The superfood that gives you amazing skin

Hello again lovelies,

One of the best ways to achieve good skin is through proper diet. Clean eating has a huge impact on the way that our skin looks, and without question, there are certain foods that I have noticed to have a huge positive effect on my skin. One of those happens to be a superfood powder known as maca.

Maca, also known as peruvian ginseng, is an adaptogen, so therefore it does wonders for regulating your hormones. A huge culprit of acne or troubled skin is irregular hormones. If our hormones are out of whack, our skin will be too. That’s why going on the birth control pill works so well at clearing up acne; It helps to regulate your hormones. Maca helps to balance you in a completely natural way, so if you’re having skin issues (particularly around your chin and jaw area) maybe give maca powder a try.

Yes, it is a little bit steep in price, but I feel like it’s truly worth it. It’s not only amazing for your skin, it’s also great for your general health and energy levels.

My favourite ways to consume maca is either in my morning green smoothies or in my coffee. It has a somewhat honeycomb type of taste that may take some time getting used to, but I’m at the stage where I really enjoy the taste and actually crave it.

Have you tried maca before? 🙂

Love,

Tabitha

The best ways to remove ice pick scars

Hello all!

Today I wanted to talk about a skin issue that many of us have and struggle to completely eliminate. There’s no doubt that acne sucks, but what sucks even more than actual pimples is the remnants said pimples leave behind. For many individuals, the aftermath of zits can lead to a dark mark. Don’t get me wrong, post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation is never fun, but after a few months, it will eventually fade. For those of us who endure more severe acne, something far worse can be left behind in the form of textural scars. One of the most common types of texture scars is ice pick scars, which looks like little indentations in your skin. As someone who suffers from this type of scarring, I can honestly say that these are far more difficult to get rid of. So how can these be treated?

1. Microneedling – It’s a medical procedure that involves a pen with tiny needles that puncture your skin. The purpose here is to cause trauma to your skin and trick it into regenerating and thus heal itself. It WORKS. Make sure that if you get it done by a professional though. And be warned; it does hurt.
2. Collagen supplements – I gave this a try for a month and I surprisingly saw a very distinct difference. My skin looked plumper and overall a lot healthier. It really helped to fill in my scars internally.
3. Laser treatments – This is the go-to treatment for correcting ice pick scarring. It’s effective, but also very costly. I haven’t tried it personally, but I’ve heard first hand from others that it did amazing things for their skin (and scarring).
4. Peels – If your scarring isn’t very deep, peels are one for the best treatments for healing those shallow scars. There are various types of peels, from glycolic to fruit enzyme, and all work wonders. They’re also amazing for evening out your skin tone.

Ice pick scars are definitely more difficult to treat, and the reality of the situation is that you more than likely have to turn to professional help if you want to treat them completely. Do your research and stay positive! There is sure to be a solution out there to give you your best skin possible.

Love, Tabitha

How I deal with Skin irritations

Hello Lovelies,

Seeing as I am one of those individuals who is allergic to the world and everything that resides in it, it’s inevitable that I tend to suffer from skin irritations from time to time. I can honesty say that there is nothing worse; it attacks your self-esteem far worse than a few zits ever could, and it’s also incredibly uncomfortable. I WISH I was one of those lucky few who suffered through sneezing or watering eyes.

These types of skin irritations can be hard to treat, so the first thing I do is ensure that I eliminate whatever could be causing these irritations. For instance, I’m very sensitive to certain foods. Because I have ragweed allergies, I can’t so much as touch chamomile, bananas or melons. Avocados are also problematic for me. During the winter, I find that I am perfectly fine if I eat avocados a few times a week, but during the summer, I’m insanely sensitive to them. Eating them usually results in red, flaking skin around my mouth. Not cute. So as much as it pains me, I cut out avocados from my diet during these warmer months. So stay away from whatever your trigger is.

My next piece of advice is to find a gentle moisturizer to help these irritations heal. Maybe something calming, like aloe vera, or an organic plant oil; I’m really loving Marula and Argan oil at the moment. I find keeping things simple and natural really does your skin a lot of good.

If you are prone to irritations on your body, I highly suggest wearing cotton clothes and avoiding synthetic materials like polyester.

Also be careful when it comes to what you are using to wash your face. Please use a gentle cleanser, preferably something that is sulfate, paraben and synthetic fragrance free.

Lastly, this one kinda sucks, but maybe try avoiding makeup until these irritations heal. Makeup will only aggravate your skin and make things worse. So unless you have very pure, organic makeup, put down that beauty blender. (Which doesn’t mean you can’t jazz up your eyes or lips 🙂 Just avoid face products!)

These are definitely my go-to tips when it comes to clearing up skin irritations. Just remember that irritated skin is sensitive skin; be gentle! If you suffer from them as well, what works for you??

