Black Skin Care - Does Your Face Talk?

Is your face giving you message about your body as a whole?

My friend used to always tell me that my face was talking. But she meant that I couldn't keep what I was thinking about someone's outfit or hair colour or bleached skin colour because my facial expression would show immediately how I felt. Busted!

But there is a science known as reading faces or face mapping. Just as with your feet and hands in reflexology, every point on your face is associated with an organ in your body.

It goes deeper that what you or I might feel about someone's personal choices in wardrobe or hair colour or skin colour. Your face can be an indication of what's going on internally with your body.

Some of us are kicking and screaming our ways into what is considered maturing. The beauty industry refers to it as aging but we don't have to be up in age in order to look older than we are.


Taking a Holistic Approach to Skin Care From The Inside Out

From a holistic approach, your body and what you put into it is a direct result of how your beautiful black skin will look and if you dont't get your 'beauty rest' it will show up on your face as well.

Did you know that the area around your eyes is tied into the health of your kidneys? Wrinkles, dark circles, bags and puffiness can often be the result of the kidney not functioning properly.

Every lines, crease and mole is tied into the organs of your body. Those lines that show up around the side of your mouth and look like parenthesis can be an indication of a colon that needs cleansing.

I know you feel that you black don't crack and that you don't age the way 'other' people on the planet age all because of your melanin. That would be true if you don't eat the way that other people on the planet eat.

It's been said that everything is connected and that if you really want to keep your youthful appearance, then you will have to cleanse your entire body. Finding the 'cause' of what's happening to your skin, hair, nails and body as a whole are not always talked or dealt with. Whatever is going on inside is being reflected on the outside.

Your face, eyes, posture, your hands, and even the way you breathe and speak can often be an indication that something isn't quite right internally. Yes we can inherit a lot of illnesses and consitions but you can also treat and fix them. It's up to you!


Stress and the Skin You're In

Stress can be debilitating. It can change your entire appearance. I remember a time when I was under extreme stress and I needed to take some passport photographs. When I went to take the picture, I didn't believe what the camera was showing me. I had to take the picture several times because in my mind, I was not the person in the photo.

I could see all kind of lines in my forehead and around my mouth and let's not even mention how big the bags were under my eyes. I was a wreck!

This is when I had to make the decision to take charge of what I ate and not let what I ate control me. When stressed, I'll go for a massage. The sugar levels would have my skin looking dull, ashy and gray. Now I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It might not sound delicious bit it's much healthier.

Does your face talk? You bet it does so why not have it speak about the beauty of your skin

Feeding Your Beautiful Black Skin With Natural Oils

Typically in massage training, the focus is on learning about muscles and bones and how massage is good for your skin. But your skin is not just a surface you ignore.

Even though it might be complex psychologically, as far as the system is concerned, when you take a look at your skin and you begin to treat it, you get a wonderful soft surface that becomes soothing and sensual to the touch.

When you look at oils that mother nature has provided, not only are you looking at an oil that's for massage treatment, you can find beautiful oils or oil blends that will be good for just moisturizing your skin.

Some like to refer to it as feeding your skin. When you're thinking of feeding your beautiful black skin, you'll want to take a look at different types of oils that are available to you.

Natural Oils For Beautiful Black Skin

For a lot of you, I'm sure you've heard about Almond oil. Almond oil is used as an emollient and it's great when you blend it with other oils. I use Pure Almond Oil by Life-Flo Health Care.

Another oil is Coconut oil. It would also be used with an emollient, which is going to soften and smooth be very soothing to your skin. The best type is the extrat virgin coconut oil which is not refined.

You can choose from Maison Orphee Coconut Oil, Nutiva Certified Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Artisana Coconut Oil. It should come in a glass jar, its colour should be fairly white and the aroma sweet and pleasant like fresh coconuts (unless it is the refined oil) 

Jojoba oil is the same. It's an emollient and humectant. Humectants add moisture to your skin. I use Dessert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil.

Blending Oils For Natural Black Skin Care

When you look at a lot of these oils, a wonderful blend would be something like a jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and coconut oil. This blend can be used for massage as well as a mosturizing body oil. It makes a great hair oil too.

