Food for Beautiful Skin: Avocados

Following on from the Skindividual post about my avocado face mask, I thought it would only be right to talk about how amazing this fruit is (yet I always think of it as a vegetable!) when incorporated into your diet.

Anti-Inflammatory properties
The phytonutrient compound found in avocados, such as polyphenols and flavonoids have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. This will help to reduce any sort of rashes or acne on the skin's surface

Antioxidant Carotenoids for healthy skin
Alpa carotene, beta carotene, beta cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein are free radical quenching compounds found in the avocado. These compounds provide significant protection for your skin from the environmental damage that can lead to fine lines, wrinkles and other visible signs of ageing. They have also been thought to improve skin's density, thickness, tone and general appearance. 

The 'good fats'!
The monosaturated fats in avocados help to regulate blood sugar levels. These fats, along with the fruit's high fibre content will ensure that that blood sugar levels stay steady throughout the day when incorporate regularly into your diet!

If you're new to avocados....

Personally, I can be a little scared when introducing new foods into my diet, especially when I'm not exactly sure what dishes I can throw them into!

One thing I like to do with avocados is simply mash them up (basically guacamole!) which I serve with various things I eat, like omelettes, fajitas, sandwiches, etc.

Method

• Scoop out half the flesh of a firm (so it's easy to mash) avocado 
• Mash on a chopping board with a fork (it's fun!)
• Sprinkle in some black pepper and the juice of half a lime, tasting as you add them. (Add whatever other seasonings you like!)
• Scoop into a bowl and serve as an accompaniment to any dish!

Sinéad

Avocado Face Mask

Recently, my friend Susan introduced me into the world of avocados. Don't even ask how I had never ventured there before, because now I can't get enough of them! The next Skindividual blog post will talk about the many reasons that they are one of the best foods to include in your diet for healthy, glowing skin. But for now, let's look at how amazing they are to put onto your face! By creating your own avocado face mask, you can pamper your skin with a simple, natural and affordable beautifying treatment at home.

How will applying avocado onto my skin help?
Avocados are packed full of healthy fats and skin loving vitamins (such as Vitamin E!), which intensely moisturise the skin and also contain anti-inflammatories to help combat acne. Because of these properties, avocados will be suitable for any skin type- dry, combination or oily.

How to make the mask

• Use half of one ripe avocado (ripe=will be more soft and easy to use) and mash well on a chopping board. Transfer into a bowl and whisk well with a hand whisk until you no longer see any large lumps, like in my picture above!
• Add a small teaspoon of honey and mix again.
• Apply the mixture onto freshly cleansed (and slightly damp) skin. Clean skin will absorb the avocado's oils easier than skin with excess debris/dirt/oils.
• Leave on for at least 15 minutes. You will notice that the mask will begin to dry and start to feel a little tight.
• Wipe excess avocado off with a tissue and throw away (You don't want all that green mush clogging up your sink!)
• Rinse the remnants of the mask away with lukewarm water. Apply moisturiser straight away to seal in the goodness!

This leaves my skin baby soft and plump. I've been using it twice a week and absolutely loving it. You could use it as often as you like, as it does not dry out the skin!

Sinead x

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Food for Beautiful Skin: Oats

As you may know already, I adore using oats as part of my skincare regime! I stopped using them for a while, and have recently began again in the past couple of weeks and I've been loving them so much. The main reason I'm using them more for my skin recently is actually because I've started to eat them again every morning for breakfast. I'm trying to eat as clean as I can, and we all know that breakfast cereals (even those marketed as being healthy) can be full of additives, preservatives and sugar. So oatmeal is a tasty, nutritious and delicious alternative.

