Archives for September 2016

How to Treat Stretch Marks Best Ingredients

September 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Stretch marks are easy to get but tough to get rid of. Stretch marks are notoriously acquired during pregnancy and weight gain, but they can also occur during weight loss, rapid muscle mass growth through exercise and even rapid growth spurts can lead to stretch marks. How to treat stretch marks naturally.

How to Treat Stretch Marks

The best way to deal with stretch marks is to pre-emptively treating the skin while the stretching is occurring and, secondly, to nourish the skin that has already been stretched to repair as much as possible and improve the appearance of existing stretch marks, notably the discoloration.

Part of why so many stretch mark treatments fail is they simply can’t un-stretch skin that has already been over-stretched.

Like an elastic banding that has lost its resilience, there is not much that can be done to tighten the skin into its’ former state.

There can, however, be improvements in the condition of the texture, the discoloration of the skin, and surface improvements to how taut the excess skin lies over the surface of other skin layers.

Stretch Mark Home Remedies

Many traditional home remedies do have some truth in them as to what will improve some of these features, but to see real improvement, a cocktail of ingredients is needed to target the multiple issues at work.

Phytopia Clinical Collection Stretch Marks Remover

Best Ingredients to Treat Stretch Marks

When it comes to stretch marks, the two main issues are discoloration and texture. Phytopia contains several ingredients to protect from stretching and to treat already stretched, discolored skin.

Cocoa Butter is a traditional remedy for stretch marks to keep skin as pliable as possible when it is subject to stretching.

Some people have success treating rougher dry texture with Shea Butter

Olive Oil also keeps the skin flexible, while providing nourishment.

Evening Primrose is another skin treatment ingredient, typically geared toward aging skin, it contains helpful fatty acids and reduces inflammation. It serves as a topical inflammation reducer to help alieve some of the pressure on the skin that is being stretched.

These collectively provide the pre-emptive component of stretch mark prevention. But to treat existing stretch marks especially the bright pink/purple discoloration, more is needed.

Discoloration can be addressed with Vitamin C agents and supporting ingredients.

Rosa Canina Whole, better known as Organic Rose Hips, is a highly concentrated form of Vitamin C. When applied topically, Vitamin C builds more collagen, the supporting structure of the skin.

More collagen means less initial skin breakdown, and more reparative work to already damaged skin. Vitamin C fixes discoloration by fading existing damage and replacing those cells with new cells over time.

The second form of Vitamin C in this oil is Citrus Aurantifolia Leaf Oil. This oil is used for general skin tone and fighting the formation of cellulite.

To me, lightening the discoloration of a stretch mark is a significant component of why I would use a stretch mark treatment oil, and these ingredients are very effective in lightening stretch marks and general scarring when I have used them on my upper legs and arms.

No matter how old your stretch marks are, this discoloration can be improved, which makes this stretch mark oil’s combination of ingredients a powerful tool again stretch marks.

Phytopia Clinical Collection Stretch Marks Remover

RESULTS

I don’t have any current deep discoloration of the pink/purple stretch marks that occurs with a new stretch mark, but I do have that sort of silvery darker surface skin look to skin that is no longer matching the skin tone, and being able to take care of silver-colored stretch marks is impressive.

The Oil has improved the surface of this skin, and lightening the discoloration, creating a smoother look. The stretch mark surface has fewer criss-cross patterned lines within the stretch mark itself, making the skin appear more normal. The conditioning elements are highly emollient.

How to USE it

A few drops will do it, spread between your palms and rub on the affected skin areas twice a day. The oil is not greasy; it absorbs within a few minutes. Not much is needed, if you are too greasy after use, you have used too much oil.

PACKAGING
A lovely gift for a Mom-to-be or new Mom, this comes in a gift box with an inner gift card with instructions, and a quality patterned drawstring re-usable bag to hold the oil.

CONCLUSION: A powerful combination of ingredients to combat future stretch marks and deal with existing one, no matter how old a stretch mark is, there is room for nourishing and improving the skin to remove discoloration and improve the surface appearance of the damage. Nothing works overnight when it comes to damaged skin, but this works well. A lovely gift for a Mom-to-be or a new Mom.

Find it at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfQs_RnGWew[/embedyt]

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Tea Tuesday: Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

September 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Oolong is amongst my favorite types of loose leaf tea. Not as well known as its’ green and white counterparts, Oolong is a delicate tea with lots of health and beauty benefits, including the ability to curb cravings for sweets and carbs. In this way, Oolong is superior to Green Tea, which does boost the metabolism but does not suppress the appetite. Oolong is a rarer tea and can be expensive.

