I have been experimenting with colostrum skin cream for a year and have been amazed by the results. People have gotten immediate relief from difficult, persistent conditions. One person had skin on his elbows so sore that for years he had been unable to rest his arms on a desk. He had tried everything to soothe his skin, including prescription medications, but to no avail. Colostrum helped immediately. His discomfort disappeared overnight. Now, where he had bleeding sores, he has just some residual redness.

I’ve seen the same results, over and over, with other skin conditions. So when I formulated my moisturizer for sensitive skin, I included a lot of colostrum!

Colostrum is the first fluid that mammals secrete when they give birth. It is how mothers transfer their immune system to their babies. Fortunately, colostrum from cows is many times stronger in immune factors than human mother’s milk, and it is effective in all mammal species – including us.

But not all bovine colostrum is created equal. The time it is collected is critical. The very best colostrum is secreted in the first 6 hours from birthing. After that, its potency diminishes. And the health of the donor is important – grass fed animals, free of antibiotics and growth hormones – are a must. Then there is how the product is collected and processed. One of the key things to look for is the guarantee that it omes from those crucial first 6 hours of super potency (and don’t worry, there is always more than enough for the calves themselves!)

The benefits of colostrum extend across a whole spectrum of health conditions. It is an anti-aging beauty food, for sure! I recommend you look into it if you have any health issues. And if you have redness, rashes, irritation, or frequent breakouts, you will likely find colostrum a godsend for your skin.

There are many varied benefits to those warm, luxurious soaks many of us love to indulge in. Warm baths aid in dilating your blood vessels and boosting circulation as well as provide relief for those who suffer from back pain, headaches and arthritis. Baths can also aid in detoxifying your body.

One of the sections in the post is headed “What’s The Deal With Salt?” and gets into the therapeutic benefits of bath salts, not to be confused with commercial table salt. Amen to that also.

Diane McKay and Jeffrey Blumberg are at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Both work in the center’s Antioxidants Research Laboratory, which Blumberg directs.

They found that peppermint tea has significant antimicrobial and antiviral activities, and strong antioxidant and anti-tumor properties, and that hibiscus tea helps lower blood pressure. Chamomile had significant effects on preventing platelets to “clump”, which would lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. You can read more in this article in Agriculture Research magazine, where their findings were published.

Although I’m a huge fan of  green tea, I enjoy all kinds of herbal teas, starting with yogi tea. By the afternoon, though, I’m more inclined towards a peppermint or chamomile tea, something without caffeine.

Probiotics are bacterial microorganisms that are well-known for their ability to alleviate certain internal issues, such as diarrhea, IBS and lactose intolerance. However, dermatologists and other skin experts have found that their benefits go beyond digestive health. Daily Beauty

This article speaks to the many benefits of ingesting probiotics. It describes how improved intestinal bacteria can reflect in better skin by improving eczema, acne and other conditions, and delivering anti-aging protection. You can read more about the beauty benefits of probiotics at the Daily Beauty site.

It’s also worth noting that bacteria play a crucial role on the skin as well as inside the body. They break down the natural oil we secrete (sebum) and convert it into antiseptic fatty acids that  protect us from troublesome microbes. On its own, our sebum has no antiseptic properties.

Here’s a review of a new skincare line devoted to bringing a better class of bugs onto you face. Not a bad idea, actually.

One study found that “consuming at least an ounce of extra virgin olive oil each day lowered the risk of a cardiac event by 44% compared to those who consumed a half-ounce or less.”

They also found that “women with the highest daily consumption (one serving or about 2 ounces) of raw vegetables such as spinach or endive had a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease compared with women eating less than 2 servings per week.”

The best way to eat olive oil is cold, in salad dressing. And it you have it over fresh greens, well, you get double the benefit.

Dry skin brushing worked right away to reduce the amount of cellulite that I could see, but it didn’t stop cellulite from coming back. However, after I stopped eating fats that were bad for me, my cellulite went away, and didn’t come back.