How can eating oatmeal benefit our skin?
Oats are an amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are absolutely one of the best things you can feed your skin! These fatty acids can help to regulate oil production in the skin, while also keeping it hydrated and plump. They can also work as an antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from UV damage and radiation from the sun. Omega-3 fatty acids also work to repair the skin, supporting and building up collagen which can ward off saggy skin and wrinkles. Compared with other whole grains on a per gram basis, oats have one of the highest concentrations of zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, thiamine and vitamin E. These are all skin loving ingredients that can help to boost a glowing, healthy complexion.

For breakfast or a snack
As I have mentioned, recently I've been eating oatmeal every morning. Because it keeps me full for a long time, I find that I'm far less likely to want to snack on something sugary a couple of hours later. For me, when I eat a lot of sugary food, it shows on my skin. It can become blotchy or prone to acne. So, when I'm craving something bold to eat in the evenings (like crisps or chocolate!), I've been having oatmeal with a squeeze of honey, and it really does satisfy any cravings. Don't get me wrong, I will still have my sugary/salty snacks, but because I know they can affect my skin, I try to eat them in moderation!

How to make creamy oatmeal without using milk
When I drink milk, it can aggravate my skin, so I always make oatmeal with water. I used to always hate the way it would never be creamy when made with water, and would look more like gruel, which was quite off putting! My new trick is to pop the oats with the right amount of boiling water over them into a pot and just leave them there to steep for about twenty minutes/half an hour. That way, the oats become soft and mushy and when you cook them they end up being lovely and creamy, ta-dah! I pop a bit of honey in with mine and it's a lovely tasty breakfast/snack.

When buying oats, check that there is no added sugar or syrups. Opt for steel-cut oats or rolled oats over instant ones. Instant oats can be quite processed in order to speed up their cooking time, making them more convenient. However, this reduces their health benefits and they contain considerably less nutrients and fibre than regular oats. I usually buy organic oats from a health-food store, just be sure to keep an eye on the label!

Sinéad

Coconut Oil (Part 2): How to use coconut oil for your skin

My previous post on coconut oil was all about the 'why' and this one will be all about the 'how'! I literally cannot live without my beloved coconut oil now as I've been adoring using it for the past six months. I use it every single day, for my skin and also for cooking (I'll talk about this in a future post).

As a make-up remover

Long gone are the days of trying out various different store bought cleansers, only to find that they would aggregate my skin. Or if they didn't, they wouldn't remove my make-up very easily, resulting in me having to use a lot of product and do a lot of scrubbing on my skin, which would result in redness and irritation. And even if they were good, I couldn't help but notice all of the ingredients on the back. Surely products that have this many ingredients cannot be totally gentle and kind to skin.. and it's true, they are not! (Check out my previous post on why I changed over to a more natural skincare regime) And then my beloved coconut oil came along... The condition of my skin has vastly improved since adding this to my skincare regime!

• To remove your make-up, simply scoop out a small amount of coconut oil with a clean teaspoon, and massage it into your face and neck with your fingers. Coconut oil melts at skin temperature so it will glide along your face while melting. It smells divine and feels incredibly soothing!
• Massage the oil in for a couple of minutes (it can be used on and around the eyes with no irritation and works as an unbelievably effective eye make-up remover also). Then, simply wipe away with a cotton pad.
• Take another very small amount of coconut oil and repeat these steps again. Keep doing it until you can see no more make-up on the cotton pad. It doesn't take long for this to happen as the oil is amazing at breaking down foundations, powders, mascara, and lipstick.
• Afterwards, I get rid of the excess coconut oil by massaging in oatmeal (read about why I love oatmeal for skin so much here) onto my face for a minute, and then rinsing with water. Or you can spritz a cotton pad with rosewater and sweep across my face and neck, which also removes the oil.
• I find that coconut oil can be a bit heavy to apply to my face overnight, so I use sweet almond oil afterwards instead for overnight moisture.

