My Journal

How To Get Gorgeous Skin

* Don’t go to bed with makeup on. Makeup left on overnight seeps into your pores, clogs them, and congests your skin. Make sure that you wash your face twice at the end of the day. Once to get the makeup off. A second time to wash the skin itself.

* Exfoliate daily. After washing your face at night, be sure to exfoliate. Use a delicate scrub. If you don’t have one on hand, a tablespoon of sugar or oatmeal will work just fine.

* Use facial masks regularly. If possible, everyday is ideal. Again, if you don’t have one on hand, make your own. Mashed banana or avocado is good. Plain yogurt also works well.

* Keep a treatment and moisturizer on your face, day or night. Put your skin first. After you wash it at night, put on some kind of skin treatment, whether it’s alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin A or C, or any kind of special cocktail treatment. Let that sink in, then put a moisturizer over that. In the morning, do the same.

* Don’t use the cheapest or most expensive cosmetics. Mom tells me that moderately priced cosmetics are the best. They get the job done, and the ingredients are usually pretty good. You have to keep trying various brands until you find something that works well for you.

* Hydrate your face throughout the day. Whether it’s a commercial product, or one you make yourself (fill a spray bottle with distilled water, add a few drops of chamomile or rose essential oil, shake it gently before each use, and spray it on) hydrate your face, even over makeup, frequently throughout the day.

* Treat your face gently. Never pull, tug, or scrub your facial skin. Be very gentle when you clean it, moisturize it or makeup on it. This will lessen the chance that you’ll damage your skin and get wrinkles.

* Keep your face covered when you’re in the sun. As beautiful as she is, my mom never lets anyone see her face when she’s in the sun. She’ll slather on a high factor sunscreen, put on sunglasses, and a wide brimmed hat.

* Eat fresh foods and drink lots of water. My mom tells me to stay away from “dead food” food that’s basically not fresh. She always eat lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, and drinks tons of water.

* Let go of stress. Stress can show up on your face, no matter how well you take care of your skin. Do something your enjoy everyday, whether it’s watching TV or going shopping. Your face reflects what’s going on inside of your mind.

Source: Free Beauty Tips.com

Changing temperatures mean a change of routine, no matter which part of the world you live in. Knowing a little about how skin functions in the winter, and tweaking a few habits, can make all the difference between a dull winter complexion and glowing radiance.

• Start the day with a hot shower… but before you get out switch to cold water for about fifteen seconds. Then turn up the heat a little, and down again to repeat the process for about two minutes. “Why would I want to do that?!” I hear you cry! This is a simple hydrotherapy technique which revitalizes the skin by stimulating the flow of blood through the body. It is both invigorating and highly beneficial to the skin. So even though you may not really enjoy the process, just think of the all the good it’s doing you!
• Use a good moisturizer. Choose a highly protective day cream which contains zinc oxide, and provides SPF30 protection to form a barrier against the elements. Creamier, water-in-oil emulsions are best. And don’t forget about your lips. Chapped lips are often the most noticeable problem for a lady in the winter. Use a highly moisturizing lip balm which provides a protective barrier, with vitamin E for good elasticity.
• Exfoliate at least twice a week. This will remove dead cells and allow the skin to absorb extra moisture. The oil which we all complain about in the Summer is no longer being produced because of cooler winter temperatures and central heating. Therefore the skin looses the water which should be retained in the lower dermis of the skin. This can lead to premature aging of the skin and fine lines, whilst your skin can appear puffy and grey. Nice!
• Drink a glass of hot water with lemon. This herbal remedy is a sure-fire method of energizing your body. It will de-tox your entire system, including the liver and gall bladder. This means that your body will be able to clean the blood faster to get rid of toxins responsible for bad skin.
• Simply sleep! Money can’t buy the benefits of a good nights’ rest. Your oxygen levels will drop if you don’t get enough sleep, meaning that your cells will not be renewed as quickly. This is when degenerative skin aging sets in. Try to get seven, if not eight or nine hours of rest a night to achieve absolutely painless benefits. It’s ideal!

Source: Free Beauty Tips.com

Sometimes life can feel so stressful. We are too busy, too overwhelmed, too indecisive, too hard on ourselves and then we feel miserable and depressed. Here are some stress relief tips to get you back on a more even keel:

Over-eating and over-dependence on alcohol are ways of coping with stress, but there are other healthier options too.