Love,

Tabitha

 

 

Why Gentle Cleansers Are Best

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to talk about probably the most crucial step in skincare: cleansing.

Cleansing is the most important step because all other skincare is pretty much useless if you apply it to dirty skin. It’s like a blank slate for your skin. You get to start fresh every morning and night, wash off all that grime and dirt and pollution and give your skin some love. All those serums and moisturizers are indeed chockfull of amazing ingredients, but they need a clean, clarified surface in order to penetrate. This is why the double cleansing method has become such a craze. Clean skin = healthy, glowing skin.

We need to ensure we’re giving our skin a deep clean every day, but I still think it’s important to remember that we don’t want to strip or irritate our skin either. For that reason, I prefer to use gentle cleansers. Gentle cleansers are great because they won’t disrupt your skin’s PH, and they’ll keep your skin in a calm and happy state.

Yes, they’re not always the best at removing your makeup, but thats what cleansing balms and micellar waters exist for.

Harsher cleansers, such an exfoliating cleansers or cleansers targeted for acne are great once in a while, but I don’t believe that they should be used for everyday use. I was once using this crazy charcoal based cleanser (which was all natural), and it contained some pretty astringent ingredients and essential oils, like peppermint. That first night i used it, I was convinced it was a miracle, but with continued use my skin became so red and irritated. Because my skin was so stressed out, it became to overproduce oil, thus causing it to break out even more.

This is why I only stick to gentle cleansers. Also, if I happen to work out in the middle of the day and need to shower, I don’t have to worry about the repercussions of a third cleanse. My skin just stays calm and happy.

If you still have those treatment cleansers that you love, you can and should absolutely still use them, but perhaps only once or twice a week. Your skin will thank you, I promise.

So what constitutes a gentle cleanser?

I say anything mild. Cleansers with short ingredient lists, that are fragrance free and not full of crazy chemicals.

Here are some recommendations for gentle cleansers:

1. Good ol’ Cetaphil.
2. This one by Marcelle. (My current obsession).
3. Clinique‘s Classic.
4. Paula’s choice (this one has rave reviews on the internet).
5. la Roche Posay (this brand can do no wrong in my eyes).
6. Equate‘s dupe for the Clinique. (Just as fab, just way cheaper).

Hope you find your perfect gentle cleanser! 🙂

Love,

Tabitha

 

 

The Tea Series: Spearmint Tea = Zit-Free Skin

Hello, Lovelies,

In my last instalment of the tea series, I will be singing the praises of my ride or die tea; spearmint tea. If you deal with acne and troubled skin, this is the tea for you.

Spearmint tea is one of the most effective remedies for troubled skin because of all the mint varieties, it is the most potent in killing bacteria (the stuff that causes skin ailments). So while peppermint is wonderful, spearmint is especially good if you’re drinking it as a way to alleviate skin troubles. It is incredibly anti-inflammatory, making it great for individuals who also suffer from red skin or rosacea. It is a very cooling herb, making it comfortable for everyone to drink. I say that because I went through a phase where I had really bad allergies and reactions to everything; I had just went vegan and my system was so out of balance. I would eat healthy foods like sweet potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes and avocado and my face would feel inflamed after and it was driving me absolutely insane. It was the craziest thing. Most teas were so hot and warming that they made me feel like I was on fire, and the only tea I could drink was mint tea. It not only helped to alleviate my symptoms, it would literally always soothe and cool my entire body down. (I started eating meat after three years of veganism and my body is far happier and more balanced. I don’t eat dairy or gluten though).

So with all that being said, mint tea has a very special place in my heart, and spearmint is easily my favourite kind of mint. If you find peppermint sharp, I definitely still recommend trying spearmint; it’s way more mellow. Plus those skin benefits make it worth it. If you have persistent acne, I suggest drinking two cups a day. An editor from Byrdie (an awesome beauty blog if you haven’t already seen it) drank two cups a day and claimed that her skin GLOWED. Check out her post here.

This is the one I always buy.

BTW it’s also amazing cooled down with some added stevia. Tastes like a mint ice tea. 🙂

If you missed them, be sure to check out my other post in the tea series on turmeric tea and green tea.

Love,

Tabitha

 

The Tea Series: Green Tea = Clear Skin

Hello lovelies,

In my last post, I raved about the wonders turmeric tea has worked on my skin. It truly is my favourite tea of the moment, but due to it being a herbal tea, it’s one I typically like to consume at night or after dinner.

In the morning however, I need something that will give me a little bit of a caffeine kick. Something that will perk me up without making me jittery like coffee (which is why I only have coffee once in a while lol). So of course, I choose to drink green tea.

Just looking at this picture makes me want some….

