Defining Skincare

Skincare Products

Skincare includes products for the skin. This includes cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers, acne treatments, anti-aging treatments, serums for specific skin concerns, as well as sunscreen. Find Skincare product recommendations for specific skin concerns and skincare products using organic ingredients.

Skin care includes ways to care for the skin, including facial skin, throat, decolletage, and body skin. Visit the Skin Care guide section of StyleChicks for more skin care how-to information.

ELAJ Emollient: All-Purpose Natural Skin Softening Protectant

February 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment

ELAJ is an unscented, all-purpose, natural emollient cocktail for rough heels, cracked elbows, dry scalp, chapped lips & ragged cuticles. It won’t clog pores and can be worn under makeup while treating facial psoriasis or eczema. BONUS: ELAJ does double-duty as a moisturizing, light sheen lip gloss containing a natural SPF

ELAJ Emollient is a healing emollient safe for any skin, even sensitive skin areas. Made of natural ingredients, it will not clog pores, so it is safe to use on the face. It is safe for even children and treats cradle cap and minor rashes. FDA registered, ELAJ is helpful for psoriasis and eczema and other skin conditions that require gentle daily cleansing and care. It is healing and protective to severe and painful skin conditions and works wonders as a go-to beauty tool for skin concerns that just won’t respond to commercial treatments.

ELAJ for multi-tasking skin care

ELAJ USES

Some areas of skin require an intensive hydration treatment to soothe conditions such as extreme dryness. ELAJ allows the skin to breathe while treating all of the following:

Ragged cuticles
Skin inflammation or irritation from sunburn
Dry, chapped lips
Eczema, even on the face. It stops the itching for 8 hours you can get a good night’s sleep
Burn scars
Fresh acne scars
Dry, rough, cracked feet
For use as a gentle eye makeup remover that doesn’t sting the eyes!

THE ELAJ STORY

Developed by Dr. M.A. Bchihalouk, the founders’ grandfather, this emollient has been used by Suhein Beck’s family for any skin related problem for years. She indicates that everyone who tried it found it wonderfully healing for their eczema, contact dermatitis, cold sores, skin conditions or just rough and dry skin on elbows, feet, hands, and knees.

ELAJ INGREDIENTS

ELAJ all-natural ingredients including Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin C & Avocado

A powerhouse of natural active ingredients that soothe, hydrate and protect the skin including:

Almond Oil a hypoallergenic oil that is safe even for babies, it is an intensive moisturizer with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, rich in Vitamin E. It also protects skin against UV radiation damage and helps heal existing damage.
Avocado is intensely emollient with protective with high oleic acid content. This monounsaturated fatty acid maintains moisture in the epidermal layer of your skin, helping to make it soft and hydrated.
Vitamin A & E feeds and restores skin, assists in healthy skin cell turnover
USP White Petrolatum is a purer form than that which is found in Vaseline
Honey retains moisture, has natural cleansing properties
Yellow Beeswax is a superior protective barrier cream for skin
Soy Wax relieves psoriasis, eczema, dry skin, cracked skin, cracked heels and rough cuticles.
Zinc OxideÂ is a natural sunscreen
Colloidal OatmealÂ soothes the skin, stops itching

ALL-PURPOSE ELAJ USES

BODY: For use all over including on dry knees, elbows, rough and cracked heels, hands, and cuticles.
FACE: ELAJ is safe for use on the face as it does not clog pores, making it suitable for treating eczema, psoriasis, acne, razor burn, dry spots, chapped lips, and cold sores. Also delicate skin around the eyes, earlobes, and nose.
AN FDA REGISTERERED SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CORTISONE FOR ECZEMA: Â MAKEUP & ELAJ FOR ECZEMA ON THE FACE: To cover eczema on your face, blend ELAJ with your foundation and use this mixture to conceal the eczema patch. Finish with a light coating of powder for a matte finish, or leave without powder for a dewy glow.
ELAJ FOR A LIPGLOSS WITH NATURAL SUNSCREEN: ELAJ doubles as a lip gloss with a soft sheen and has the natural sunscreen property of Zinc Oxide.

