Showing posts with label Skin Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skin Care. Show all posts
The Best Facial Treatments for Winter

The Best Facial Treatments for Winter


With cold weather comes the need for additional protection and some extra TLC, and not just in terms of clothes. Come winter, your skin also benefits from some extra layers of protection. So in addition to switching your lightweight dresses and sandals for some heavy duty winter boots and jackets, you need to step up your skincare game and give your skin the love it deserves.

Other than stocking up on protective creams and nourishing cleansers, you should also consider booking a facial treatment or two to make sure your skin is in its peak condition even during cold winter days. All that dry air and freezing temperatures can lead to unfavorable skin reactions. The best way to fight them is to add an extra step to your skincare regime and schedule a professional treatment.

Below, you’ll find some of the best facial treatments to slide into your schedule during the snowy season.

Microdermabrasion


image source

Retaining smooth texture and even tone is a matter of exfoliating the skin on a regular basis. This is where scheduling treatments such as microdermabrasion come into play. The treatment involves a physical exfoliation of the skin, which is a minimally invasive procedure, with the aim of removing the skin’s upper layers and stimulating collagen production. This is done by using special crystal or diamond-tipped devices, depending on the type of microdermabrasion you select.

The best thing about this treatment, aside from its affordable price and no down time, is the fact that it will revitalize and rejuvenate your skin that has been damaged by the summer sun while also making any wrinkles and fine lines appear smoother.

Thermage facial

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Stimulating collagen production is key to retaining the elasticity and youthful appearance of the skin. For those of us who don't want to resort to surgeries and incisions to achieve these results, radiofrequency technology treatments such as Thermage facials are the perfect solution. This non-invasive treatment is perfect for those whose skin could benefit from a little tightening. It includes little to no downtime for recovery.

 The post-treatment glow is, of course, visible, although the best results will come after several months when the body’s natural collagen production is boosted and new collagen is gradually formed. This can take from 3 to 6 months. Over time, your skin’s laxity will improve, and you can expect a more toned, lifted, and fuller appearance of the skin. The best part? These amazing results can last up to three years!

Mesotherapy

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This is another great way to obtain firm, restful, and rejuvenated skin without turning to invasive procedures. This non-invasive treatment relies on the combination of hyaluronic acids, proteins, and vitamins to create a cocktail that is then injected into the central skin layer or mesoderm.

A painless procedure with no recovery period, the mesotherapy treatment can be an ideal solution for a range of problems. Treating everything from wrinkles to stretch marks to fragile, thin hair. The treatment is quick (it takes 30-45 minutes) and aims to stimulate the synthesis of collagen and elastin.

 After a couple of treatments, the skin is visibly rejuvenated. It's firmer and more elastic, and the formation of wrinkles is prevented. Optimal results are achieved after 4-6 treatments, with the effects lasting between 12 and 18 months.

 Chemical peel

image source

Another way to boost collagen production and ensure a smoother, tighter skin during winter is to turn to chemical peels. This treatment aims to eliminate any dead skin cells by applying a chemical solution to the skin. The solution will cause the skin to exfoliate, making it easier to slough off damaged skin cells. The new skin that is revealed after the treatment is less wrinkled and much smoother and brighter. You can opt for deep, medium, or superficial chemical peel, and you can also use it on your hands and neck. 

Although the procedure is generally painless and quick, the state of your complexion before undergoing the chemical peel treatment and the strength of the peel are the main factors that will influence the downtime. You will also need to avoid harsh sunlight and activities that cause you to sweat (cardio, hot yoga) two days after the treatment.

Wrapping up

Just like your wardrobe, your approach to your skincare routine should be adjusted to the current season. Not only do facial treatments help keep your skin looking its best during the cold, dreary months, but some of them (like the ones listed above) are best done in the wintertime because of reduced sun exposure.

 Give some of these winter-appropriate facial treatments a try, and you'll be well on your way to moisturized, hydrated, and revitalized skin that is healthy and glowy even on cold days.



Sophia Smith is a beauty and lifestyle blogger, graphic designer, and food enthusiast. She is very passionate about green topics, sustainable fashion, eco beauty, and conscious business. Sophia's other hobbies centre around her love for yoga, wellness rituals, and living in balance with nature. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic beauty products and sustainability to self-care and style tips.

Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Fashion Finest, LA Fashion, Naughty Nutrition, Sivana Spirit, Urban Naturale, Carousel, Sheeba Magazine and Cause Artist.

