What Are Your Pimples Telling You?

Hey nuggets, today I wanted to share acne face mapping with you all. Face mapping is entering modern clinics with blazing popularity, and has its roots from ancient Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. Using the technique of face mapping you can pinpoint the cause of your acne depending on where it exists. 

I really like this idea because it treats acne from the inside. It'll not only help blemishes, but also improve your whole well being. Natural and everything. Count me in. XD

Here are some changes you can make using face mapping:

Upper Forehead:  linked to Digestive System

• Antioxidant foods
• Less processed foods, control fat in diet
  

Lower Forehead: irregular sleeping, stress

• Sleep earlier (ideally before 11pm), wakeup earlier
• Meditate, deeper breaths

Between the Brows: linked to Liver

• Adequate sleep (to rest liver)
• Lighter foods: avoid alcohol, foods high in fat
  
• Avoid late night snacks (again for that liver)

Nose: linked to Heart

• Check blood pressure and Vitamin B levels
• Lower cholesterol (eat good fats like omega 3 in nuts, avocados, fish)
• Less pungent food, less salt and meat

Ears: linked to Kidney

• Drink more water
• Less salt and caffeine

Cheeks: linked to Lungs/ Respiratory System

• Check allergies
• Avoid smoking,

Mouth and Center Chin: linked to Stomach

• Eat fresh food, high fibers

Sides of Chin: Reproductive Organs and Kidney

• Hormonal Imbalance and Menstrual Cycle huge factors
• Relax, eat foods that help balance hormones

Natural Acne Fighter: The Tomato

Hey gals, looking for a natural way to improve your skin? Well a tomato could be your best friend.  

Free radicals are one of the root causes of acne: they breakdown protein and fatty acids on the skin, disturb skin's pH, and harms sebaceous glands. And tomatoes, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants (carotene, lycopene, anthocynanin), break down these horrible free radicals. Physically applied to the skin, they act not only as acne fighters, but also as astringents and sun burn treatments. 

 I used to have a DIY Acne phase where I'd use all kinds of natural treatments for my stubborn pimples. And tomatoes have helped my skin the most. I used a tomato mask every day for a week, and saw instant improvement. 

Here's how I use it:

1) Cut a slice of tomato, and smear the juice on my face

2) Leave for about an hour. Yes ONE WHOLE HOUR. I find it works best this way because the tomato juice absorbs into the skin and does its thing.  

And by the way, I have combination skin: oily t-zone, blackheads & frequent clogging in my nose, but rather normal skin on my cheeks. I usually get acne on my forehead, between the eyebrows, and have redness around my nose. Since everyone has different types of skin, what works for me may not work for you. 

But you'll never know if you don't try it ;)  Let me know your experience with tomatoes in the comment section below!

Sunscreen101: What Broad Spectrum Really Means

 A lot of brands like to flaunt the fact that their sunscreen is a "broad spectrum" sunscreen, oh how fancy. But what does broad spectrum even mean?? Well you're in for a treat because I'm going to demystify this mysterious label for you guys :)

UV stands for Ultraviolet radiation, which has wavelengths shorter than visible light, thus making it invisible to the naked eye.

These wavelengths are classified into 3 groups:

UVA, UVB, UVC. 

UVA is the longest, UVB middle, UVC shortest wavelength 

UVC is absorbed by the ozone layer (it doesn't reach the earth!), so UVA and UVB are our main       concern for skin cancer and other skin diseases.

A broad spectrum sunscreen is one that "provides proportional protection against UVA and UVB rays". Yes, that how a sunscreen can pass the FDA's Broad Spectrum Test.

In other words, broad spectrum means UVA and UVB protection. Simple as that. 

I hope this helps!

