Prevent Pimples With These 5 Lifestyle Changes

1. Stop letting stress control you. Learn to control it instead. Compartmentalise your work life and personal life and aim for a healthy balance. Block a few hours of the day to do the things you enjoy, even if it is as simple as reading a book, playing with your kids, or watching television mindlessly. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.

2. Work out. It could be in any form – light low impact exercises, heavy strength training, yoga or even walking or running your dog. Exercise goads the body to release feel good chemicals called endorphins, which trigger feelings of positivity.

3. Eat mindfully. Remember mom’s warnings about too much sugar and junk food? She was right! Simple carbohydrates convert into sugar which creates an imbalance in hormones. Healthy foods such as wholegrains, veggies and herbal teas are more beneficial to the body and also up your energy and health quotient.

4. Get up close with Omega-3. They control the production of leukotriene B4 which can cause inflammatory acne. Omega-3 is also a great antioxidant and protects your body from harmful UV rays.

5. Drink up.Staying hydrated all day through with at least 2-3 litres of water flushes out toxins, metabolizes the food you eat and boosts blood flow.

5 Shea Butter Benefits That Will Compel You To Use It On Your Skin & Face

Shea butter is extracted from the seeds of the fruit that grows on Karite trees, which are mainly found in Africa. It is in the form of solid fatty oil and in its raw form, looks like scoops of hard caramel ice cream. No wonder that certain communities use it even for food preparations.

In the world of beauty, shea butter has become widely popular for its extraordinary ability to not only protect the skin against everyday environmental damage, but also repair and renew it.

Here are some shea butter benefits that actually make a difference!

Shea Butter heals: Most soaps and oils convert into soap (saponification) when they come in contact with alkali. Shea butter does not as it contains oil soluble fatty acids and plant sterols such as oleic, palmitic, stearic and linolenic acids which stand their own ground. This intensifies its healing potential especially for burns, cuts, rashes insect bites and eczema. Not just that, shea butter is a great friend of athletes and sportspersons as it also eliminates toxins which cause muscle fatigue. So give yourself a good rubdown post your workout so as to not compromise on your workout the next day.

Shea Butter protects: The antioxidants in shea butter keep cells protected from damaging free radicals and other environmental hazards whilst cinnamic acid esters in the shea fat keep ultraviolet radiation at bay. Your skin will never look dull again.

Shea butter for skin

Unsaturated fats with copious amounts of non-saponifiable components, essential fatty acids, vitamins E and D, phytosterols, provitamin A and allantoin…these are the ingredients for picture perfect skin and you’ll get all these benefits from shea butter. These ingredients also makes it a natural moisturizer which keeps the skin’s protective oils where it should be, right inside the skin!

Anti-ageing benefits: Youthful skin is just a dab away. Take advantage of the vitamin A and E that shea butter possesses to preserve your skin’s radiance and softness. Shea butter gives collagen production a gentle push to retain skin’s youthful looks.

Pro Tip - If you don’t have time to make Shea Butter face mask for youthful skin, use Olay Total Effects Night cream which may be able to address your skin ageing concerns.

Shea butter for face

Give yourself a spa-like treatment with this simple homemade face mask and get softer skin in minutes!

• In a blender, combine ½ tablespoon of shea butter, ½ an avocado, 1 tsp. raw honey and a few drops of lime juice.
• Blend till smooth consistency.
• Apply on skin and leave for 30 minutes, after which rinse off with cold water and a mild soap.
• The shea butter may not leave your face completely which is a good thing so do not try to over wash – this will dry out your face.
• If the pack remains, store in in the refrigerator and use again within 2 days.

Get Youthful Looking Skin With This Skin Care Routine For Your 30s

You know you’ve hit the 30s when your skin isn’t as taut as it used to be and wrinkles make their debut on your face. But the best part is, signs of ageing can be managed and even reversed; all you have to do is follow this routine created especially for skin care in 30s.

1. Begin your skin care routine with a cleanser; it really helps take off any residual makeup and dirt. Olay Regenerist Cream Cleanser is a good choice, as it fights the signs of ageing effectively.
2. The next step in your routine is to use a cleansing brush. Using a cleaning brush has dual benefits; it extracts the dirt that is clogging your pores and it also exfoliates your skin.
3. Follow that up with a toner; it helps rid your skin of any oil and makeup that your cleanser missed. Most times, cleansers include toners but if yours doesn’t, then you can always use a toner separately post cleansing.
4. Now that your skin has been thoroughly cleansed and toned, give it some serum treatment. The advantage of using a serum is that it will dramatically increase the efficiency of any skincare products you may be using. What’s more, it improves your skin’s overall health by boosting its moisture quotient as well as its collagen-producing ability. Use it twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
5. Post giving your skin some good serum treatment it’s time to use a face mask. If you’re going to use a face mask during the day, do so before you moisturize and after you apply serum. If you’re planning on leaving it on all night then do not put anything on your face after you put on the mask.
6. That done, now use a nourishing creamy moisturizer that is made especially for usage on your face.
7. Your eyes are where the first signs of ageing usually make an appearance. Do a little research to find out the best anti-ageing cream for 30s and the best night cream for 30s. Olay Total Effects 7 in One Day Cream is a tried and tested choice by many women.
8. The final step in your skin care routine would be to use a facial peel. Using a peel helps exfoliate you skin allowing a new layer of skin to emerge. Every peel worth its salt should contain either glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid or salicylic acid to give your skin that beautiful radiance you deserve!

Shampoo your hair like an expert

Admit it, we’re way harsh on our hair – especially in the shower. And while we may all feel like we’re shampooing experts, there are a few tips you can do to maximize cleansing and minimize hair damage. Here’s how to turn getting clean into getting gorgeous.

1. Detangle before Washing: Don’t even think about stepping into the shower with tangled hair! Hair is the weakest when it’s wet because it swells up and stretches, meaning it can break much more easily. By gently detangling with a wide-tooth comb while your hair is dry, you’ll minimize breakage.
2. Shampoo like an Expert: Take it from the top down. To prevent new tangles, apply shampoo to hair roots where styling residue and oil tend to accumulate, and work it through to the ends, moving in the same direction as the water. Frantically rubbing hair into a big rats nest may be your go-to routine, but it can lead to snarls that even the most moisturizing shampoo can’t fix. Start shampooing at the roots and work your way through the length of your hair to avoid the knots and minimize damage. Consider a second round of shampoo if the bubbles don’t last through the first wash. Excess oil and dirt kill bubbles. If the foam doesn’t last, you know your hair isn’t fully clean.
3. Conditioning 101: Unlike shampooing, apply conditioner from the bottom, up. After rinsing out the shampoo, apply conditioner to the ends of your hair, and work your way to the roots. Then, use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb in the shower to gently comb hair starting at the ends, moving up the length of the hair. Continue your showering routine while the conditioner sits on your hair before you rinse it out last.
4. Blot, Don’t Rub: Gently blot the extra moisture from your locks with a dry towel or even microfiber cloth. If you rub vigorously, you’ll create tangles by roughing up the cuticles, setting your hair up for frizz. Use a wide-tooth comb or paddle brush to get your hair ready for styling.