Antioxidants

If you are into skin or overall body health, most likely you have heard of antioxidants. So, what are they and what they do?

Antioxidants protect skin from the assault of free radicals (UV from sun, pollution, cigarette smoke) that can cause oxidative stress. Antioxidants are able to neutralize the effects of free radicals or possibly delay some cell damage. This neutralization may cause a reduction of abnormal skin pigmentation and fine lines. Your body’s cells naturally create some powerful antioxidants. They are also found in commonly consumed foods, like whole grain bread, certain cereals, beans, blueberries, red grapes, red cabbage and kale, to name a few.

It is equally important to use skincare products (creams, lotions, and cleanser) with ingredients that contain antioxidant properties such as vitamin E, jojoba oil or green tea to combat elements that damage skin, but also can help to calm and give a more youthful appearance to skin.

Probiotics

Probiotics can be found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir or sauerkraut. These healthy bacteria help our body to restore balance to function well by fighting off bad bacteria. Probiotics are also beneficial for our skin when applied topically. As we age, our skin’s PH increases leading to dryer skin and fine cracks. Probiotics have calming effects and may help to improve skin by bringing it back to a normal state, and slow down the visible signs of aging. Some studies suggest that probiotics are beneficial for more serious skin disorders, such as inflammation, rosacea or eczema

Helpful Tip

Look for an expiration date on any products that are being advertised as probiotic creams or lotions. Since probiotics are live bacteria, they can only be effective for approximately six months after opening.  These types of products are traditionally packed in an airless containers.

And, remember, always choose products with ingredients that fit for your skin type – dry, oily, or combination. You’ll get the best results!

Before bedtime, take the time to apply a facial crème that will work to keep your face hydrated while you sleep.

What to do at bedtime:

1. Cleanse. Give the extra love to your skin – a good cleanse will rid the oils and impurities that have accumulated during the day.
2. Tone. Follow with toner to bring you PH balance to a normal level. 
3. Moisturize. Apply a good quality night cream with a hydrating formula. Skin needs hydration to look fresh and youthful. Night cream will deeply moisturize your skin overnight. Choose a crème with hydrating ingredients such as Provitamin B5 and Vitamin A , which minimize the appearance of fine lines and moisturize your skin at the same time. Hyaluronic acid helps the skin hold onto water that leads to plumper skin cells.  Other ingredients such as Sweet Almond Oil and Avocado Oil deliver important fatty acids.

Helpful tip. When you are applying the crème to your face, continue to massage past your chin – as your neck requires the same care as your face.

Other considerations:

Lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation affects collagen growth, skin hydration and skin texture. Collagen is the protein that serves as one of the main building blocks for your skin.  It is responsible for helping your skin keep its volume and elasticity. Lack of collagen results in early signs of aging and sagging skin. Also, if you do not get enough sleep the level of moisture in your skin drops – that leads to a change in skin complexions. Drier skin may develop, or other problems such as outbreak of acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Humidifiers. Use of humidifier is another way to increase moisture in the air to prevent dryness that may be beneficial to health of your skin.  Air without humidity is dryer – which leads to dry skin.

Face masks. Using a facial mask may be beneficial, depending on your skin type and skincare needs. Face masks will provide an extra boost of hydration to your skin, but using it too often may irritate or dry out your skin.

The optimal result is when you stick to your daily routine – Cleanse. Tone. Moisturize.

Recommended Products:

• Clavé Body Care Orange Blossom Green Tea Neutralizing Facial Toner
• Clavé Body Care Orange Blossom Green Tea Facial Cleanser
• Clavé Body Care Organic Night Crème

 

The days have become shorter and finally, we are getting out of the summer heat and into cooler temperatures! And if you’re from Arizona, like us, hallelujah!

You may begin to notice some changes in your skin.  For instance, cold weather may cause your skin to feel dryer than normal – and acne breakouts are more common due to the low level of humidity in the air in which adversely effect our skin.

Protect your lips.

The most affected area is our lips, which tend to peel and crack. Our lips have very thin and sensitive skin. Many people think if they lick their lips that will help the dryness, on the contrary, this makes it worse. Use lip balm or plain petroleum jelly-based products such as Vaseline or Aquaphor ointment.

Cold and dry air depletes moisture form our skin.

Drink water – especially in winter when we don’t have the desire to drink as much water and, also, during physical activity. Set a goal to drink a certain amount of water each day. It could be plain (cold or warm), flavored water, mineral water, coconut water or similar to that nature.  Some food also helps hydration such as soup, grapes or yogurt.

Moisturize!

When you buy moisturizer – be selective. Buy a moisturizer with effective ingredients. Harmful chemicals or artificial fragrance/parfum make your skin even more dry. Moisturizing your skin will help to keep it healthy. But, make sure it contains more plant extracts and other ingredients that are helpful to moisturize your skin, such as Shea Butter, Glycerin, Jojoba oil, Sunflower oil or Olive oil.