Oils can be therapeutic. They can benefit you as the receiver at a massage treatment or the person who uses it to mosturize your skin on a daily basis.

Why would you choose a natural oil for your black skin care regiment? When it's cold outside, that's a great time to use beautiful oils. Oils not only soften your skin, but they prevent fristion, promote smoothness, distribute heat evenly and provide lustre for your skin.

So the next time you're in the mood for something that's going to offer you the ability to moisturize and soften your skin, try a great oil combination of Jojoba, Coconut and Almond oil.

 

What Are Essential Oils and How Can They Help Our Beautiful Black Skin?

We've all experienced some type of skin challenges that send us running to the counter for that bottle of our favourite essential oil. Whether it's lavender or rose oil, sandalwood or frankincense, there's an essential oil to treat one or more of your skin challenges.

But what are essential oils?

Essential oils are the life force or the very "soul" of a plant. Each drop contain the plant hormones and organic chemical compounds that regenerate and give oxygen to your skin.

Most essential oils are steam distilled from flowers, roots, barks, leaves, resins or twigs and pressed from cirtus rinds.

With your skin being the largest organ of your body, it's all too important that you are very conscious of what you put on your skin. Your skin takes in and eliminates and it's a major part of your immunes system. It protects you from the elements and prevents harmful chemicals from entering your body.

Essential oils act as transporters that carry therapeutic benefits to the layers of your skin. They also improve your skin's condition by increasing your blood circulation. You can use essential oils as part of your daily black skin care regimen. Given the right oil for your skin type, it can act as your moisturizer or toner for your skin.

Essential oils are used in the complimentary or alternative healing form of Aromatherapy. Therefore you might want to consult with a Medical Doctore that understands and appreciates the use of Aromatherapy in the form of healing aid.

What can essential oils do for your beautiful black skin and what is the benefit of using them?

• Essential oils can penetrate the layers of your skin all the way down to the dermal layer. This is where new cells are formed.
• Essential oils affect your emotional and mental state in a positive way, therefore, they can alleviate stress related skin problems.
• Essential oils can stimulate and regenerate the production of healthy skin cells following burns, sun damage and in healing your wounds.
• Essential oils soothe sensitive and inflammed skin
• Essential oils contain plant hormones that help balance and remove hormonally related skin problems

A Word of Caution!

Essential oils are highly concentrated and must be used with caution. You must test each oil before you use it for potential allergic reactions.

Try this: Add 1 to 2 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of base oil in a smal bowl. Place a dab on your inner wrist, inside your upper arm, behind your ear or knee and wait for 12 to 24 hours. If you have no irritation, the this essential oil can be considered safe for you.

Note: A base/carrier oils is an oil that blends well with an essential oil and dilutes the essential oil that it may be skin ready. A good choice of base/carrier oils are avocado, hazelnut, jojoba and extra virgin olive oil.  These oils have great shelf life, do not become rancid and are great for your skin.

Essential Oils and Our Beautiful Black Skin

When considering oils for your beautiful black skin, essential oils in their purest form known as hydrosols or floral water are a great choice. Hydrosols are a pure, natural by product of the essential oil distillation process. These fragrant waters are saturated with water-soluble compounds present in the plants and they are gentle enough to use on your skin.

Floral waters are the easiest way to use essential oils on your skin. These waters have healing properties of oils and are very good for sensitive skins.

Hydrosols are great as toners, splashes and sprays that are soothing, hydrating and lightly moisturizing to your skin.

Lavender, Chamomile (German), Neroli or Orange Blossom and Rose Otto are at the top of the list when considering dydrosols for black skin.

Lavender is an essential oil that can be applied directly to your skin for most people. It's an exceptional oil for treating surface burns on your skin. You know the ones you get from flat irons and regular irons.