Green tea is a renowned health beverage for a reason. It’s a potent antioxidant, making it very effective in delaying signs of aging by warding off free radicals. It is also very cleansing for the body, and contains many anti-inflammatory properties, making it amazing for both achieving and maintaining clear skin. I drink one or two cups in the morning almost every day.

This infographic – found on Visual.ly by restlesscookie shows how many crazy health benefits green tea has to offer. 

If you really want to shake things up, and make your tea even more powerful, you can do two things.

One – Try adding in the juice of half a lemon to your tea, or even just a few wedges. It’ll up the vitamin C content, and make the drink even more cleansing.

Two – give matcha tea a try. Rather than soaking the green tea leaves the way you do with conventional tea, you consume the whole leaf (matcha tea is green tea leaves ground up into a fine powder), so it becomes ten times more potent. It also gives you a stronger caffeine boost. This stuff is absolutely delicious as a latte made with your preferred plant milk.

If you want to reap even more benefits of green tea, try using it topically. You can add it to a face mask, steam your face with it, or (my favourite) use it as a toner. You can make one batch a week, and it’s seriously amazing on your skin. I find it very calming, and it really helps to reduce redness and effectively heal blemishes in a gentle way. It’s also super cheap to make.

Green tea is truly amazing, and I highly suggest giving it a try, whether you choose to drink it or use it topically on your face! Or hey, why not try both? 🙂

Love,

Tabitha

The Tea Series: Turmeric Tea = Calm Skin

Hello Lovelies,

When it comes to hot beverages, they say that you’re either a coffee drinker or a tea drinker. Well guys, let me tell you; as much as I love treating myself to a coffee once or twice a week, I am firmly on team tea. I drink approximately four cups of tea a day, no joke. I adore tea, and I am constantly trying new kinds. So many people believe tea is boring because they never deviate from the standard orange pekoe or green tea. I used to have that same mindset until I started broadening my tea collection.

For instance…

I discovered how tasty mint tea was.

When I was introduced to tulsi chai tea, my world was never the same.

Ginger tea also turned out to be fab.

So if you’re one of those people that think tea is boring, I highly urge you to try different varieties and flavours. Some have different plant and fruit extracts that can make all the difference. Certain tea blends are seriously genius.

I truly do love all kinds of tea, but the one I’ve been reaching for the most lately?

Turmeric Cinnamon tea.

Not only is it delicious (when I make it with my usual stevia and almond milk), it’s also an absolute powerhouse when it comes to skin health.

Turmeric has been used for centuries as a medicinal spice due to its strong anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is very high in curcumin, which has been proven to delay aging. In fact, its anti-inflammatory powers are as strong as some drugs. When your body is in a state of inflammation, it exacerbates common skin ailments like acne, eczema and rosacea. I’ve really noticed huge difference with my increased consumption of this spice. I even bought the actual spice to add the quinoa or brown rice which is super tasty.

One quick note though; in order for turmeric to be most effective, it should be consumed with black pepper; the pepper makes it easier for your body to absorb the curcumin. The tea I buy has turmeric, cinnamon as well as black pepper, making it perfect. When I cook with turmeric I just make sure to add a dash of pepper.

This is the kind I buy – It’s DELICIOUS

I believe that turmeric is truly a power spice that everyone can benefit from. It’s so good fro your health as well as your skin! If tea isn’t up your ally, definitely try cooking with this golden spice; and if you hate the flavour, there are always supplements.

Is there a particular food or tea that you guys feel works wonders on your skin internally?

Love,

Tabitha

 

Some Quick Remedies for Eczema

Hello lovelies,

I have suffered from eczema all my life.

During the winter is when it flares up the most. The air is dry, and the cold weather instantly leads to dry, flaky, irritated skin. My mom has the same issue. so I assume that it’s genetic. Me having eczema was probably inevitable, but that doesn’t mean that I stop searching for the best products to keep it at bay. Through trial and error, I have found a couple select products that have worked wonders. Seriously, these have proven to be overnight miracles. So, if you suffer from eczema as well, I hope that maybe one of these products will help you out as well! Okay, here we go.

Coconut oil.

This is probably my favourite thing to use on irritated skin. Heck, I slathered some on a flare-up last night (from the extreme wind) and I woke up this morning with my skin almost perfectly smooth again. It’s all natural, and is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, which makes it amazing for your skin. I do want to forewarn you though; many individuals find coconut oil to be pore-clogging, so maybe only apply a little to a small section of skin to make sure that you can tolerate it. If you can, its awesome stuff. You can find a bunch of different brands from any grocery or wellness store. Some beauty brands even have their own as well.

Second. Cicalfate cream from the french pharmacy brand Avene.