Our organic and natural moisturizers are made with plant extract and organic ingredients for both women and men. Visit www.clavebodycare.com/shop.

Colder temperatures mean longer, hot showers.

We love to take a long hot shower in the Fall and Winter – although it might feel great, it can make your skin dry. Hot water may strip your skin from natural oils and protein (keratin) that are needed for healthy skin. Try lukewarm water.

Moisturizing and keeping your skin healthy and hydrated should reduce skin problems. However, if you think the change in your skin is not normal, or it is not getting better with moisturizers and other remedies, you may consider a visit to your dermatologist.

You might be surprised to find out that there are several ways to apply creams and lotions in order to achieve the result that you are looking for.

Face
First, wash your face with lukewarm water; pat dry with a clean towel. Water washes off dead skin and dirt. Next, apply a small amount of cream to your finger and spread evenly on your face. Gently massage your skin in an upwards motion until the cream is absorbed into the skin. You neither want to tag and pull, nor apply too much pressure. Wait about 10 minutes before you apply makeup.

For the forehead use a gentle circular motion until cream is absorbed into the skin.

Lastly, don’t forget your neck! The skin on your neck is delicate and prone to all of the changes that occur on your face, including wrinkles. Apply cream on your neck in upward motion. 

Eyes
The skin around your eyes is thin and delicate.  Choose an eye cream with the purest and highest quality ingredients.  First, wash the areas around your eyes with warm water. Gently apply pressure with a clean towel to absorb excess water. Next, apply a small amount of eye cream (pea size or less) by using your ring finger only – the muscles in this finger are weaker than other fingers. Most likely you won’t pull or rub too strongly, or apply to much pressure that could damage delicate skin under the eye. Massage from inner (near tear duct, but not too close) to outer corner. Continue dabbing, again from inner to outer corner, until cream is totally absorbed into the skin. Don’t forget to apply cream to your brow bone area located underneath your eyebrows.

Body
Always apply body lotion or body cream after taking a shower or bath – your body will absorb it better. For most people some parts of the body such as hands, elbows and knees require more attention. After you apply lotion or cream, make sure to wait 15 minutes to allow it to absorb fully into your skin before you start to put on clothes. Keep in mind that lotion and cream are both emollients to keep your skin supple and hydrated.  Body cream is heavier than lotion and can be used when your skin is very dry, or to target drier areas.

Remember
It is not the amount of the product you put on your skin but rather the quality of the product. Yes, for organic high-quality creams you pay more but you will achieve far better results.

What is an essential oil?  According to Wikipedia, an essential oil is concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants.  In recent years Essential oils have received more attention than any other ingredient in skin care products – all due to customer demand. Simply put, people like botanically sourced ingredients for their skin that are made by nature, not in laboratories.  Of course, we try to avoid the use of synthetic ingredients that are not only friendly to our skin but to some extent harmful.  Keep in mind that essential oils are super-concentrated and they are not really oil – they are free from fatty acids.  Essential oils are highly aromatic, evaporate easily and do not clog skin pores. Essential oils contain antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, plus they contain other benefits such as an increase in focus, minimize stress and improve concentration. 

Essential oils are a natural substance extracted from different parts of the plant such as flowers, stems, bark, leaves, and roots through distillation which is known as steaming. Moat citrus peels and rinds are extracted through a process known as “cold press” also known as “expression.”  This method is used for citrus fruits, such as lemon, orange, tangerine, etc. There are great number of essential oils used in skin care products, each with unique characteristics and properties.  Remember that pure essential oils have all the benefits, but synthetic fragrance oils are made in laboratories at the fraction of the cost and mostly driven from coal tar.  They resemble pure essential oils but lack the benefits.

So, when you buy skin care products, act like you are buying food and READ THE LABEL.  Avoid perfumes; these are synthetic fragrances based on alcohol which dry your skin very quickly.  Also, avoid artificial colors. The majority of essential oils are pale or light yellow. Essential oils in skin care products are aimed to nourish your skin, and help to regenerate and rejuvenate skin. In a nutshell they can deliver remarkable results.

At Clavé Body Care, we are using a variety of pure essential oils and seeds oils, not synthetic perfumes/fragrances or colors.  Below are a few that we adding to our products with brief benefits. Shop now at www.clavebodycare.com/shop.

Lemon – antioxidant, calming, antifungal, tone the skin and has pleasant aroma

Peppermint – soothing the skin, cooling muscle pain, induce sweating

Lavender – mood enhancer, reduce stress, regenerate skin cells

Jojoba – contain a superb moisturizing property that makes skin supple and silky and nourishes skin

Chamomile – Anti-inflammatory and it is good for itchy and flaky skin conditions

Tea Tree – natural preservative, improve skin’s clarity and it has soothing properties