If nothing else, having to make do with imperfect partners reprieves us from having to be perfect, too. Forgive and love one another. Life is too short.

In general 80% of a dispute is about the past and only 20% about the moment. So take the power out of your feelings and look at what drives them. (Andrew G Marshall, marital therapist, writing in the London Times 6th Dec 2008)

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. (Seneca)

A study has shown that it takes about 70 days for a new resolution to become a habit. So don’t give up; it does get easier. And wait till you have one resolution fixed as a habit before you tackle something else.

Optimism seems actually to change the nervous system and boost the immune response, just as being gloomy depresses it. Dr Shelley Taylor, psychologist, University of California. Psychiatrists have found that people with a negative outlook on life may be up to 25% more likely to develop cancer than those who are optimistic.

Feeling low and depressed can be a sign of unresolved anger. If this is the case, you may need to get some help to resolve these feelings.

De-clutter your mind by visualizing a filing cabinet and putting all the things that are bothering you in order.

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you have always gotten. (Anthony Robbins)

Bananas are rich in potassium and you need extra potassium when you are stressed, so go eat a banana or two.

Dab a drop of lavender essential oil on your wrists and temples to help calm yourself down.

“I’ve never met a winner who hasn’t learnt how to be a loser.” Jack Nicklaus, golfer

Source: Health and Goodness.com

Positive attitude is very important to being successful and happy. Have you ever looked at people who always seem happy and enjoy life with envy and wish you could be more like them? Have you ever said to yourself “Why is it that they are always so popular and seem to attract everyone to them like a magnet?” Did you ever stop to think that it might just be their positive attitude and the way they look at - and react to - the world around them? Thinking and acting with a positive attitude can do more than anything else towards getting you whatever you want out of life, because those who are in positions to make things happen for you will want to be around you, and want to work with you to help make your dreams a reality. Having a positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even more enjoyable. Here are seven simple but powerful tips to having a more positive attitude - and thus becoming a more powerful person.

1. Take passionate action towards living your life. Don’t just make it through the day, live it. Sink your teeth into it and live it like it was your last day on earth. Wring every moment out of it and live each day with passion. Passion and a positive attitude are contagious. You will find others attracted to you who are just as passionate about life and living.

2. Act instead of reacting. Don’t wait until something bad happens then try to deal with it. Be proactive and make something good happen. You are responsible for what you make of the life you have, and you only have one, so don’t waste it. Create the best life you possibly can, one day at a time.

3. Believe that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Bad things happen. That is a fact of life. but that doesn’t mean you have to allow it to drag you down. Good can come from everything, no matter how bad it may be at the time. Learn to open yourself up to learn from, and gain strength from, the bad things that happen in your life. Learning to have a positive attitude even when bad things are happening will help you to get through the bad times even stronger and more determined to succeed.

4. Learn to always be grateful for what you have. It’s a well-known fact among successful people that having gratitude will get you more than never being satisfied. There’s nothing wrong with having dreams and goals and desiring more out of life, but don’t forget to be grateful for what you have already. Those who are never satisfied or grateful with what they have get into a “needy” ot “poverty” mindset, where they think they never have have anything, and are doomed to never having anything. A positive attitude attracts positive actions. Gratitude attracts positive energy.

5. Seize every opportunity that you can instead of regretting it later. Now, whatever you do, don’t put yourself in the poorhouse or take food out of your childrens’ mouths, chasing every get-rich-quick scheme that comes around the corner. But don’t be afraid to take opportunities that feel right either. Successful people have taught themselves to have a sixth sense when it comes to taking advantage of new opportunities.

6. Always keep your sense of humor. People like to be around those who find humor in even the most awkward moments. Learn to laugh and you will be more positive, especiall if you can learn to laugh at yourself. don’t take yourself, or life, too seriously. Life is much too short to waste it moping around in self pity. Humor is very attractive. A positive attitude can be born from a strong sense of humor.

7. Believe that you are in charge of your destiny. No one can take your dreams from you except for you. As long as there’s still breath in your body, there is no limit to how much can accomplish. Life is not something that is going on around you. It is what you make of it. And even by doing nothing you are still creating your life, so why not get involved and create a life you want and can enjoy? Anyone who is truly successful, who enjoys life and has a life to be proud of, has a positive attitude.

If you use these seven steps to help you have a positive attitude, then you too will have a life worth living. Just remember, it all starts with learning to have a positive attitude.

Source: Health and Goodness.com