Healthy Juicing Recipe for Clear Skin

Juicing has become all the range in the past year or so. Thanks to documentaries I just researched such as Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Hungry for Change, more and more people are gradually seeing the importance of juicing organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Juicing is wonderful because most people don't get the required intake of fruits and vegetables daily and our bodies are suffering for it. Realistically, if the body tried to consume ALL the fruits and vegetables that is beneficial to it, the digestive system could go into overdrive from all the fibre. That is why juicing is so great - All the nutrinets, vitamins, and antioxidants are extracted from the produce without it iiritating your digestive tract by getting backed up by fibre. You can still eat regular fruits and veggies during the day to get your fibre intake, in addition to a variety of other foods, but juicing maximizes health with little downtime or irritation to your digestive tract. 
I made a new friend last month who has a very beautiful and youthful look and I was amazed at how old she is. She's also "team green" and she gave me insight into her beauty regimen and eating habits. She favours juicing a lot and won't stop talking about how her skin has become clearer, more youthful in appearance, and her notoriously dark circles has become lighter, in addition to bruising less. She said she juices every morning before eating so that her body can absorb all the amazing nutrients from the fruits and veggies first, before adding in whole grains and lean proteins throughout the day.
The trick to juicing is to minimize sugar because fruits contain a lot of sugar so she typically adds in only 1-2 different types of fruit per day. Below is the simplest juice she makes. It's amazing for your skin, body and overall health, Glycolic acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and Zinc are a small example of some of the amazing nutrients that come from this 1-1.5 large glass of juice. Double the ingredients if you're making for two people and enjoy!

Ingredients (All Organic, All the Time)
2 medium/large red or green apples
4 large carrots
1 cucumber
2 sticks of celery (some people don't like celery, so you can choose not to add this veggie)
6-8 leaves of kale (she got them from ShopRite)
1 cup of spinach
1/2 lemon
5 springs of Parsley

Juicing is so easy to do and between prepping the produce, juicing, and cleaning the maching, it takes only 10-15 minutes every morning to do. It's truly one of the best things you can do for your body and you will notice amazing results in a very short time. So what are you waiting for? Buy a juicer and start juicing immediately! You will be amazed with the results.

Clean Eating for Beautiful Skin

Clean eating, or eating  clean, has been a phrase that most of us are hearing almost daily. Does that mean you wash your food before you eat it? No. It is simply eating with cutting out all processed foods, fried foods, and food high in sugar, salt and fat, and eating things that are found in their natural state, like fruits and vegetables. It may sound impossible but it's not. Our bodies are made to be healthy and our bodies are at optimum health when we eat simply and live active lifestyles. Below are tips to help you change to clean eating mentality for your overall health, body and skin.

Drink Water - Cut out all unnatural drinks including juices from concentrates, soda, caffeinated drinks, etc. Sugary and caffeinated drinks are not good for you and will cause your skin and body to look and feel distressed and dehydrated. Opt for wateer. If you need some flavour, slice up a couple of lemon slices and add it to an ice cold glass of water. It will also help your skin colour even out and minimize acne.

Avoid Salt - Salt is not good for the body in high quantities and most of us consume too much salt and dont't even realize it. Salt is in everything that is processed so it's important to read labels before purchasing food. Even organic soups and such can have a high level of salt (sodium) so beware. The daily intake should be less than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day.

Whole Grains - Eat whole grains. Many foods say they are whole grain or whole wheat, but if you read the ingredients label, read enriched wheat flavour. If it says enriched, put it down! Only purchase foods that say whole wheat (not processed). Other delicious grains other than wheat include quinia and brown rice.

Eat Foods In Their Natural State - The less processed foods you eat, the better you will look and feel. Eat foods that are naturally ready to enjoy, that aren't sweetened or tainted with artificial look and flavour. This includes whole grain breads and crackers, quinoa, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. I know a lot of us will find it difficult  but if you want to add flavour to your food, avoid condiments like barbeque sauce, mayonnaise and ketchup and instead choose natural herbs and spices that give your food more flavour.
Eating clean is not difficult but does take some getting used to. If you are proactive about taking care of your body and health, it will take care of you and exude through your skin.

Being Happy With Who You Are!

I know it is tough just fully accepting who you are what you look like without constantly comparing yourself to others. The media makes it especially tough with all the beautiful (AIRBRUSHED!) photos of women and men on television, in magazines, and on film. But this much is true- no one is perfect. We all have imperfections and things we would like to change or improve about ourselves. So, how can you find a balance of changing the things about yourself that do are able to do in a healthy manner, without losing yourself or missing out on this beautiful and brief thing called life? Also, not stressing about things you have no control over is actually better for your skin and overall health!