-Twangster

Sunscreen 101: Breakdown of Ingredients

Hey nuggets! In lieu of summer, I wanted to create a SUNSCREEN 101 series. I bet you guys think I'm a sunscreen addict (cough*previous post*cough). And I guess I am, just a little bit. But it's because sunscreen is an essential way to protect your skin. Neglecting sun protection is like butchering the foundation of a house. Since I'm sure you don't want a crappy house that will crumble in a few days, you should incorporate sunscreen into your life. ;)

Breakdown of the Ingredients:
In order to find a sunscreen that fits your needs, checking out the ingredients is very helpful.

--- First off there are chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens:     

"absorb UV rays and convert the sun's energy into heat energy"
- They are carbon compounds made in the laboratory. About 22 now exist.
Ex: avobenzone, ecamsule, octinoxate, oxybenzone

Physical sunscreens:
"deflect and scatter rays before they penetrate your skin"
-They are natural minerals ground into fine powder. The two types are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

CHEMICAL VS PHYSICAL?
Alright here's a comparison of chemical and physical sunscreens:

Physical sunscreens are technically more natural, since they are not laboratory processed. They also do not decompose after sun exposure, therefore lasting longer on your skin. In addition, you can storm out of the house right after physical sunscreen application, while with chemical sunscreen, you'll need to apply it 10-20 minutes before sun exposure. Downside of the physical? More greasy and usually leave a white cast. Due to this greasiness and all, physical sunscreens might clog pores and cause acne on acne prone/oily skin. Chemical sunscreens usually feel a lot lighter and nicer on the skin, and are much more makeup friendly.

So the type of sunscreen you choose depends on your skin and your skin's needs. I personally like the idea of physical sunscreens. If you do to, but have oily or acne prone skin, try out powder sunscreens. My previous post was about a powder sunscreen that I really like, so check that out if you are interested. 

This Sunscreen101 thing was actually supposed to be one post, but I'm breaking it up into a series of posts because there's just too much to talk about haha. So yes there will more.. I could probably dedicate this whole blog to sunscreen...yikes. ^.^

Colorscience Powder Sunscreen

Now we all know how important sun protection is. But most sunscreen are oily, thick and plain annoying. Good news guys, I've recently discovered the Colorscience Sunforgettable Broad Spectrum Spf 50 Powder Sunscreen. Powder sunscreen, what an invention haha. I'll begin with basic info, cons, and pros. If you guys want to simply read my very helpful tip, just scroll down a bit :)

Here's the basic  info :

• "Powder Brush" Container, swirl brush on face for product to come out
• Comes in 3 colors: Light, Medium, Tan (I believe there is a translucent one for Colorscience Spf 30 , couldn't find one for Spf 50)
• Water Resistant (80 minutes)
• Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (23.9%) Zinc Oxide (24.1%). This means it is a barrier sunscreen, not a chemical
• Size: 6 g 0.21 oz
• Price: $60 on Colorscience Website,  $25 for refill container         $50 on Amazon, $24 for refill container

CONS:

• Packaging is horrible. Very hard to get product out through the brush.
• Expensive
• Low color range, and I've heard the translucent version has a white cast, which is understandable since the active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide

PROS: 

• Great sun protection. I especially like it being a barrier sunscreen, more natural
• Nice, fine consistency
• Can be put over makeup, or used alone for light coverage

VERY HELPFUL TIP:

So as you guys will notice from the pros and cons, I like the product itself. Packaging and cost are atrocious though. Luckily for you guys, I have devised a way to get around the packaging and expense. 

Loose Mineral Powder Container 

1. Buy the refill container, yes I repeat buy the REFILL container, which is $25 versus the $60 bucks.
2. Transfer the product to a loose mineral powder container. Now a loose mineral powder container is like the bare minerals makeup containers: aka contains a sifter. (I am personally going to buy the Purity Refillable Compact because it's convenient for on the go usage.)
3. Use a powder friendly brush like a kabuki brush and YAY. YOU NOW HAVE A WAY AROUND THE PACKAGING AND COST.

I hope this helps you guys. If it does, please let me know!