ELAJ FIRST IMPRESSIONS

ELAJ comes in a small plastic jar; it is semi-transparent with a light golden color, lighter than honey. There is no unpleasant scent. It is a thick consistency which is firmer than Vaseline but not as hard as wax. It melts on contact with the heat of your skin. It is not greasy like Vaseline but does leave a light sheen to the skin.

ELAJ is a firm but spreadable all-purpose emoillent

ELAJ is a firm but spreadable all-purpose emollient

ELAJ is thicker than Vaseline but more pliable than Beeswax

MY EXPERIENCE: PUTTING ELAJ TO THE TEST

I’ve two near-constant dry skin issues: my almost always chapped lips and my ever-dry cuticles.

DRY LIPS:My lips have been dry since I was a kid. I’ve tried everything from drugstore to high-end boutique counter products (READ: slathering CREME DE LA MER concentrate on my lips). I’ve done Pinterest recommended remedies like black tea bags on the lips and Coconut Oils and other treatments.
CUTICLES:Even if I use gel lined gloves, my cuticles never look good. I have even consulted my dermatologist over recommended products for my cuticles. If I slather my hands with Coconut Oil at night, by the afternoon staff meeting, my cuticles are red and peeling and dry all over again.

While some things work better than others, nothing gives me smooth lips or non-irritated cuticles for a full day, especially when exposed to dry air in my office.

APPLICATION
The emollient is thick but softens to smoothly and evenly spread into a thin layer when held between the fingers (similar to the Creme de la Mer creme emulsion process). It looks like a thicker “Bag Balm” or Vaseline consistency, but it is not greasy once worked between the fingers for a minute.

CUTICLES: To apply it to my cuticles, I softening it and rubbed into directly into my cuticles and into the nail beds all around the nail and on a few rougher spots on my knuckles.
LIPS: For my lips, I applied ELAJ directly onto my lips. I massaged it in, and much of the dead skin sloughed off. I applied a second light coat before going to bed. My lips were smooth in the morning, not chapped. I sometimes get cracks on the side of my lips, these felt a bit different after application, slightly numb, and in the morning the crack was healed without a rough skin patch as normally appears.
ELAJ VERSES VASELINE TEST: As a third test, I applied ELAJ to the rough heel on my left foot, and straight vaseline on my right foot overnight. In the morning, the hardened skin on my left foot was soft as if I had exfoliated it off and it stayed that way for several days. My Vaseline covered foot was softer to the touch, but the hard skin remains hardened.

Apply ELAJ generously and allow 5 minutes to absorb

CONCLUSION

ELAJ is a very useful, all-natural, all-purpose emollient that tackles multiple skin needs, it is safe and effective for eczema treatment and can be worn with makeup on the face. ELAJ stops the itching of psoriasis and eczema, allowing skin to breathe while still providing a protective coating. A natural SPF lip gloss and makeup remover, keeping the two-ounce size ELAJ in your bag is a great multi-tasker when traveling.

Find all-natural ELAJ here http://elajnaturally.com/collections/all

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Style Chicks received this product in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

How to Best Use Hyaluronic Acid: What to Know

February 24, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Like an Instagram Filter for real life, Hyaluronic Acid plumps wrinkles & pores with intense hydration, making skin appear instantly youthful & dewy.

Why We Love Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is by far one of our favorite skincare ingredients; we always look for it in serums and moisturizers because it makes skin look fantastic as it plumps out wrinkles and crinkles and makes skin glow.

But Hyaluronic Acid won “beauty secret weapon” status in our StyleChicks Favorite Skincare Ingredients Series because it helps any anti-aging active ingredient work more efficiently. Learn about the short term and long term benefits of Hyaluronic Acid.

WHAT IS HYALURONIC ACID?

Hyaluronic Acid occurs naturally in the skin, but it depletes as we age, and the body does not make more.

Topical Hyaluronic Acid application in the form of a cream, gel or serum replaces levels in the skin, giving a youthful glow.