It contains the emollient mineral oil with thermal spring water and zinc. This is honestly such a power combo because it’s moisturizing and ultra healing. I’ve used this stuff all over my face and it works brilliantly. It’s also great for dry, cracked hands, elbows and knees.

Last. Shea Butter.

I love to get pure Shea butter from the brand L’Occitane (their Shea butter is the smoothest) and it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s so thick and moisturizing, and has so many different healing properties. It’s also one of my favourite lip products.

So, if you have been suffering from dry and/or eczema-prone skin, I highly recommend trying out one of these three products. Of the hundreds (no joke) that I’ve tried, to me, these are the creme de’ la creme.

Love,

Tabitha

 

Guys Jojoba Oil Rocks

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to give a shoutout to one if my favourite natural beauty finds. Lately I’ve been trying to find a way to go more natural. My issue is that I have crazy ragweed allergies, which makes me incredibly sensitive to all sorts of different plant extracts. Ragweed is related to the astercae plant family, which means that chamomile, calendula, daisy and feverfew (to name a few) are all off limits for me. Believe me I’ve tried, and all it resulted in was red angry skin.

So instead of reading through mile long ingredient lists and googling any scientific plant name that I don’t know (although I actually know a ton at this point haha), I feel like its probably safer to just stick to products that have only a few ingredients, or better yet, one. Which is how I came to discover jojoba oil.

It was an oil that I had heard lot about. Many say that its a wonderful natural moisturizer, especially for those of us with oily or combination skin because it mimics our skins natural sebum layer, so it helps to balance our skin. So I tried it out, and guys, let me tell you. It’s fabulous. If you want basic, moisturizing goodness, don’t hesitate. Go out and buy some now, and your skin will thank you. It’s natural, while also being inexpensive, making it perfect for low-maintenance girls on a  budget. It also works well as a body moisturizer, and on your hair. It’s even awesome for your cuticles! It’s seriously one of those products that has endless uses.

I love this one as well as this one. Of course there are tons of organic beauty brands that carry their own jojoba oil, so it’s not difficult to get a hold of in the least.

Also, if you want a list of more skincare must haves for a basic skincare routine be sure to check out my last post here.

Until next time!

Love, Tabitha.

Essential No-Nonsense Skin Care Products for busy Gals

Hello Lovelies,

Sometimes its hard to determine what is essential to your beauty routine and what isn’t. There are so many different skin care products on the market today; new innovative products that look intriguing but may not be worth it in the long run. Maintaining a complicated beauty routine is not only time-consuming, it’s also expensive. Using too many products could also potentially lead to irritation and stress your skin, which is ultimately counterintuitive to what we’re all trying to achieve here. Truth is, sometimes it’s far more beneficial for your skin to keep things simple and let your skin do its thing.

If you’re in this same mainframe, great. Now, we simply need to determine what products are must haves and what products you need to ditch. This could be different for everyone, but hopefully hearing the things that I find essential will help you in constructing your own no nonsense skincare routine.

Okay, so first of all. Cleanser.

This one is common sense. You need a cleanser to was away all the dirt, makeup and pollution that permeates your pores on a daily basis. Clean skin is healthy skin, so be sure to find a good gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin (sulphate-free is best). If you’re sensitive, try and look for one that is also fragrance-free, like Cetaphil, Cerave, Clinique or Glossier’s Milky Jelly.

Moving along. Moisturizer is also a must.

I believe that everyone should use moisturizer. Even oily skin needs moisturizer. It keeps your skin hydrated and balanced, and protects your skin from aging. Drier skin types should go for richer formulas enriched with emollients like shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil, whereas oily skin types should search for gel creams to keep things lighter. Moisturizers are great because certain ones are also multi-tasking. If you are looking to correct a certain skin issue, look for a moisturizer that contains ingredients that help to improve that condition. If you want a moisturizer that brightens your skin, try one that’s vitamin C infused. If you want one with antioxidants, look for ingredients like vitamin E and green tea. If your skin is dry and flaky, try to use one that contains a small percentage of glycolic acid to help gently exfoliate your skin. If dehydration is your problem, search for hyaluronic acid. The possibilities are endless.

Lastly, the most important step. Sunscreen.

This is an absolute essential. If you want to have healthy skin, you must protect it from the sun. Failure to use SPF can lead to wrinkles and sun damage (not to mention skin cancer). Please, please, please never leave your house without sunscreen. Just don’t do it. SPF 30 is ideal for everyday use.

And there you have it guys! Those are the three things that I believe are essential to a basic skincare routine. This is great for busy girls, or even young preteens just beginning to take care of their skin. In a world filled with endless serums, essences, eye creams, oils and exfoliants, just remember that the basics are the basics for a reason, and that sometimes simplicity is highly underrated.

Love,

Tabitha