You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter: @sophia_bri






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Shabana Feroze
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My Super {Really Effing Weird} Skincare Stuff

My Super {Really Effing Weird} Skincare Stuff


I share a selfie of my makeup face almost every day on my Instagram stories. And in reply to them, I get a lot of messages asking me what foundation I use and telling me that my skin looks great. As I mentioned in this post showing my makeup routine in detail, I don't wear any foundation. I don't like it and I have good skin. 

I take very good care of my outsides and my insides, which results in gorgeous skin. It's something we all forget. Keep your insides clean and healthy, drink a lot of water, have a positive attitude and your skin will show it! In addition to that, of course, is my skincare routine. Of late I have added a few products to it that made me go HOLY #$!@ after I used them. They make my skin look and feel super amazing, and super clean. Something you always want for your skin- to be CLEAN. So here are those superstar products that I've been using, what's in them and why they're so good for you.

Before I begin, let me just say that this not a sponsored post, I have not been paid to promote these items. I'm merely sharing my experiences of having used them.

The Luxury Stuff


Okay, I must tell you that this stuff is an investment. But it's so worth it. I discovered it on my recent trip to Italy and after the skin care specialist Natalia applied these products to my face, I felt the results. Which is why I had to have them. 



This gel is super weird but super amazing. It apparently contains bee venom {!} and that's apparently really good for your skin. Using the little spatula, you apply a thin layer of it to a clean face, avoiding the eye area. You have to let it dry and wash it off with water or wipe it off with a warm wet towel. 


When you wash it off, you'll feel all the dead skin and deep-seated dirt rolling off of your face, sort of like when you use an eraser on pencil marks and it comes off in these little black bits. Naaasty. But so good for you! 

Because once you've got it all off, believe me, you're gonna be wondering how the heck were you living with such a dirty face and how incredibly amazing, incredibly clean and incredibly smooth your skin feels now. You need to do this only once a week as your skin renews in 7 days. Because your skin is so clean now, whatever moisturizer or skincare products you're currently using will get absorbed much better and be more effective. Sounds good, right?



This is again a once-a-week mask. It contains collagen and elastin from plant stem cells. This collagen helps to reduce fine lines, and even deep wrinkles, as claimed by them. The mask comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, claiming that they use all-natural and all-organic ingredients. It's something else when your cream comes with a certificate! 


They say that you'll see a difference with each application, and I certainly do. I like to apply this collagen mask right after I clean my face with the Queen Bee Peeling Gel so that this mask can get absorbed and work all its plant stem cell goodness deep into my skin. When you put the mask on, you feel a tingling sensation in certain areas. I've noticed that I feel the tingling sensation where I have dry skin like around my mouth. 

You have to leave it on for 20 minutes and wash it off with warm water. After you've washed it off, you're going to see a big difference in your skin. After I used it for the first time in my hotel room in Rome, my fine lines looked like they had smoothened out. I couldn't believe it! My face looked super-smooth and youthful like I had aged 5 years backwards! My skin felt tighter and firmer right after and even the whole of next day. I looked and FELT amazing, knowing my face looked so smooth and was glowing! 

Both these lotions are definitely an investment. I was lucky and managed to get them much cheaper because Natalia took a liking to me and gave me her staff discount plus a damaged box, bringing the price way lower than what it is.

And Now, The REALLY Cheap Stuff

When I was in Kerala in January with my brother, my mother had asked us to get her some Ayurvedic meds. After looking for an Ayurvedic medicine shop for ages, we finally found one on the outskirts of town. It was run by a sweet old lady who barely spoke English. After we finished buying all the medicines my mother wanted, the lady asked me to buy this cream. When I saw that it said 'fairness cream' on it, I refused, but she insisted that it was really good for removing black marks from your face. And to apply it only at night before sleeping.


The cream turned out to be AMAZING. Kumkumadi Lepam is an Ayurvedic cream containing the very best natural stuff you can apply to your face. It has turmeric, saffron and sandalwood {it smells INCREDIBLE} and other natural ingredients like liquorice and blue lotus. When I saw that the cream contains saffron and sandalwood, I knew it would be amazing as these two ingredients are great for the skin {but are so expensive that you wouldn't buy them and apply them separately}. 

