Clean Your Face Naturally with The Oil-Cleansing Method

It might sound a little odd to clean your face with oil, especially if you have oily skin. But contrary to popular belief, oil does not cause oily skin or acne.

When skin’s natural oils are removed, the body’s reaction is to compensate by producing more oil. If your skin is dry, it’s because all the oil has been stripped away. Use the right oils to cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally, gently and effectively and replace the dirty oil with beneficial ones extracted from natural botanicals, vegetables and fruits.

When done properly and consistently, the oil cleansing method can clear the skin from issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads while leaving your skin healthy. This method also brilliantly removes make-up.

1. MAKE YOUR CLEANSER

Simply mix the oils together in a small bottle, give it a little shake, and you’ve got yourself a homemade, frugal facial cleanser. The most popular blend of oils for this cleansing method is castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil. The former draws out dirt and other gunk from your pores. The latter is a brilliant moisturiser and nourishes the skin.

For those with normal skin, you could start off with a one-to-one ratio. For those with acne-prone or oily skin, try three parts castor oil to one part olive oil. For those with dry skin, start off with one part castor oil to three parts olive oil.

2. GENTLY RUB IT IN

Pour a quarter-sized amount into your palm, rub your hands together, and slowly massage your skin with your fingertips. Don’t splash your face with water first, apply it dry. Work the oil into your skin for about a minute; don’t scrub - just rub.

3. STEAM YOUR FACE

Next, wet a washcloth with hot water (but not too hot), and put it over your face until it’s about room temperature. This will steam out your pores, removing the impurities and the dead skin cells. Then take the washcloth, rinse and wring it and gently wipe off the oil. Your skin will probably feel softer and look a bit brighter immediately.

Ways to keep your bust healthy | Tips to keep breasts healthy

The bust way to stay healthy (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Lifestyle choices and diet go a long way in deciding the health of your breasts. Read on...

Women have long complained about saggy breasts and crinkly cleavages — but it is far from a storm in a D-cup. According to Steve Horvath, a geneticist at UCLA's medical school in the US, different parts of the body age at different rates and the breasts do indeed take the brunt of it. "Healthy breast tissue is about two to three years older than the rest of a woman's body," he explains.

So how can you keep your breasts young and healthy? We asked the experts...

Food for thought

Dietitian Nichola Whitehead says: "Our bodies are made from the nutrients that we consume, meaning a diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals may show in the condition and look of our skin. "Sweet potato, spinach, kale and butternut squash are rich in vitamin A and can help nourish the delicate skin in the breast area and other parts of the body. Vitamin C is good for collagen production and vitamin E is great for skin production."

Cut down on booze

It's not just food you should be thinking about — that wine habit could also affect your breast health. Alyssa Burns-Hill, holistic hormone health specialist and author, explains: "Alcohol can triple the oestrogen levels in a woman's body. A lot of breast cancers are hormone sensitive and having higher oestrogen levels could cause cancer cells to multiply. By minding oestrogen levels you reduce your potential risk of oestrogen-related cancers."

Alyssa recommends cutting down your alcohol intake and eating broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and greens as they contains indoles — believed to aid the body in reducing oestrogen levels and helping fight cancer.

The wrong bra size?

With around 80% of women believed to be wearing ill-fitting lingerie, we could be inadvertently contributing to sagging breasts, bad posture, back pain or even abrasions, rashes and irritable bowel syndrome.

Julia Mercer a lingerie fit expert, says, "Many factors, including weight loss or gain, medication, contraceptive pills, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause can affect breast size. It's important to buy new bras every year to make sure you have the correct size." Get an in-store fitter to measure you. And don't forget a sports bra for exercise!

Get hands-on

"Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and what your breasts are normally like could save your life," says Kristin Hallenga, of a breast cancer awareness charity.

Moisturise!

A wrinkly decolletage can really age you. TV beauty expert Hayley Sparkes says: "The bust is an area we often neglect as we focus on our face. But boobs are exposed to friction from clothes and underwear, which can end up chaffing the delicate skin. It is worth investing in products to help combat that.