A quality Oolong we recently tried is Zone – 365 Oolong Tea. It is a Da Yu Ling Oolong, which are leaves from the highly prized Taiwan mountains. The high altitude creates a climate that grows leaves slower but with optimal flavor. Da Yu Ling leaves are often very expensive.

APPEARANCE
The first thing you notice about Zone – 365 Oolong Tea is the leaves are rolled into tight tiny orbs that unfurl during the brewing process. The curled leaf formation makes for the least oxidized of all the teas, resulting in a very pale, delicate, sparkling gold-tone brew. Once brewed, the leaves unfurl into full, unblemished leaves. I like how fresh and pure the leaves look, it assures me that this tea is optimal quality.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

TASTE
Zone – 365 Oolong tastes like the champagne or wine version of a cross between a green and white tea. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, which causes the smooth, silky, slightly wine-like texture and taste. There is not the vegetal taste associated with many greens, and it is much lighter tasting and texture than a matcha. Zone – 365 Oolong Tea does not have any artificial flavors to enhance it, as a quality Oolong stands on its’ own. Some may wish to add a bit of sweetener to taste; I liked it with or without just a bit of cane sugar, as lemon or milk would overpower the taste.

AROMA
The leaves have a lovely scent in the packaging, and the tea does as well once brewed.

PACKAGING
The 365 Oolong tea comes in loose leaf form, two attractive metallic silver bags. The bags are vacuum sealed and held in a colorful white canister with a blue floral pattern and blue metal cap. There is an inner lid to help retain the freshness of the tea. It makes for a suitable presentation as a gift for a tea lover.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

HOW TO BREW OOLONG

Zone – 365 recommends a specific way to get the best brew from Oolong. Kung Fu Brewing or the Gong Fu style of brewing is a common process in Taiwan for making tea. It is a detailed process that gets the best out of the Oolong tea leaves. The full process is seen on the 365 blog, and it makes for a lovely tea ceremony that brings out all the flavors of the Oolong.

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

The gist of it is shown in the video, which is a modified version of the “Gong Fu style” Way when making Oolong tea for one person.

For the best quality tea, use the freshest, cleanest water you can find, such as filtered water or well water. Oolong is too delicate to conceal a bad-tasting water. Heat the water to an at-below boiling point.
Using a clay or glass pot (clay is preferable to enhance the flavor over multiple brewings but glass works as well) add about 2-3 grams of Oolong pearls to the pot.
Fill the pot less than halfway full. Swish the water around for about 30 seconds; this removes the outer surface layer of the Oolong, and any tea dust from settling in the bag. It is like how many people don’t eat the first pancake in a batch because they are just “priming” the griddle. Nothing is wrong with this tea; it is just not the very best brew.
Pour this water out into a discard container. In the video, I poured into the pottery ware cup. In the traditional method, this water is used during the rest of the tea ceremony and initially, is poured into the drinking cups to warm them. I skip this step and just discard the priming brew water.
Now pour the remaining water into the teapot. Within a minute or two, the Oolong unfurls into the beautiful leaves. I loved how fresh, unblemished and beautiful the unfurled leaves looked.
Brew for about 2-5 minutes, or a few more minutes to taste the deeper Oolong flavor. The traditional method groups many serving cups together and in a swirling pattern, pour the tea over all of them to get an even distribution of the flavor. It reminds me of being at a party, and many champagne glasses are being filled at once. A tea towel is used to clean up the cups before they are served. I don’t pour it the traditional way but do give the teapot a few swishing motions around to give the infusion a good stir before pouring.
You can immediately start the next brewing infusion off the same Oolong, and get a good four infusions from the same leaves, and maybe up to seven or eight infusions depending on the size and medium of your teapot. Clay works best for multiple Oolong brewings.

ABOUT Zone-365
Zone-365 teas support The Ethical Tea Partnership, ETP. This non-profit group works for improving and sustaining the tea industry by the raising of standards for tea production, supporting tea workers and smallholder tea farmers, and working for climate and environmental causes.

CONCLUSION: This is a lovely and very fresh Oolong Tea, I am so happy to have tried it! Even my non-tea drinking friends enjoyed this Oolong. I like a tea that curbs my cravings for sweets, and the aroma and brew color is just beautiful. I was particularly impressed with the unfurled leaves after brewing: fresh, unblemished, full leaves, the mark of a quality tea!

Zone-365 Oolong Tea Organic Loose Leaf Tea

Being able to infuse multiple brewings from the same Oolong leaves works out to be very economical. I am very pleased to find a high-quality Da Yu Ling leaf Oolong!

