Papaya for Soft Skin!
12/31/2009 In Key Active Ingredients by bien-être
This sweet tropical fruit is yummy to eat and even snags the #14 spot on the Superfoods* list. But, did you know that it’s also great for smoothing and softening your skin?
Papain, the enzyme found in papaya, is wonderful for gently exfoliating the skin on a regular basis, and papaya enzyme masks can be used up to 2 or 3 times a week at home to keep skin in great shape.
The average turn around for healthy skin cells is about 28 days: A skin cell starts its life deep in the dermis plump and full of moisture and nutrients. As the cell “ages” it slowly migrates to the surface. As the cell nears the surface, it starts to dump its contents overboard, thus losing moisture and flattening. After a brief stint on the surface, the cell naturally falls off. While it is a part of the outer layer it helps form a protective moisture barrier for the younger cells underneath. As we age, this 28 day process slows and skin can become sluggish, building a thicker “protective” layer on the surface. This is where both manual and chemical exfoliation play an important role in skincare.
Papain is quite possibly the gentlest form of chemical exfoliation. It dissolves the intercellular glue that holds the flattened cells to the very surface of the skin without scratching or irritating in the process. For this reason, any skin type can benefit from regular use of a papaya enzyme mask without down-time or negative side effects.
For even more exfoliation, a papain mask can be removed with a gentle facial scrub. This combines the benefits of chemical exfoliation with those of a mechanical scrub, providing a deeper, more complete sloughing of the skin. This dual-action exfoliation is ideal for thick, dry, mature or hyper-pigmented skin.
Find papain in Sanitas Papaya Pineapple Mask. This great mask includes pineapple (or bromelain) to increase the efficacy of the papain and provide anti-inflammatory properties!
*Superfood is a term used to describe food with high phytonutrient content and other power-packed nutrient values that are massively abundant and bio-available to the human organism.
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Ingredients to Love: Green and White Teas
12/28/2009 In Key Active Ingredients by bien-être
Green and White Teas have long been touted for their health benefits. Drinking green and white tea daily helps boost metabolism and energy levels, and the polyphenols in these tea leaves aid the body in free radical control by boosting antioxidant levels.
But did you know that green and white teas are greatly beneficial for your skin as well? Polyphenols, which are a class of bioflavinoids, have been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
Most of the polyphenols in green tea are catechins. Catechins have also been shown to function as anti-inflammatory agents. One of the major catechins in green tea has been shown to be the most effective agent against skin inflammation.
Including green and white tea extracts in daily skin care products helps to boost other antioxidants like Vitamins A, C and E, keeping your skin protected, soothed and balanced.
* These great teas can be found in almost any of the Aroma Bella Skin Care products!
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Get Glowing For Your Holiday Parties!
12/22/2009 In At Home Spa by bien-être
Have a party to go to this Holiday Season?
Here are some great tips for head-to-toe that will make you shine like the North Star!
Have Normal to Dry Skin?
- Cleanse the Skin with a Glycolic based Cleanser (Like Sanitas Glycolic Citrus Cleanser)
- Apply an active enzyme mask to the face and neck (try the Sanitas Papaya Pineapple Mask or our own homemade mask recipe)
- Leave on skin for 15 minutes, then remove mask with a gentle scrub (like Sanitas Lemon Cream Scrub)
- Rinse skin thoroughly
- Apply a ‘shine’ serum with Vitamin C all over – including around the eyes (Try Sanitas Vita-Rich Serum, or your personal favorite Vitamin C serum!) Massage into skin until the slip is gone and serum is absorbed.
- Apply your favorite moisturizer!
- Your skin will be perfect fresh palette for make-up and gives your cheeks a naturally rosy glow!
What about those of you with Oily or Acneic Skin?
Now For the Body!
- Fill your bathtub and add in Pure Fiji Coconut Bath Milk (or make your own with organic cream or powdered milk and rose or lavender essential oil)
- While waiting for the tub to fill, stand on a towel outside the tub and scrub your skin from shoulders to toes with Pure Fiji Coconut Body Scrub (or use our Brown Sugar Scrub Recipe)
- Get into the tub and soak away!
- As the bath tub is draining, rinse off and pat skin dry
- Apply body oil or body butter all over (our favorites are Pure Fiji Coconut Body Oil and Mango Body Butter) *Be sure to use the oil or butter in small amounts at a time to avoid leaving skin greasy.
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Food Remedies
12/15/2009 In Skin Nutrition by bien-être
While perusing PureMamas blog this morning, we came across this great post on food based home remedies. Just goes to show you that plant medicine is alive and well. From A to Z, this post covers just about everything but the kitchen sink. Enjoy!
PureMamas: Food Remedies
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Oil or Water for Dry Skin?
12/12/2009 In Skin Nutrition by bien-être
I’ve long said that drinking lots of water is important for skin health. It is essential for keeping skin clear and radiant.
However drinking more water is not enough when dealing with dry skin, especially in the harsh winter months.
Getting sufficient amount of natural oils in your diet is crucial for maintaining a healthy moisture balance in the skin. Whether it’s adding avocado to your sandwiches, cooking with olive and coconut oils, or supplementing with powerful omega 3’s, oils are the key to beating winter skin woes.
Here’s a great article on why oils help keep your skin feeling comfortably soft and smooth until summer: http://www.nutritionresearchcenter.org/healthnews/winter-skin-dryness-think-oils/
Want more information on oil supplementation? Read our post on Omegas:
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