MEDITATE
Find time in your day, even if it is just fifteen minutes, to turn off your phone, computer, television, iPad, e.t.c and just lay in silence to allow your brain and body to just relax. Studies have found that if you meditate every day for a few minutes, you are more in tune with yourself and are generally happier as well. This time in silence is great for reflecting on all the wonderful blessings you have been given in life such as your health, your family and or friends, where you live (if it's some amazing location!), or if you really excel at a certain skill and most importantly the gift of life!

FOCUS
Focus on what is really important in life as opposed to comparing yourself to others and wishing you were someone else. It is definitely not easy if you are struggling with acne but honestly, it is temporary and things will get better. In the meantime, spend time with those that life you up and make you happy, exercise, eat healthy, travel, read great books, go shopping with friends, and enjoy life to the fullest... it doesn't last forever so make it count!

SMILE
Studies find it that if you smile often, you will actually become happier! Smiling not only make you feel happier, it also is contagious and others will not be able to help but smile back at you! Smiling faces are also much more beautiful than sad and frowning faces. So, if you are sad about your acne or scaring or a particular skin problem, we promise that smiling will take away attention from your skin and instead people will be focused on your radiating happiness!
The power of positive thinking is truly amazing. It is definitely not easy at first, but you can actually train your brain to think happy thoughts. If you remind yourself every day about ow good of a person you are, remind yourself of all your positive qualities, intentionally rid your mind of negative thinking and make firm decision to stop comparing yourself to others, in just a couple weeks (if not sooner!) you will become a more genuinely happy person that is content with who you were created to be.
Do not focus to much on outer beauty. Inner beauty is what truly counts and will radiate through to your outer beauty... You are amazing - Remember that!

Recipes: Oatmeal, Honey & Yogurt Face Mask

Oatmeal can be considered a healthy choice for breakfast because it is low in fat and calories, and it is filled with many antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Also, because Oatmeal is a whole grains, it is high in fibre and retains most nutrients. So, what else is this natural substance good for?

Well, it turns out that Oatmeal can also do wonders for a dull complexion. What is more, Oatmeal is incredibly cheap and wonderfully versatile, helping to draw impurities out of the skin and adding a natural glow to the complexion. 

Oatmeal can be incorporated into your natural beauty routine in a number of ways, and perhaps the easiest way to treat your skin is with an Oatmeal face ask. Oatmeal can be mixed with various ingredients to handle a number of skin conditions. To give your skin a treat, and to maintain the natural beauty and glow of your skin, an Oatmeal, Honey & Yogurt Face Mask will give any expensive store bought product a run for its money, and the face mask is one hundred percent natural.


Homemade Beauty Recipe for you to try:
1/4 Cup Oatmeal
1/4 Cup Water
2 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp honey

1. Either use finely ground oatmeal, or grind the oatmeal yourself to achieve a fine consistency.
If the oatmeal is not fine enough, the mask will be lumpy and difficult to apply.
2. Warm the water, honey and yogurt until it is slightly warm-comfortable enough to apply to your skin.
3. Mix in the oatmeal until you achieve a smooth consistency which is thick enough to stick to the skin.
4. Apply to the face while it is still warm. The honey can make this mask quite sticky and gooey, so be sure to tie hair out of the way.
5. Leave on the skin for about 15 minutes and then wash off thoroughly. Your skin will feel wonderful!

*Note: As an alternative to the Honey,you can use mashed up Avocado as it is excellent for healing sun damaged and treating dry skin. Also make sure you use plain Oatmeal because the Flavoured Oatmeal may contain preservatives or artificial flavours or colours.

Recipes: Easy Homemade Deep Conditioners for Heat Damaged Hair

So you went to the hair salon to get your hair done and your hair was bombarded with curling irons, flat irons and hair dryers. Lets see, that's heat..and heat...and more heat.
We all know the damage that heat can have on our hair, causing damage and breakage. A trend that has been around for a while now is the use of  "heat protectant" prior to heat treatments. While the use of heat protectant may help, your hair is still susceptible to the high temperatures of these styling tools.

