Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 1

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

At a time when modern invasive beauty treatments are increasingly questioned for their long-term effects on health, a new book on age-old natural techniques opens up a fresh range of beauty options.

Hair loss is a devastating condition for most women, whatever their age. It may be caused by cancer treatments, hormone imbalances or simple stress.

Ylang-Ylang has long been used in hair loss treatments. It’s perhaps best remembered as a Victorian hair oil called Macassar. Here’s the recipe if you want to make up your own.

Application: Before applying, tilt head forward and brush hair until the scalp warms up.

Ingredients
6 drops of essential oil of ylang-ylang
1 capsule of borage oil
1 capsule of evening primrose oil
A 50ml bottle

Mix oils and shake until thoroughly combined.

Massage into scalp an hour before washing hair. Use two or three times a month. You can also mix in a few drops of a mild shampoo and use in combination.

With social networking all the rage as the successor to forums, new sites are opening up all the time. Here’s one for the beauty and fashion enthusiast.

It’s called Lookspark and, if you’re quick, you can win an Apple iPhone.

LookSpark is an online fashion and beauty community still in beta, but already 30,000 people strong. Members dish on the latest fashion trends, share beauty tips and fashion wisdom, and connect to the newest designers, boutiques and fashion events. LookSpark “MatchUps” allow community members to vote on today’s fashion and beauty trends. It’s free, and it’s a fun place to gossip with like-minded fashion friends.

Also, if you post an opinion (called a “Spark”) about the designs, models, or the events, you become eligible for a chance to win an Apple iPhone (contest ends September 15).

You may have seen “safe” forms of deodorant in healthy living shops. Often they come in the form of large crystals of Potassium Aluminium Sulphate, or Alum.

They have the advantage of being free of Aluminium Chlorohydrate, which has been implicated in ill health. Natural deodorant crystals are suitable for the most sensitive skin, are hypoallergenic and last a long time. Furthermore, they won’t stain your clothes or discolor your skin.

Beauty on a budget indeed — especially if you make them yourself.

You can grow these crystals quite easily with a little bit of knowledge. You will need :

* An small quantity of Alum from a local store or online at Pans Pantry.
* A glass jar.
* A clean stick.
* Warm water.
* Thread.
* Small, sharp stones, cleaned well.

Method
1. Pour enough warm water into the jar to cover the stones — but don’t put the stones in yet.

2. Add the Alum and stir well until it stops dissolving. A small residue will be left.

3. Add food coloring if desired.

4. Tie a small stone to the thread and the other end to the stick. Place the stick across the top of the jar so that the stone dangles in the liquid.

5. Put the jar in a warm place to aid evaporation.

The first crystals will appear in a few days. You can add more Alum to make them bigger.

The biggest crystals can be rubbed under arms as a “safe” home-made deodorant.

A survey by the UK College of Optometrists reveals the 92 percent of women are putting their health and appearance at risk by using old makeup.

It’s not generally known that makeup has a sell-by date in most advanced countries. For example :

* Mascara has an expiry date of 3–6 months.
* Liquid and cream foundations, concealer, cleanser, moisturiser, 6–8 months.
* Pressed, loose and compressed powders, eye shadow, blusher, lip gloss, lipstick, toner, 1 year.
* Eye and lip liner, 18 months.

The problem is that these products can be a “hot house” for bacteria which can cause infections when the makeup is applied. The bacteria builds up over time until it becomes dangerous to use. Mascara is a particular problem because the stick used to apply it can scratch the soft tissue surrounding the eye.

The worst offenders, says the study, are women in their 30s and early 40s.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser to the college, said, “Mascara can be a breeding ground for bacteria, so it’s not surprising we’ve found nearly half of women suffer from itchy, watery and red eyes when they are holding onto their eye makeup for so long and sharing it among their friends.”