is just made for pampering more mature skin, which is why I will be using strawberry mask number two.  If you have some carrot seed oil, put a few drops of that into the mature skin mask, too for extra anti-aging benefits.

What a fresh and yummy way to make your face look fresh, and you feel yummy!  Go forth and glow!  Summer’s here!

Popeye And Olive Oil…Good Food, Soft Face

Popeye and Olive Oyl.  That’s what I have been reminded of today.  You will find out why 😉

I got quite ambitious with my skin care regimen this morning.  I have to admit that I have been quite lax in the last week, as we have no running water due to a dead well pump ;-(  This adds a whole other element to everyday tasks, like washing the dishes, and of course, personal hygiene practices, so I have been lazy with my poor face.

I decided that it was time to rectify that today, so I have gave my face a good scrub with the lemon juice, sugar exfoliating scrub that I have outlined in an earlier post.  Today, I mixed brown sugar with lemon juice then I added a tablespoon of olive oil and a few drops of clary sage essential oil.  I did the two minute scrub, then the two minute sit, then rinsed with warm.

I followed that with the coffee grounds mask that I have written about. I need the caffeine!  I mixed about 1/2 cup of coffee grounds with a fresh, organic egg white and 2 tablespoons of honey and then mixed well, and applied it all over my face.  I left this mixture on my face for 15 minutes, much to the distress and dismay of my four year old son, who wanted it off of me NOW!  While I let the mask dry, I brewed up a small amount of very strong green tea–all of those anti-oxidants!  Then I rinsed the mask off of my now glowing, rosy face.

I then patted the strong green tea all over my face, and while it soaked in, I used the leftover brown sugar/lemon juice glop to exfoliate my hands.  Soft, soft hands, thanks to the olive oil in the mix!  Next step included the witch hazel toner–my current mix included orange essential oil, thyme essential oil–good for my oily summer skin, and 1/4 cup strong green tea.

The final step in this mini facial was a light application of extra virgin olive oil all over my face, including around my eye area.  I then indulged myself in a glorious spinach salad that included dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds!  I put this in my face, rather than on it 😉 Delicious!  What a good girl I have been today!  Are you seeing the Popeye connection?  The spinach and olive oil–there is a cartoon that was visionary in it’s healthful message–including Bluto–the scorned junk food junkie.  Anyway, my skeptical four year old son told me that my skin looked “fabulous”  so it was time well spent.

I love using pure olive oil as a moisturizer.  I am buying it to cook with, anyway, so there is no added expense, and the benefits of extra virgin olive oil are many.  Dr. Perricone, and many others include olive oil in their skin care products, but the most beneficial way to use it is straight up!  If you’re afraid of using the pure stuff on your face, try mixing in a few drops to your face cream, or body lotion.

Why is olive oil so good for your skin?  Well Paula Begoun tells us that, “Olive oil contains essential fatty acids dry skin needs, including oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. It also contains phenolic compounds that provide antioxidant benefit. Also worth mentioning is olive oil’s anti-inflammatory property.”  Her site, http://www.cosmeticscop.com has a lot of interesting information regarding skin care and the cosmetic industry, even if her focus isn’t natural skin care.

If you have the time and need the pampering, head to the kitchen and mix up some foody potions for your own home facial.  Then relax and wait for the compliments.  Hours later, my skin feels smooth as a baby’s butt, and the lines around my eyes are much less noticeable.  If I ever get around to putting my my natural, mineral make-up, I will probably just do my eyes, and my skin looks so great!

Don’t forget, today is the last day to get 20% off of anything at Aromaleigh Mineral Make-up, with Kristen’s hot20 summer sale.  Check it out at http://www.aromaleigh.com!  Charge it!