WHAT HYALURONIC ACID DOES

Hyaluronic Acid gets “beauty secret weapon” status due to its’ ability to hold enormous amounts of moisture; it can draw moisture from the air, sucking it into the skin.

This moisture drawing ability has a dual benefit:

It makes skin as plump and dewy as possible, creating an environment where the skin contains as much hydration as it can hold.
It uses this water drawing ability to pull active ingredients deeper into the skin.

BENEFITS OF HOLDING MOISTURE

Wrinkles, fine lines, and pores temporarily “plump out” from all the moisture until they are barely visible, yet it does not make the skin seem puffy or bloated.
Hyaluronic Acid works wonders on crows feet, eleven lines, wrinkles on and around the mouth, forehead lines, and smile lines.
Hyaluronic Acid causes an optical blur effect, smoothing tiny imperfections in skin including on the throat, chest, and decolletage

What Active Ingredients to Pair HA With

Hyaluronic Acid SERVES AS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT BOOSTER.

Many active ingredients that are amazing for the skin all do their best work in the deeper layers of the skin, but their molecules are typically too large to absorb deeply. Some examples are:

MSM
Vitamin C
Retinol
Peptides
B3 (Niacinamide)
Sea Buckthorn Oil

The solution? Hyaluronic Acid is like a friend with VIP access; it uses its’ moisture pulling ability to draw these active ingredients into deeper skin layers. The deeper active ingredients can work, the better the collagen production.

This means deep discoloration, sun damage, and acne scars are all fade for a much clearer look to the skin. And when collagen production happens at a deeper level, it better supports for skin, resulting in less sagging.

How to Best Use HYALURONIC ACID

It is imperative to use a moisturizer over your Hyaluronic Acid, as it draws as much moisture as possible into the skin.

If Hyaluronic Acid can’t get enough moisture, the surface of the skin can appear DRY, because the Hyaluronic is still “thirsty.”

I like to apply Hyaluronic Acid over damp skin; sometimes I mix a Hyaluronic cream or serum with some water before applying it to my face and eye area.

Less is more. Apply more only if needed, focusing on wrinkles, pores on the cheeks, and the wrinkles on the forehead and throat.
Apply Hyaluronic Acid over a Vitamin C serum or Peptide Serum to maximize your results
Do you use an at-home device such Handheld Light Therapy or the NuFace? Optimize the results by applying a layer of Hyaluronic Acid after washing off the conductive cream.
If you live in an area with higher environmental pollution, consider only using Hyaluronic Acid at night so that it does not pull the pollutants into your skin from the air.

Hyaluronic Acid serums we like

Aurora Cure Ultimate 100% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Professional Strength: a clear serum, not sticky, very potent, as it is 100% Hyaluronic, no fillers. I like to apply this during the daytime after I wash my face and it is still moist, I lightly apply the Hyaluronic, then pat on two light coats of moisturizer (Clinique Dramatically Different for example) and spritz my face with water in between layers to lock in hydration. Also very useful paired with a Vitamin C serum, but make sure to add a moisturizer on top!
SERUM CEUTICALS ALBUMIN & HYALURONIC ACID SERUM This is not a straight Hyaluronic, but the Albumin and Hyaluronic pairing together work wonders at reviving tired, older looking skin, and this has no chemicals or preservatives. Cool feature: this can be used ON EYELIDS (!!) without causing irritation.
It is amazing when applied to the throat, the face, jowls, on the shoulders, hands, and decolletage, use sparingly around the eyes. When it is applied, enlarged pores disappear, forehead wrinkles appear practically non-existent.

Ingredient overview Summary

Did you like the article How to Best Use Hyaluronic Acid: What to Know? Then you may also like:

Know a Hyaluronic Acid that should be on this list? Contact us or tell us about it in the comment section below!

Skincare: Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub

December 8, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Are you at that age that you are fighting aging AND acne? I think it should just be called “The Unfair Age.”

But Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub fights both at the same time and leaves skin bright and radiant.

Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub

WHAT IT DOES

Do you like the results of professional microdermabrasion, but hate the pulling on your delicate skin? Do you worry that the grit is clogging your pores, not cleansing them?