As a moisturiser for the body

I can honestly say that I will never buy any other moisturiser for my body again! Coconut oil is the best one I have ever used, and I'm really not exaggerating! After a shower or bath, I apply the oil and it just sinks into the skin. Leave it a few minutes before putting clothes on so it can fully sink in and work its magic. Your skin is baby soft afterwards and smells divine (it's only a light scent and isn't too strong). Coconut is one of my favourite scents, it's so clean and fresh. Read coconut oil part 1 to find out why this oil is so beneficial when applied to the skin.

I get very dry lips and I find that applying a small amount of coconut oil on them before going to sleep leaves them hydrated by morning time.

As a shaving oil

Coconut oil makes an excellent shaving oil. Applying it to any areas of the skin you want to shave before removing the hair and it will give you a really close and non irritating shave. Afterwards, apply some oil to the to the area. This will prevent razer burn or any redness of the skin.

At the moment, I am experimenting with different ways to use this oil, so watch this space for more updates!

Sinéad

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Coconut Oil (Part 1): A skin saviour

So, finally I am writing a post about Coconut oil. I've held out on writing about it for a while, as there are just so many things you can do with it, and I wasn't sure how I would incorporate it all into one blog post! With that in mind, I've decided to split this topic into two posts; one being the 'why?' and the other being the 'how?'. Consequently, this first post is all about why coconut oil is so great for our skin. And there's a lot to say about that... so let's get started!

Saturated fats

Coconut oil is rich in saturated fats, which, when applied to the skin make it smooth to the touch. The presence of these fats means that the oil retains the moisture content of the skin, as the fats eliminate moisture loss through the pores. That makes this oil ideal for those of us with dry skin. If you have oily skin, you can still use coconut oil as it will not overly clog the pores on the face, as long as it is removed in the correct way! (Which I will explain in part 2 of this post).

Vitamin E

You may remember from previous Skindividual posts, such as the Sweet Almond Oil and the Almond Flour Face Mask posts, that Vitamin E really is the King of all vitamins when it comes to skin health! It's essential for healthy skin growth, repair of wear and tear on the skin, and preventing dry skin. It can also help to prevent premature ageing of the skin, because of its abundance of moisture and antioxidant properties. These properties make coconut oil ideal to use at night as it can work it's magic overnight on your skin.

Proteins

The many proteins found in coconut oil keep the skin both healthy and rejuvenated. Proteins also contribute to cellular heath and tissue repair, therefore if you have any pigmentation marks or scarring, coconut oil can help to reduce their appearance over time.

Capric/Caprylic/Lauric acid

These fatty acids have strong disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. As a result, coconut oil can prevent any sort of infections that may attack open wounds on the skin, making it ideal for use on active blemishes. A lot of antibacterial store bought products can be harsh and irritate acne even more, but coconut oil will do the same thing in a gentle and natural way!

Buying Coconut Oil

When buying coconut oil and planning to use it on your skin, try to buy Raw Virgin Coconut Oil. The best kind will be organic, cold-pressed and of course chemical free. Make sure to look at the ingredients before buying to make sure that organic raw virgin coconut oil is the only one! It may seem a bit pricey, but I have been using mine for months and months and only half of it is gone. Here is one I would recommend from Evergreen, Ireland. But of course you can shop around in any health food store or online to find it too.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon, to find out how exactly to use this miraculous oil on your skin!

Sinéad 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/skindividualblog

An important milestone for Skindividual Blog!

For those who you who read this blog that might not know I also have a facebook page, then this post is for you!

Today I reached 100 readers on my page which was an important milestone for me. It has given me the motivation to put even more time and effort into the Skindividual Blog and I hope that you all look forward to continuing along this journey with me!

If you want to find the Skindividual Blog facebook page, the address is:

https://www.facebook.com/skindividualblog

I generally post a lot of smaller bits of information about skin health on the facebook page that don't always make it on to the blog.

Remember to always contact me, either here, through facebook or by e-mail (skindividualblog@gmail.com) if you ever have any requests for natural products you'd like me to review or talk about, or about anything to do with skin.

Thank you again my lovely readers!