DIY: 15 minutes cleanses

Your glowing face in summers not only depends on your water intake and diet but also on how much you take care of your face. With all the dirt and sweat in your pores, start right away by giving yourself 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes before bedtime with these super easy and quick tips.

TIP 1
Take one tablespoon of un-boiled milk, dip a small pad of cotton wool in this and rub on the face gently. Use circular movements, and upward strokes on the neck area. Leave this on for 15 minutes. Wash with cold water.

TIP 2
Take a thick slice of cucumber; don't peel it. Rub in a circular motion all over the face and neck. Wash after 15 minutes.

TIP 3
Halve a tomato, gently rub over face and neck and wash after 15 minutes.

TIP 4
Take half of a lime peel, from which juice has been extracted. Rub this firmly on the face and neck for 15 minutes and wash your face.

TIP 5
Take a teaspoon of gram flour (besan). Make a paste with a few drops of water and rub the face and neck gently with this for 15 minutes. This will slough away the dead cells and gives the face a glow. Don't use soap, just splash on cold water that will act as an astringent and close the pores.

TIP 6
Rub the face well with an ice cube as much as you can, this will help to cool down the skin. Use rose water to cleanse the face and neck, it is the best natural cleanser and toner.

TIP 7
Slice an apple into thin slices. Place these on the face and leave for 15 minutes. These will soak up the extra oil and help to close pores.

TIP 8
Plain yogurt is a great natural cleanser. To make a lemon yogurt cleanser, mix one teaspoon of lemon juice with approximately one tablespoon of yogurt. Leave the paste on the skin for a minute or two (if you have time), then wash off with warm water.

- See more at: http://www.magtheweekly.com/16-22may2015/beauty_3.asp#sthash.JA027Bh1.dpuf

COCONUT OIL: THE BEST NATURAL TOOTHPASTE

Coconut oil toothpaste has numerous benefits, when compared with its commercial counter-parts, as the other toothpastes are full of dangerous chemicals. Furthermore, coconut oil helps to fight cavities and prevent tooth decay. So, let’s compare the two to make it easy for you to understand.

Be safe first
Commercial toothpaste brands contain a chemical called triclosan. This chemical interferes with proper endocrine function and is responsible in promoting antibiotic resistance. Do you know a disturbed endocrine system might lead to babies with low birth-weight and testicular, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer and precocious puberty in girls. Other brands also contain fluoride, another hazardous chemical, which is a toxic industrial waste product and is a key ingredient in many commercial toothpastes.
Also some brands use foaming agents such as sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), or sodium laurel sulfate. Although, your toothpaste will be sudsy and nice, but these chemicals break up the phospholipids on your tongue and impair proper functioning of your taste buds. These chemicals have also been associated with cancer sores. While, on the other hand, natural coconut oil balances the lipids on your tongue.

Major protection
According to a study carried in the Athlone Institute of Technology, olive, vegetable and coconut oil in their natural states and after being treated with enzymes were used to check out their effectiveness against strains caused by Streptococcus bacteria, (a tooth decay causing mouth bacterium). The study authors concluded that the coconut oil which was enzyme-modified suppressed the bacteria strain caused by Streptococcus mutans, which later progressed into causing tooth decay. The authors added that the enzymes help to break down the coconut oil and convert it into acids, that are toxic to these bacteria.
Dr. Damien Brady, a chief researcher, announced that incorporation of enzyme-modified coconut oil into hygiene products would be an alternative to the chemical additives, as it is able to work at low concentrations. He also added that with the increased antibiotic resistance, it has become important to put our attention on other ways of combating microbial infection.
According to another study published in 2014, in the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology, it has been proved that massaging your gums with coconut oil for 10 minutes daily for about three weeks, majorly reduced plaque as well as Streptococcus mutans strain of bacteria.

How to fortify your coconut oil toothpaste?
Pump up your coconut toothpaste with these natural ingredients:
• Bentonite clay (which makes a paste-like texture and helps draw out toxins from the mouth and gums)
• Himalayan pink salt
• Peppermint oil (which has been shown to block the formation of biofilm formations that cause cavities)
• Baking soda •

- See more at: http://www.magtheweekly.com/16-22may2015/health_2.asp#sthash.cqkFaeC6.dpuf