Find this tasty tea at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFBlymu2W2M[/embedyt]

I received this product for testing and review purposes.

Skincare: Mediderm A+ Dark Spot Corrector & Skin Whitening Fade Cream

September 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Despite the religious use of high-factored, Full Spectrum SPF year round, I was recently a bit shocked to see a smattering of sun spots along my collarbone in addition to the ones on the top of my cheekbones. This was not due to a summer of frolicking on the beach for me – these spots are a result of walking into the office from the parking lot, heading out to the mailbox type exposure, all while wearing SPF. While Hydroquinone is effective, it is dangerous, and it can go too far in the other direction and cause hypopigmentation. So, I was thrilled to find Mediderm A+ Dark Spot Corrector & Skin Whitening Fade Cream for my sun spots.

Mediderm A+ Dark Spot Corrector & Skin Whitening Fade Cream

One of the things I like about Mediderm A+ Dark Spot Corrector & Skin Whitening Fade Cream is that it will only lighten your skin as far as your basic skin tone, and no further. It gets rid of the discoloration and leaves healthy, even-toned skin underneath. Best of all, it does it with natural, safe ingredients.

And what a list of ingredients it is. I knew Mediderm to be a fantastic skincare line, but I was thrilled when I saw just how many great ingredients were packed into this potent cream. They are an excellent balance of ingredients that sack sun spots and other ingredients that calm and soothe the skin, so there is no irritation. Some notable ingredients are Glycolic Acid, Squalane, Lactic Acid, Vitamin C, and Licorice Extract to get rid of discoloration, Tamanu Oil, Ubiquinone, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to regenerate the skin, and green tea, Jojoba Oil, Yarrow Leaf Extract, Vitamin E, and Botanical Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and soothe the skin. There are several more natural and effective ingredients on the list, but these were the ones that truly excited me. Typically it involves several creams to get that kind of combination!

The cream, while thick, absorbs well and can easily be worn under SPF and makeup. It gives skin a dewy glow without being greasy and keeps my makeup from dry in the cold air conditioning of my office. So it is easy to use it twice a day as recommended. After cleansing and exfoliating at night, it soothes my skin and gets to work on the sun spots, but it also is doing an excellent job in tackling those little lines and gives my skin an overall luminous glow. Even if you don’t have sun damage, it is hard to find a cream with so many incredible ingredients packed into one jar.

I am thrilled to have found Mediderm A+ Dark Spot Corrector & Skin Whitening Fade Cream. My spots are fading, and my skin looks great!

Find it at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7LqNJdMmXo[/embedyt]

I received this product at a discount for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

September 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

I have long work days, especially the days I commute into the city. My morning commute is about an hour, then a brief windy walk outside to the office building, a long day of work, and then usually some post-work socializing before going home.

My hairstyle has usually fallen flat by 5:30, so I was excited to try something that could quickly enliven my style, smooth my wind-blown hair and add some shine.
It heats up almost immediately and quickly gives a nice shiny and smooth look to hair.

The instructions outline how to hold the brush to add some volume to the roots, and the ends and length of the hair look smooth. It is no more work than brushing your hair. My hair did not feel dry or damaged like when I use hot rollers or other hot tools. My styling products such as any hair spray or spray in treatments like BlowPro Thickening Spray are not gunky or sticky after using the comb, which is a nice advantage over re-styling your hair with a curling iron.

There is a nice V-shaped tool for separating out sections – sort of a rat tail comb on one side, a thin brush on the other. I have found this useful with other styling products as well, such as when using hot rollers.

I also tried the brush on my Mom, who has dry, wiry hair that only briefly conforms to any straightening efforts with rollers. It smoothed her hair immediately with a very straightforward and quick brush through, it was smooth and shiny with a nice flip curl at the ends. It also imparted a bit of bounce.

There is an excellent swivel cord. Products often SAY they have a swivel cord, but this one completely swivels without adjusting how you hold your arm. This is a nice feature.

Of course, like other hot tools, I would advise using a thermal mat to allow the brush to cool down after use. While the handle is not hot to the touch when using it, the brush itself is 450 degrees. I use a simple thin silicone cooling sheet for cookie trays, though there are dedicated thermal mats available if you prefer that.

Sensation Professional Electric Straightener Brush

I’m thrilled with this brush and use it a few times a week. I don’t like using thermal tools too often because they damage my hair, but there seems to be far less damage and dryness using this brush than other tools, so I feel comfortable using it more often.

In the video below, it was incredibly humid all day with torrential downpours most of the day, and this brush left my mother’s hair smooth for hours. Nice!

Find it at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!