Trans-fats are out of the question, of course, but even organic vegetable oils can turn into trouble when they are heated. So I cook only with coconut oil. And I use olive oil in my salad dressing every day. That’s it for oils that I eat. These two oils work wonders both on the body and inside it.

I use a whole range of organic oils in my moisturizer, but I do not believe they make any difference to cellulite when applied topically, even though they do amazing things for my complexion. But, when I totally changed my approach to the oils I let into my body, that’s what made the difference in my experience with cellulite. And the funny thing is, I didn’t make the change with cellulite in mind. I did it because the overall health benefits of cooking with coconut oil are so compelling, as are the benefits of eating unheated organic olive oil. Since I made the change, I’ve never felt better, and, happily, I no longer have cellulite.

Most web sites that address cellulite are focused on a particular cream or therapy, and I am not sure there is a magic bullet for cellulite reduction – something you can just put onto your skin and make it go away. The best information I found online is from a site called The Cellulite Investigation.  It is not about any particular cream or treatment and it provides an unbiased, in-depth look at all of the options, including a lot of real-world case studies and reports from readers. Here is a quote from them…

The anti-cellulite industry is by nature only interested in finding a solution to cellulite that can be bottled and sold.  What if the real answer is more complicated than that? The Cellulite Investigation

It could be that the answer is both more complicated (you cannot buy it in a bottle) and more simple (changes to your diet may solve the problem). I’m a big fan of natural solutions. They make beautiful skin simple.

Read more…

Beauty Benefits Of Coconut Oil

Beauty Benefits Of Olive Oil

One of the more embarrassing and self-indulgent challenges of our time is the task of relearning how to concentrate. The past decade has seen an unparalleled assault on our capacity to fix our minds steadily on anything. To sit still and think, without succumbing to an anxious reach for a machine, has become almost impossible. Alain De Botton

The trick is to concentrate by relaxing, not by burdening ourselves with another job called “concentrating.” The results can be spectacular, for our beauty and peace of mind (as if they are different).

If you wanted to go into a more relaxed state right now, you could drop into the breathing room for five minutes. You don’t even need to leave your computer. Mindfulness meditation is easy to learn, too.

Not to add to your distraction, but Alain de Botton is a terrific read. Here he is at TED talking about a kinder, gentler philosophy of success. Who wouldn’t benefit from a little relaxation around that topic?

Heart-healthy, heart-warming coconut oil. You’re a nut! You’re crazy in the coconut!
Okay – I’m crazy in the coconut. As you can tell.
You’re a nut! You’re crazy in the coconut!
Health Impact News

I love coconut oil, too. I cook with it. I use it in my products. But there are ideas on this post that I haven’t tried – like polishing the furniture  (don’t do too much of that anyway) or buffing up bronze (ditto). But taming frizz, losing weight, removing makeup – if you haven’t tried coconut oil yet, give it a whirl.  Check out the full post at Health Impact News for more ways to use this amazing oil.

According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology and reported in Science Daily, lavender oil could be used to combat the increasing incidence of antifungal-resistant infections.

The researchers found that lavender oil killed the fungi that give rise to ringworm, Athlete’s foot and common nail and scalp infections, as well as various strains of candida – with minimal side effects.

On its own, the oil (sebum) we secrete through our skin has no antiseptic power. We need helpful bugs to convert it into antiseptic fatty acids.  Without them, we are exposed to invasion by harmful bacteria and fungi, and we can suffer breakouts and worse.

When we deplete our natural oils, the good bugs don’t have anything to work with. This can happen naturally, as we produce less sebum over time. We can also deplete our natural oils by dissolving them with products that contain alcohol and other harsh ingredients. That’s one of the ways extra dry skin develops.

Coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil are all treated the same way as sebum by beneficial bacteria that live on our skin. They are broken down into fatty acids that protect our skin from marauders. It’s one of the reasons these oils are so healing. And that’s why I use them on my skin and in my products.

This is in addition to their moisturizing and softening benefits. Quite a deal, really.

More about the difference bacteria can make to your skin.