A few weeks ago, I attended a Power Of Scent essential oils workshop by Spa Esprit. I’ve always been a proponent of natural therapies – you’ll never see me at the doctor and once I had to be practically dragged to the pharmacy by my mum to get medicine for my food poisoning. I’ve always believed that my body has the power to heal itself and it has proven me right many times. So, I was more than eager to find our how essential oils can not only enhance my beauty products but also help me with ailments.
The workshop was interesting to say the least, with the trainer of doTERRA essential oils giving us an in-depth overview, highlighting the difference between mainstream ones and her pure versions. They definitely do smell different – doTERRA oils have a very rounded scent and with an inhale, seems to envelop my entire olfactory system. In fact, they are so pure that the trainer even ingests some of them for health reasons.
How essential oils work:
Applied to the skin – Our skin is somewhat permeable. The active chemicals in essential oils are absorbed just like the ingredients in common pharmaceuticals such as hormone replacement therapy cream and nicotine patches.
Inhaled – The olfactory system includes all physical organs or cells relating to, or contributing to, the sense of smell. When we inhale through the nose, airborne molecules interact with the olfactory organs and, almost immediately, the brain. Molecules inhaled through the nose or mouth are also carried to the lungs and interact with the respiratory system.
Ahhh…now I get it.
It can also be used for anti-aging properties (my pet topic!):
Hair loss - Dilute 5 to 20 drops of Thyme, Rosemary or Lavender into a carrier oil and massage onto scalp every night.
Impotence – Diffuse Ylang ylang, Clary Sage or Sandalwood into the air and inhale or apply topically to temples, wrist and back of the necks.
Stretch marks – apply Cypress, Gyranium or Lavender topically several times a day.
Cellulite – massage Rosemary, Grapefruit or Lemon vigorously on areas before exercising or add to water and drink throughout the day.
Awesome! The hypochondriac in me bought a blend called OnGuard ($67) to boost my immune system and I’ve been diligently applying two drops on my pillow, my husband’s pillow and my puppy every night. At the rate my work is going, looks like I might be heading back soon to get a bottle of Serenity very soon…
Apparently so, says Lily Kew, founder of GLOW Aesthetics. And, if you look at this 40-year-old’s taut and glowing skin, it must work! She shares more skin secrets here:
The clichéd answer would be to eat more fruits and veggies, drink more water and consume less salt in foods. However, I am going to share a secret my grandmother has passed down to me.
Believe it or not, you need to eat pigs’ skin and make sure you shave off the layer of excess fat; just eat the skin itself. You can find this commonly as a key ingredient in kway chap at your local hawker centre. You can also find pigs’ skin at some yong tau foo shops.
Apart from this, another food that contributes to good skin is chicken feet, which you will normally find served as one of many dim sum dishes. Alternatively, if you were to cook chicken feet with red dates, wolfberries and peanuts, I promise this will give you skin that everyone will be envious of.
Another food that will give you good skin is white fungus. I suggest these foods because they are high in collagen and fats. Once consumed; they provide your skin with natural moisture which prevents the formation of wrinkles, and creates a barrier prohibiting UV rays from damaging your skin and thus prevents pigmentation. The collagen gives your skin added firmness.
To read her full article, get a copy of Aesthetics & Beauty Guide December issue, in newstands and petrol kiosks now!
Burning our skin, peeling it off, even pricking it with micro-needles – these are just some of the crazy things we do to achieve radiant, youthful skin.
Does Your Skin Need Resurfacing?
Think of your skin as an increasingly well-worn slipcover. Even if you’ve taken really good care of it, life happens – skin texture has gotten rougher here, the color uneven there, and it all looks a little dull and drab. Honestly, it needs replacing.
That’s what resurfacing techniques do. They remove the old, worn, upper layer of skin, and the healing process replaces it with a new layer of fresh, smooth skin. How? With strong lasers, chemicals or needles.
It’s a delicate process, so find an expert in whatever method suits your needs. Your recovery time from the procedure will depend on the size and depth of the treated area, but the effect can be remarkable. Resurfacing your entire face is not always necessary, and spot treatments can also be very effective. Or you may only need a laser that mainly evens out color irregularities or subtly tightens and refreshes the upper surface.
Look out for my review of my new beauty must-have which involves running needles all over my face (ouch!) but the results are so worth the discomfort! Coming soon on ReviewAntiAging.com
Are you accidentally making yourself older? Check out what these choices are doing to your body:
Choosing organic
We don’t have a problem with choosing organic when it comes to fruit and vegetables. The trouble is when you think “organic” is synonymous with “healthy.” Sorry – organic potato chips are still potato chips and contain aging fat and extra calories.