With all that said, you still want to use your flat irons because there's no other way to get your hair to lay just flat. I know, I know and I get it. What's important is that you make effort to counter the effects of the constant application of heat to your hair. All of that heat causes lack of moisture, which leads to dry and brittle hair. The best way to revive damaged hair and maintain healthy hair is to get familiar with deep conditioners.

Let take a look at some homemade recipes for Deep Conditioners-

Mayonnaise:
Mayonnaise is a well known hair revitalizer. You would rub the mayonnaise into your wet hair after shampooing  and let it set in for 15-20 minutes with a shower cap or plastic bag. Rinse out with warm water. This will condition your hair leaving it stronger, healthier and full of moisture.

Coconut Milk & Lemons:
If your dry hair has left you with a bad case of hair frizzies, try out this Coconut Milk and Lemon conditioner.
Start by mixing a cup of Coconut Milk with a tablespoon of Lemon and warming the mixture to a lukewarm temperature. Rub this mixture into your hair an scalp, leave on for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water. This treatment can be used on wet or dry hair as a pre-shampoo or post-shampoo conditioner. Your frizzy hair should now be soft and smooth.

Egg & Honey:
Eggs have a high sulphur content with can help you grow your hair longer and stronger. For this deep conditioner, beat or scramble two eggs, and whisk in one table spoon of honey. This mixture is to be used on damp or wet hair. Rub the mixture into your hair and scalp, and cover with a shower cap. Let it set in for 20 minutes and rinse. This will give gloss to your hair and add nice volume.

Deep conditioners will not only lessen split ends and hair breakage, but also revive the life of your hair. These conditioners will help give shape, body and volume to your hair. Try one of these treatments or try all three, at different times of course. As with any hair care regiment, it may take two or three treatments before you see the results that you desire. Don't give up! You can get that strong and healthy hair you've always wanted using the natural hair care remedies.

ARE YOU READY FOR A NATURAL REVOLUTION?

Have you ever contemplated going "natural" i.e going back to your Afro textured roots? Are you "relaxed" and have wanted to go back to being "natural" but are worried about what your natural curls will look like and how they will be received? Perhaps you have even tried going "natural" and ended up going back to relaxers because your natural curls was "tough", "difficult to manage" or "too high maintenance"? You could also be a veteran (i.e. been natural for years) and are a it bored and need a change or you would like to improve your lifestyle by adopting healthier habits for your beauty, nutrition and fitness regimens?
Regardless of which category you fall into in respect of the above questions, this blog will have something for everyone. There is a global revolution that is gaining momentum concerning women's lifestyles and regimens. Think Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" video and the soldiers (or comrades as I would call them) are shaking their Afros in the wind whilst marching along mixing up Shea butter/coconut oil mixtures and juggling a bottle of water at the same time. This is a natural revolution and you should be part of it!
For black women, it has been the norm for decades to "relax" their hair. "Relaxing" is the process by which a cream is applied to curly-textured hair in order to straighten the curls. The cream used to straighten the curls will either be a lye relaxer (containing sodium hydroxide) or a "no-lye" relaxer (using a slightly weaker alkaline agent being potassium hydroxide  lithium hydroxide, guanide hydroxide or ammonium thioglycolate,the latter being used for permanent waves,commonly known as "perms"). The work of the relaxer is to alter the hair texture by a process of controlled damage to the protein structure of the hair shaft. The reason being relaxers was to provide "soft and manageable" hair, as Afro textured hair was, and continue to be viewed in some quarters , as "tough" and "difficult to manage"
However, there are many risks associated with relaxers including breakage, alopecia and even Uterine Leiomyomata (fibroid inside the uterus). Nevertheless, there are societal pressures to maintain a certain look and image, including the way we wear our hair(who could forget Chris Rock's surprisingly pseudo-documentary, and the opinions expressed therein-"Good Hair"?). But over the decade, black women all over the world are abandoning the relaxers in droves to embrace their natural curls, kinks and coils.  In fact, the numbers are so large that the hair industry has woken up to this fact and has bee forced to respond appropriately. Numerous companies have sprung up to cater for naturalistas including Carol's Daughter, Miss Jessie's and Shea Moisture  whilst long-established relaxer companies like Dark & Lovely and Soft Sheen Carson have recently launched product lines/ranges specially targeting women wearing their hair in natural Afro-textured state.