Sinéad

My personal skincare story

I remember the first time that I looked at the ingredients listed at the back of one of my skincare products. What astonished me the most was the fact that there were so many of them! Trying to figure out what all of these complex and scary looking names were was difficult, and of course there was a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that they were most likely not what most people would actively choose to put on to their skin. It’s easy to pick up a popular, raved about product, or one with pretty colourful packaging and completely fall for the hype.. believing it’s promise to transform your skin into a beautiful glowing canvas in little to no time. 

When I began to research a lot of the common ingredients in beauty products, I was almost a little angry at myself at the time, because most of the products I was so used to buying and enjoyed using (even though they rarely gave me the results they promised), I now couldn’t look at in the same way. Here is a article from the website organicbeautytalk.com which lists some common ingredients found in skin products, which you might wish to avoid after reading. Personally, I almost wished I could be oblivious and forget the information I had been reading, after all, if I couldn't use these products then what on earth could I use on my skin?

At the time, I was suffering from cystic acne, which motivated me to start doing a lot of my own research on the internet about how these ingredients may actually affect the condition of my skin. We absorb about 60 percent of what is put on to our skin, so it's a good idea to know exactly what is in these products that we buy! It just didn't sit well with me that there were so many additives, chemicals, parabens and basically a lot of names I didn't recognise, and so this was the main reason that I started to move away from store bought skincare items. I remember, around that time, buying a product from a well-known brand which is marketed as being free from any sort of ingredient that might irritate the skin, only to break out in a major rash on my face! So really I had no more excuses to not begin my journey into a more natural route for my skin.

Ever since I began to switch my skincare regime from one consisting of manufactured lotions and potions to a more natural regime, my skin has improved so much. My acne has cleared up (for the most part), and my skin never gets irritated. I also feel so much better knowing that I am not putting anything harmful into my skin. I’ve had a lot of fun over the past couple of years learning how to incorporate natural 'ingredients' into my skincare. It can be quite a creative process, experimenting with different natural ingredients.. finding which ones work best together.. figuring out how different ones will help certain skin types, mixing them in various ratios.. and creating pretty containers to store them in! It's something I really enjoy doing.

My staple natural products that have helped my skin the most
While I'm always trying new products out and changing up my routine, there are a few natural saviours that I use on a daily basis that have really improved the condition of my skin.

Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil will be the topic of my next blog post. I've held out on writing about it until now, as I wanted to make sure I had good experience using it for at least six months. Coconut oil has basically been my daily morning and night time cleanser, and so it has replaced the need for me to use a manufactured one, which really makes me happy! You can read in detail about how I use this, along with its other uses in my next post.

Rosewater
Ah, rosewater, how did I live without you? This is a firm favourite of mine. I use rosewater to remove any coconut oil left on my face after my cleanse. I then splash my face with water and simply spritz on this amazing product as a toner. The condition of my skin has improved a lot since incorporating this little beauty in to my daily routine. Gone are the days of useless store bought toners, many of which are full of alcohol. You can read about rosewater in more detail in my previous post.

Oatmeal
If I ever have a bad breakout, I simply cleanse my skin with oatmeal twice a day, or make an oatmeal face mask. Oats calm the skin and are full of powerful ingredients to combat acne. They're also great for other skin types and you can read about exactly how to use them in one of my older posts.

Sweet Almond Oil
I use this soothing oil each night before bed. It has replaced my need to use a manufactured night cream, and improved the condition of my skin to no end. A little goes a long way with this oil, so one bottle (even if it's a small one) will last you a long time. My skin tends become quite dehydrated at times, at this oil has really saved it! Read more about its many beauty benefits here.

So, there you have it, a little information about my journey into the world of natural skincare. I hope you, the readers, are enjoying the little tips and tricks I am sharing with you. Please feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions about natural skincare, as I am more than happy to help and really enjoy sharing this information with others, I could literally talk about this stuff for hours!

Until next time...

Sinéad

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