I started using it immediately, and it worked like a charm. My skin was clearer, blemishes disappeared really fast and I had much lesser acne. Here's the kicker-  it's effing cheap. It's only for RS 70, which is 400 Bahraini fils or $1. It's a small tube, but still. It does last you a while. So if you know someone who's going to India, ask them to bring it for you. Or order it online. 

If you can't afford the luxury items, I'd highly recommend trying Kumkumadi out and seeing the difference. Although I love the thought that this Ayurvedic cream could be working better because of using the Queen Bee Peeling Gel, and leaving all the goodness of saffron, turmeric and sandalwood in my skin. From the luxury items, if you can afford to get the peeling gel, get it. It's so important to deep cleanse your skin. And it's the cheaper of the two, so get it as a treat for yourself!

As for the rest of my skincare routine, I use an eye cream, a normal moisturizer and SUNSCREEN every single day. I take my makeup off using a waterproof makeup remover or micellar water, and then wash my face using a face wash. I'm not mentioning the names and brands of these items here as I don't stick to any specific brand. I try out different ones all the time. 

I talk about how having great skin and hair can make you look super-stylish, in my book, Loving Yourself In Style. There's also an entire chapter on health and fitness, so you know how to make your skin look good from inside out!

So that's my secret to great skin. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

xoxo
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Shabana Feroze
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23 of My Top Beauty Tips and Tricks

23 of My Top Beauty Tips and Tricks


Photo: Arif Feroze

I'm in my 30s {I'll turn 31 in 2 months} and I have to say, I love my skin. Over the years I've looked after it and in return it has been good to me. I use very little make up, usually doing up my eyes and lips and applying blush, and I believe this has helped keep my skin looking good. I don't wear foundation as I already have clear skin and I don't like the idea of covering it up. I love experimenting with different eye shadows, eye liners and lipsticks, and so should you. Play with it and see what looks good on you. I believe that you should have fun with make up. It's one of the best advantages of being a woman! I've been having fun with it for years now and below are some of my best beauty tips and tricks that I've learned through trial and error. Maybe they'll work for you, too.


Nails

1. To make sure your nails are dry after putting polish on, gently touch your little finger’s nails to each other. If they feel sticky, you still need to give them more time.
2. Don’t skip the base coat. It lets your nails breathe and protects them from going yellow.
3. Vitamin B Complex is great for strong hair and nails.

Lips

4. Wear a lipliner all over your lips before putting your lipstick on. Your lippie will last longer.
5. Use a toothbrush to exfoliate your lips. Put lip balm/ petroleum jelly on your lips, pucker, and   brush off all the dead skin for smooth, soft lips.
6. Sleep with lip balm on for soft lips in the morning.
7. After you put on a dark lipstick, put a finger in your mouth, close your lips around it and gently pull your finger out. The excess lipstick will come out on your finger instead of staining your   teeth.
8. Never press your lips together to transfer lipstick. Your bottom and top lip are not the same shape. Use the lipstick or a lip brush to fill color in.

Eyes

9. Use an under-eye cream to keep the area moisturized. The skin here is very delicate, so use your ring finger to apply product.
10. Concealer is a life saver. Almost all of us have dark circles or shadows under our eyes, applying concealer there will make you look fresher instantly. I love MAC NC 42. Follow it up with a pressed powder to keep it in place.
11. Always curl your lashes with an eyelash curler before you put mascara on. Mascaras work best when put on curled eyelashes to give you that wide-eyed look.
12. Waterproof mascara is your best friend. It keeps your lashes up for a longer time, and you don’t have to worry about getting emotional or getting caught in rain.

Face

13. Wear sunscreen. Every. Single. Damn. Day.
14. Exfoliate once or twice a week with a gentle scrub or with used coffee grounds.
15. Drink honey lemon water every morning to flush toxins out and keep skin glowing.
16. Drink a lot of water every day. Your skin needs moisture and a good water intake will help keep it looking plump and healthy.
17. Before applying blusher, smile. It will make your cheeks pop. Sweep the blusher from your cheeks to temples. Also, it’s just nice to smile at yourself.

Hair

18. Use a conditioner after shampoo. It surprises me how so many women still don’t do this.
19. If you’re using heat on your hair through straightening/ curling irons, remember to protect your hair with a heat spray before you apply heat.
20. The easiest and most effective way to get rid of dandruff it is to use baking soda on your scalp. Wet hair, rub baking soda into your scalp, rinse, and then use shampoo and conditioner as you normally would.
21. Get your hair trimmed regularly to avoid split ends.
22. Deep condition your hair at least once a week. You can use hot oil or just your hair conditioner on dry hair. Leave it on overnight. Sleep with a shower cap on to not stain your pillow.
23. Try and wash your hair twice or once a week to let the natural oils build up. You may think you’re getting rid of greasiness by shampooing your hair frequently, but it works the other way round as your scalp produces more oil as you strip away moisture with frequent washes.