HOW IT DOES IT

Professional Microdermabrasion is pretty rough on the skin. The suction on most of the machines used in doctor’s offices seriously pulls at the skin. If you have this treatment on any regular basis, this can result in premature sagging of the skin. What’s the point of getting an expensive treatment if it is going to make you look older in the long run?

This isn’t a problem with Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub. It gently loosens dirt and blackheads the pores and sweeps them away, without any tugging or roughness. The gentle exfoliation makes it ideal for promoting collagen production as well, so facial skin looks brighter, less wrinkled, and more youthful, scars are diminished, and stretch marks get a boost towards healing.

Thanks to several ingredients in the organic formulation, skin is also deeply hydrated. That’s quite a lot from one scrub!

Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS

Aloe Vera is familiar to many as a plant that can soothe minor burns, scrapes, and heal the skin can also serve to nourish the skin. It contains Vitamins A, C, B, and E as well as minerals and enzymes. This food for skin can heal and hydrate, accelerate skin cell growth, provide anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This is important in any scrub that is powerful enough to remove dead skin cells, as the skin underneath is exposed and can easily become irritated. Aloe heals naturally and quickly.

And this is not just any Aloe Vera, but a Hospital Grade Organic Aloe Vera. I didn’t know what that meant: it is the quality of Aloe Vera that heals skin well enough that it is suitable for use in Hospital level Burn Care Units.

Another ingredient is Manuka Honey, which has amazing healing and hydrating properties. An anti-aging powerhouse that boosts collagen production and cellular regeneration. It also has natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties to heal skin conditions including acne.

Rapeseed Oil is an anti-oxidant that preserves moisture in the skin, making it smooth and elastic. It also cleanses pores, clean the skin and gives skin a natural glow. With anti-inflammatory properties, it heals skin and reduces redness.

Walnut Shell is a finely ground powder that is hard enough to exfoliate dead skin cells but is still gentle on the skin. It is important to note the finer mill of this walnut, as the smaller the size of the powder, the gentler it is to the skin. There are some products with larger pieces of walnut and that can tear the skin. This product contains a finer mill that does not scratch. As a natural product, Walnut Shell Powder does not irritate the skin the way plastic beads or some oil based beads can cause an allergic reaction.

Orange Oil is an anti-oxidant that reduces inflammation. It also can kill bacteria and improves the complexion by increase the production of collagen resulting in the reduction of dark spots and wrinkles. The bacteria fighting and inflammation reduction properties also make it suitable for gently reducing acne without excess drying to the skin.

WHY WE RECOMMEND IT

Finding a natural active ingredient exfoliation product that gently but effectively treats both acne-prone skin and the signs of aging without causing irritation is an impressive feat.

Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub reduces enlarged pores, blackheads, and dry skin. Unlike many scrubs, it reduces the signs of aging including dark spots.

I especially like the combination of healing and hydrating ingredients in this scrub that exfoliate away dead skin without irritating fresh skin underneath. I also like the anti-bacterial properties in the hydrating ingredients as they protect newly exposed skin and freshly cleaned pores from potential infections and breakouts. Some scrubs can actually cause acne breakouts because they remove too much skin, subjecting the skin to infection, and they contain acne-inducing ingredients. But Era Organics has a nice balance of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients that heal, hydrate and protect freshly exfoliated skin, all while pre-emptively treating skin for acne.

TIP: Use it as an anti-aging mask by applying it to dry skin and leave it on for 5-10 minutes.

GIVEAWAY

The good folks at Era Organics are giving a Style Chicks reader a free jar of this awesome scrub! To enter, send us an email at eraorgranicwalnutscrub@stylechicks.com and tell us something you think you will like about this scrub. You can find out more information about the product from their website and social media, which is listed below. For extra entries, share something from the Era Organics website (http://www.eraorganics.com/exfoliating-facial-scrub/) on social media using their social media share buttons and let us know in your email! This contest will run through Friday, December 16th, 2016.

Even if you don’t win, everyone can get 25% off with coupon STYLEC25.