Just dealing with it
If you tend to treat pain with a stiff upper lip rather than a pill or a doctor visit, it’s like playing catcher without a mitt: It feels lousy. About 75% of pain sufferers do not receive adequate treatment, and if you’re one of them, you’re at risk for depression, irritability, fatigue, and an overall diminished quality of life. Treating pain early – we like to start with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation of injuries) coupled with an NSAID in pill or patch form – is an important step in regaining your quality of life. Call your doctor right away if it doesn’t get better quickly.
Eating in front of your TV
If you’re doing TV dinners, chances are high that you’re having fast food or an equally unhealthy hawker equivalent - that’s the most common TV food. And that means you’re getting aging saturated fats in your bloodstream.
Most people slot a beauty treatment a week. Me? Due to lack of time, I am booked out to try four treatments, all in the name of research for my magazine, Aesthetic & Beauty Guide.
Here’s my beauty schedule next week:
Tuesday: Fraxel laser treatment for stretch marks. This treatment has some doctors reporting about 50-75% of positive results within a series of three to five treatments. It is relatively painless, and there is slight downtime, however, you can expect see an almost instant result, faster than any other treatment that have ever been administered on stretch marks before.
Wednesday: Tattoo removal treatment. Teenage folly has resulted in a number of tattoos that I’d like removed. Can’t wait to check this out…and this only means one thing – more space for new ink!
Friday: PPx for hair removal followed by facial mesotherapy. PPx is reputed to be five times more effective than IPL for hair removal and the latter involves running a series of tiny needles all across the face to improve skin’s texture and tone. Sounds painful but pain is relative to me. In fact, I secretly like pain. Guess I am in the right line then
Pretty hardcore eh? Gosh! I feel like a big-haired Hermes-carrying tai-tai in Beverly Hills…
Whatever you put in your pan for dinner tonight, make sure you add a few squeezes of this: lemon juice. A new study shows that marinating meats in lemon juice – or vinegar – can help greatly reduce the production of harmful compounds linked to aging and chronic disease.
Cooking Compounds
All foods — but especially ones derived from animals – contain varying levels of compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These compounds are known to cause inflammation and may open the door to faster aging. Cooking – especially high-heat methods – increases formation of AGEs. But now new research suggests that marinating foods in an acidic, low-pH liquid – like lemon juice or vinegar – may help slow that formation down significantly. AGEs in beef were cut in half after marinating for an hour – but shorter amounts of time may help, too.
How AGEs Age
Meats and full-fat cheeses contain the most AGEs, followed by fish and eggs – although even fruit, vegetables and whole grains may contain small amounts. Marinating your food is one way to minimise AGEs. Another option: Cook over low, moist heat. Boiling, poaching, steaming, and stewing are all great choices.
To launch its new Bi-White REVEAL Deep Cell-Whitening Spot Intervention, designed to target all dark spots – acne marks, freckles, age spots, sun spots, hand spots and brown spots, even the most stubborn ones, leaving skin visibly fairer, more unified and healthier after four weeks, Vichy Singapore wanted to demonstrate the product’s efficacies with a fun and interactive Facebook app.
Called the Vichy Spot Removal Application, you can upload your photo and use an anti-blemish tool to remove your spots. You can then choose to publish your flawless photo on your profile page to share with your friends, and or publish it on Vichy’s album. Everyone who plays with the app will be applicable to win a full-sized product and attend a Vichy workshop where you will have the chance to win a year’s supply of Vichy products worth $1200!
As the Chief Guinea Pig of a popular anti aging website – ReviewAntiAging.com, I get several offers from companies overseas to review their products. From detox supplements to skincare products, I’ve sifted through them all, only testing what I’m comfortable with and what intrigues me.
The latest product that caught my attention is Triactol™, voted the number one breast enlargement serum online by reviewers. Made from proprietary natural extract of Pueraria mirifica – I’ve seen this ingredient in other breast enhancing serums before, but the one in this product seems to be reconstituted to a unique compound called MiroFirm™, which is only available in Triactol™, it boosts (pun intended!) impressive results that showed significant change in breast enlargement (82.35%) and breast firmness (88.23%). More recently an open label study conducted using Triactol™ Bust Serum also showed significant improvements in terms of lifting, firming and enlargement of the breasts.