Some Beauty Tips for a Black Woman

Here are usually some makeup tips for black women in the best cosmetics artists close to:

• Choose the best foundation. There are usually two things that you need to make note of while deciding on your groundwork: your type of skin and your undertones.

• Women of shade should try to look natural if they apply cosmetics. Remember – it’s cosmetics not battle paint.

• Blending is usually a must for every single cosmetic you have. Whether you’re utilizing eye darkness or groundwork, making sure that it must be seamless will give your makeup the right look that deserves.

• Although black women’s pores and skin defies getting older, spots are another thing mature pores and skin will demonstrate. In of which case, one of many important makeup tips for black ladies older women want to know of is to apply concealer through day as well as fight people spots together with creams through night.

• Makeup foundation artists love the fact black ladies have yummy lips. However, in their particular lists associated with makeup tips for black ladies, they prefer that women of shade use gloss rather than lipstick. Yet in the event women desire to emphasize on their other facial features, experts declare that they choose lipstick hues that accentuate their undertones.

• Speaking of lips,dark women don’t want to line their particular lips with black. This will appear unattractive and may not boost your lips in addition to proper lips liner.

• An additional product specialists prefer making use of on dark women will be the bronzer. Blush is great, but bronze on dark cheekbones is usually a better choice.

PERFUME TIPS

Perfume is used to give the human body a pleasant  scent. Perfume initially  was designed to be worn by a lady to make her smell good and feel good, but now both men and women wear perfume.

1. Not every perfume would suit every one, the good way to test a perfume is on your skin. Before you buy it test the perfume on your skin and leave it for several hours to see if the scent will be suitable with your body chemistry, if it will be ok  buy it.
2. Make sure the perfume you are wearing should not make others uncomfortable, too much or heavy perfume can give people nausea, headache, allergy, mood swings etc. it might not affect you but it may affect people around you.
3. Invest on quality perfume.
4. For longer lasting scent don't wear a perfume on a dry skin, moisturizer your body right after shower, then wear you perfume.
5. Apply you perfume on bare skin not to clothing, and apply it away from jewelry because it will cause stains on the fabrics and on your jewelry.
6. Apply the perfume on pulse points, on  wrists, throat, the inner parts of knee and elbow, where it will stay warm and the scent last longer.
7. Skip the perfume for job interviews, doctor's appointment,or if you are having a surgery or X-rays.

Oprah Winfrey: Black Woman For Today

Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty in the rural south and has overcome adversity that most people never know. She has built a personal brand as a caring, aunthentic, sincere, inspiring, and spiritual person who strives for meaning in all she pursues. Her talent and authenticity have brought her not only wealth, but also fame and power. She uses her power of influence to make the world a better place. Her philanthropic work has become legendary, and her spiritual influence is such that in 2002,  Christianity  Today wrote about " The church of O".

She continues to be true  to her brand and lead her life based on her deep values to serve humanity. Oprah has been called the most influential woman and the most influential black person of her generation. Her brand is so powerful that her influence is called the Oprah Effect. Much like a halo effect, everything she endorses or believes immediately becomes popular among her millions of followers.

Oprah consistently lives her brand by emotionally connecting to her audience and making values based -choices. She has triumphed adversity and exudes the strength of human spirit. Her greatest gift is  that she leads by example and encourages others to live their best selves.

Food for Thought (NEVER ASSUME)

 

“Never assume that the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are. Some people are slow to take offense, which may make you misjudge the thickness of their skin, and fail to worry about insulting them. But should you offend their honor and their pride, they will overwhelm you with a violence that seems sudden and extreme given their slowness to anger. If you want to turn people down, it is best to do so politely and respectfully, even if you feel their request is impudent or their offer ridiculous.” 

― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

BEAUTY TIPS FOR BLACK WOMEN

Black is beautiful and everyone loves that sun-kissed tone. The flawless and dusky radiance just enchants the viewers. It gets noticed more if taken care a bit. Just keep it as simple and natural to be yourself. Nude and transparent make up would speak out effortlessly and they look the best on a darker complexion.

Just besides regular cleaning, moisturizing and sun-screening, beauty with black skin needs to pamper it with plentiful water, exercise and healthy food. Milk and whole grain cereals being good for glowing skin, you should include honey and yoghurt as a regular diet regime.