Find it at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018H32LHQ and learn more about this great product at https:// www.facebook.com/eraorganics, https:// www.pinterest.com/eraorganics, and their website, http://www.eraorganics.com/exfoliating-facial-scrub/

Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Facial Scrub

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Why Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Tea is Special

November 30, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The Style Chicks love tea. The Style Chicks love glowing skin. The Style Chicks love not feeling incredibly sore after Arm Workout Day. The Style Chicks love organic, all natural products. For all of these reasons and more, Style Chicks love Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea.

Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea

Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea is a magnificent blend of organic powdered turmeric, ginger, fennel, anise seed, true cinnamon, and vanilla. Sounds like a Chai variant to you? It is along that flavor line, but it packs far more flavor, not to mention health benefits. It is pretty rare that I find a chai tea that tastes as good as it smells. This herbal tea actually tastes better than it smells, and it smells amazing!

The anti-inflammatory benefits of the ingredients, especially Tumeric and Ginger, are well documented. I take Tumeric supplements for its’ anti-inflammatory effects, but I am trying to use high-grade Tumeric in cooking more to get the most benefit from it. I also try to incorporate fresh ginger into recipes as much as I can. But what I like about Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea is that it contains high-grade powdered ingredients (with no additives!) in an easy to use way that incorporates seamlessly into my tea-drinking lifestyle. I stir the powder into hot water and enjoy the spicy, savory treat while getting an incredible amount of healthy anti-inflammatory benefits. I love that it doesn’t feel like I’m choosing the healthy option, but rather than I’m choosing the tasty option.

The benefits have been impressive. My skin is glowing. I had an angry blemish that was painful and very red. After a few days of drinking this tea, I noticed that while it wasn’t full flat yet, the redness had disappeared. Usually, blemishes stay red far beyond when they are flat on me, and the redness disappears over time. Because of the powerful anti-inflammatory effects of the tea, the blemish is flesh tone and far less noticeable!

My under eyes have also shown marked improvement. During Fall allergy season, my eyes always get puffy, and for the past two weeks, my orbital skin has been puffy and dark. The tea de-inflamed the area, and my eyes look great!

How the tea affects muscle recovery is also profoundly impressive. After a good Tracy Anderson workout, I tend to feel run over by a truck the next day. If I drink this tea as my recovery drink, I feel substantially less sore. It’s not just power of suggestion, either. I had a shoulder injury that leaves the joint quite inflamed. Last night I put my hand on the affected shoulder while I was in the middle of a conversation, and it was significantly less swollen than normal. Though I was absorbed in the conversation, the reduction of inflammation was enough to make me lose my train of thought. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that it is likely due to this amazing tea!

Not to split hairs, but technically this is a tisane since it is an herbal tea, not a true tea since no actual tea leaves are involved. However, this opens up options. If you want the health benefits of green tea but dislike the taste, try addition this mix into your tea, and the vegetal taste is greatly diminished. Lyn and I acquired a taste for straight green tea over time, but it took awhile (especially when we got into Matcha.) So if you are looking to start drinking green tea (or any tea), adding this mix turns a regular cup of tea into an amazingly tasty, incredibly healthy taste treat!

Amoda Organic Golden Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea

Mom tried it today and loved how full-bodied it is. She doesn’t like tea as much as Lyn and I do because it is, as she calls it, a “thin-bodied” beverage. She loves this tea because it is full bodied (think Hot Apple Cider straight from one of the many amazing New England orchards) and she considers it more of a savory snack for break time rather than just a hot beverage. So, if you are looking to cut out some calories by ditching your carby, sugary afternoon snack and want to replace it with a tasty, satisfying, healthy drink, this is ideal for you!

Lyn found that it had similar results for her in that it cut out her craving for a buttery carb mid-afternoon. As a family, buttery carbs are held in high culinary regard as a treat, so this is truly a testimony to this tea!

And don’t forget, it is all plant-based, organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and perfect for vegans!

Find this lovely tea at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HQWM6ZG?th=1.

I received this item 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!