The latest science on the musclebuilding, brain-enhancing, wrinkleerasing, heart-strengthening, bone-protecting, immunity boosting, and inflammation fighting foods you should be eating every day.
1. Almonds
These energy-rich snacks lower bad cholesterol, thanks to plant sterols, and benefit diabetics by lowering blood sugar. They’re also rich in amino acids, which bolster testosterone levels and muscle growth. Almonds are also stuffed with vitamin E, which helps defend against sun damage.
2. Flaxseeds
Rich in protein and fiber, these little seeds offer a payload of omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and iron out fine lines in the skin.
3. Tomatoes
Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, and help eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays.
4. Sweet potatoes
Often confused with yams, these tubers are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. In addition to countering the effects of secondhand smoke and preventing diabetes,sweet potatoes contain glutathione, an antioxidant that can enhance nutrient metabolism and immunesystem health, as well as protect against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, HIV, cancer, heart attack, and stroke. What’s more, they’re also loaded with vitamin C, which smoothes out wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.
5. Spinach
Spinach is replete with the essential minerals potassium and magnesium, and it’s one of the top sources of lutein, an antioxidant that may help prevent clogged arteries. Plus its vitamins and nutrients can bolster bone-mineral density, attack prostate cancer cells, reduce the risk of skin tumors, fight colon cancer, and, last but not least, increase blood flow to the penis.
6. Wild salmon
A 4-ounce serving of salmon has approximately 2,000 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),omega-3 fatty acids that serve as oil for the brain’s hardware by helping nerve cells communicate with one another.
7. Blueberries
This potent little fruit can help preventa range of diseases from cancer to heart disease. Think of blueberries as anti-rust for your gray matter, too. Besides being rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, they’re also packed with antioxidants.
8. Green tea
Green tea releases catechin, an antioxidant with proven anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Research found that drinking 2 to 6 cups a day not only helps prevent skin cancer but might also reverse the effects of sun damage by neutralizing the changes that appear in sun-exposed
skin.
9. Dark chocolate
Flavonoids, a natural nutrient in cocoa, improve blood flow in the brain, which helps boost cognitive function. Plus dark chocolate contains a tannin called procyanidin, which is also found in red wine, that can keep your arteries flexible and your blood pressure low.
10. Tuna
Your favorite deli sandwich has a little secret: Selenium. This nutrient helps preserve elastin, a protein that keeps your skin smooth and tight. The antioxidant is also believed to buffer against the sun (it stops free radicals created by UV exposure from damaging cells). Tuna is also a great source of protein, contains no trans fat, and a 3-ounce serving of chunk light contains 11 mg of heart-healthy niacin, which has been shown to help lower cholesterol and help your body process fat.
11. Carrots
Think of carrots as orange wonder wands – good for the eyeballs, and good for clearing up breakouts. No magic here, though, just plenty of vitamin A, which prevents overproduction of cells in the skin’s outer layer. That means fewer dead cells to combine with sebum and clog pores. They’re also spiked with carotenoids – fat-soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as a reduced risk and severity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
12. Whole grains
Whole grains – oatmeal, wheat flour, barley, brown rice – are high in fiber, which calms inflamed tissues while keeping the heart strong, the colon healthy, and the brain fueled.
13. Avocado
Chock full of monounsaturated fat, avocados deliver a double-barreled blast to LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). They are also rich in folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that helps lower the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can hinder the flow of blood through blood vessels.
14. Walnuts
Richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon,loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle -building protein as chicken, the walnut sounds like a Frankenfood, but it grows on trees.
15. Broccolli
One cup of broccoli contains a hearty dose of calcium, as well as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. And that’s in addition to its high concentration of vitamins – including A, C, and K – and the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which studies at Johns Hopkins University suggest has powerful anti-cancer properties.
16. Kiwis
Like bananas, this fuzzy fruit is high in bone-protecting potassium. They’re also rich in vitamin C and lutein, a carotenoid that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
17. Olive oil
The extra-virgin variety is rich in beneficial monounsaturated fats. Its fatty acids and polyphenols reduce inflammation in cells and joints.
18. Mushrooms
Delicious when added to brown rice, reiki, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms are rich in the antioxidant ergothioneine, which protects cells from abnormal growth and replication.
19. Pineapples
With its potent mix of vitamins, antioxidants,and enzymes – in particular, bromelain – pineapple is an all-body anti-inflammation cocktail. It also protects against colon cancer, arthritis, and macular degeneration.
20. Cherries
Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that eating about 35 bing cherries a day can lower the risk of tendinitis,bursitis, arthritis, and gout.
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