Remember to use a sunscreen with SPF 15. As spots stand out more in such complexion, you must use spot-concealers to hide away those dark spots. Never apply the foundation throughout your face. Instead highlight the most attractive feature to grab attention. Shades such as purple, mauve and dark pink which blend with the skin tone are the best to be given a shot. Use a blush of darker shade than your skin shade; it would add luster and smoothing hue to your skin tone.

Use lipstick of matte finish rather than glossy one. While coffees, nude pinks, burgundy and chocolate lip colors suit your skin tone; shades like browns and plums just look stunning on your features. Go for a liquid foundation as it is best suited for your skin type. Distilled water should be mixed well before applying over the face and contours. Mascara with natural colour is preferable. Eyeliner should be grey or brown. Apply some translucent powder on your eye shadow for subtleness and silky effect. For highlighting your cheek bones, opt a bronzer rather than a blusher.

Just the little efforts putting in right place makes you admiringly noticeable!

Source:www.digiparagon.com

You are what you DRINK! (10 Reasons Why You Should Drink Lemon Water in the Morning)

The way your skin looks is as a result of what you feeds it with. This morning, we'll look at 10 reasons why you should drink lemon water in the morning for a beautiful and healthy skin. By drinking lemon water first thing in the morning, you will be able to not only give your digestive system a little kick start, but you will also benefit from a whole list of health related bonuses. Listed below are the amazing benefits that come along with drinking just one cup of hot lemon water each morning. It’s as simple as boiling a pot of water, and adding a slice of lemon!

Good for stomach - Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, h...eartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.

Excellent for Skin Care- Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads.
Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.

Aids in Dental Care- Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. Itgives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums.
Cures Throat Infections- Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently.

Good for Weight Loss- One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster,thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well.

Controls High Blood Pressure- Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression.

Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders- Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems,
along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma.

Good for treating Rheumatism- Lemon is also a diuretic and hence lemon water can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body.

Reduces Fever- Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.

Acts as a blood purifier The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier.

Make drinking lemon water a regular habit, go ahead and swap out the daily cup of java for a nice hot cup of lemon water. You will see and feel the power of the lemon’s in little to no time.

Dark Skin

Dark skin is a naturally occurring human skin colour rich in eumelanin pigments and having a darkcolour. People with very dark skin are often referred to as black, although this usage can be ambiguous in some countries where it is also used to specifically refer to different ethnic groups or populations. Humans with dark skin pigmentation have skin naturally rich in melanin (especially eumelanin), and have more melanosomes which provide a superior protection against the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation. This helps the body to retain its folate reserves and protects against damage to the DNA.

Dark skin offers great protection against UVR because of its eumelanin contect, its superb UVR-absorbing capabilites of large melanosomes, and because eumelanin can be mobilized faster and brought to the surface of the skin from the deeps of the epidermis. Melanin is nature’s gift to people in tropical latitudes and desert regions, where ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most intense. Melanin acts as a protective shield against sunburn, sun damage, skin cancer and even sun-related aging such as wrinkles. But there is a darker side to melanin. For example, the cells that produce melanin can become overactive and produce excess pigment. And melanin may rebel against the wrong products. In both cases, your skin can develop a discoloration that can stick around for months or years. To help preserve the smooth, rich tone of your dark skin, it helps to understand the challenges your skin faces.

Black,Beautiful and African....This is the place to be!

I want to officially welcome all my fellow black,beautiful,bold and proud women of colour to my blog. My name is Ayowunmi Otubanjo. Most of my friends call me Mina. I was born with a black skin tone and over time,I have learnt to love my skin the best and natural way possible. It is usually perceived that black skinned women are insecured about their skin tone and as a result of this, they bleach their skins. At a point, I felt this way too. 
Luckily for me, I stumbled on various ways of taking care of my black skin naturally and there has been no going back. I can proudly say I am BLACK & BEAUTIFUL! As a result of my passion for natural ways of maintaining the beautiful black skin, I have decided to have a personal blog that address black skin and the best and natural ways to maintain its beauty and glow. We'll be sharing wonderful tips, natural products, home-made remedies and healthy lifestyle that is beneficial to the black skin.