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.

Modern women are beginning to realize the dangers of overloading their skin with products, especially sensitive facial skin. And yet, we’re told to moisturize twice a day after cleansing. Is this wise?

Tracey Chappell, a skin expert, says, “The idea that we should moisturize twice a day is traditional beauty lore and does apply to a great many of us. But it’s not necessarily the best thing for everyone.

“The belief probably came about because our desire for squeaky clean skin has meant that traditionally cleansers are quite stripping and leave skin feeling tight and dry, making us reach for the moisturizer both morning and night after we wash our faces.

“Only you can know what your skin feels like on a day-to-day basis. Occasionally it is wise to let the skin breathe, particularly as over-using creams that are too rich can make the skin “lazy”, taking over from its natural functions and leaving us dependent on lotions and potions.

“We get trapped in a vicious cycle.”

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).

Col-Pure’s Rejuvenating Face Mask is described as “incredibly refreshing” and said to visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles, while plumping and nourishing the skin.

“Its formula of bio-active ingredients quickly absorb into skin’s underlying tissue, immediately plumping the skin to reduce the look of wrinkles, while improving the tone and texture of your skin for an overall radiant complexion and also boosts collagen production and improves circulation.”

The press release says :

Here’s the quick and easy secret: The face mask contains Decorinyl, a tetrapeptide shown to help control collagen fibril growth, improving firmness and elasticity of the skin. A recent study showed an increase in skin’s elasticity after just 28 days of use. Green Tea is a soothing anti-oxidant that helps skin fight off damaging free-radical cells and is one of the main ingredients. Finally, Tripeptide-3, an advanced anti-aging ingredient, mimics the body’s own mechanism to help produce collagen giving skin a more youthful appearance.

“The face mask not only makes my skin look better, but I also love applying it after a long day at work or after hanging out in the sun because it’s so refreshing,” says Suzanne Peterson of Golden, Co.

We can’t confirm this, of course, as we don’t test beauty products ourselves.