If you're too busy to put on a full face of make up, I recommend using just concealer. This one product will make you look fresher instantly. Mascara and lipstick follow close behind. A concealer that matches your complexion and hides tiredness, mascara that opens up your eyes, and a lippie in a color that looks great on you will have you looking gorgeous, fresh, and feeling confident. And it takes less than 5 minutes, I promise.

What beauty tips and tricks have you learned that is invaluable to your routine? What would you add to my list? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo
 Shabana

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Shabana Feroze
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The only kinda masks I want you to wear

The only kinda masks I want you to wear


In addition to my regular skincare routine I put on a mask once or twice a week. Since I was 12 my mom's been making me put on home-made masks made from fruits, veggies, milk, oats and what-have-you. When I was in school I'd come home and rub a slice of potato or tomato on my face. And sleep with a mask of lemon and milk on.

Since then I've learnt a lot of great combinations for masks that are easy to make and easier to apply. Sometimes on a Friday I'll do a maskathon- apply one mask after another, leaving my skin looking fresh and glowy.

Here are a few I recommend. All have the same instructions- apply, let dry, wash off with water. Simple. Just remember to really massage these into your skin for all the goodness to seep in. Moisturize after.



  • Honey + Lemon: Exfoliates, removes tan, lightens blemishes, hydrates, makes skin glow.
  • Lemon + Milk: Reduces hyperpigmentation {those dark marks of extremely tanned skin on certain areas of your face}, reduces blemishes, smoothes and brightens skin. Note: You can leave this on overnight and wash off in the morning.
  • Yogurt + Honey: Moisturizes and makes skin glow. Great for dry skin.
  • Cucumber Juice + Rose Water: Soothes inflamed skin or acne. Good for sunburn.
  • Mashed Banana: Moisturizes, anti-aging.
  • Oats + Tomato Juice: Reduces dark spots, blackheads and acne marks.
  • Potato Juice: Excellent for reducing hyperpigmentation. Add a few drops of lemon to increase whitening properties.
  • Cabbage Juice: Apply in the undereye area to reduce dark circles.


Fuller's Earth:
If you can get a hold of a packet of fuller's earth, which is basically a clay mask, here are the combinations for different skin types:

Combination skin:
Milk/ Lemon/ Honey.

Dry skin:
Milk Cream/ Olive Oil.

Oily skin:
Strawberry Pulp/ Yogurt.

Normal skin:
Rose Water.

All you need to do is mix the Fuller's Earth powder with whatever's mentioned above. You can even mix more than one ingredient in it if you're feeling adventurous.

If you have any questions, feel free to post on my facebook page. If you'd like to share mask recipes or home-made skin solutions you love, comment below.

I've gotten so used to wearing these masks {I'm typing this while I have a honey-lemon mask on} that once my family was at a picnic while we were kids and my mom was slicing tomatoes. My brother immediately piped up, "Don't give that to Shabana, she'll rub it on her face." Ha. xxx
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Shabana Feroze
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My Skincare Routine

My Skincare Routine


I take very, very, very good care of my skin. My skin type is combination. This means that my forehead, nose and chin are very oily while my cheeks are dry/normal. Also, my skin is sensitive. If I rest my face on my hand while reading a book I'm greeted by acne there the next day.

Even though my skin can be annoying at times, it's what I have and I've learnt to manage it. So can you. Just remember the 3 main steps of skin care- CTM- Cleansing, Toning, Moisturizing. And no, your soap is NOT a face cleanser, and your body lotion is NOT a moisturiser for your face. The face on your skin isn't the same as the rest of your body.

My skincare routine is explained below. If you have dry/normal/oily skin, just find products that suit your skin type- its usually mentioned on them.

Products I use

Step 0: I remove my mascara with Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover. It's perfect for removing waterproof mascara. Very gentle and the mascara comes out easily.

Step 1: Cleansing.
 I wash my face with Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser at night before I go to bed. This removes dirt and remaining make-up.

Step 2: Toning.
I use Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I pour a few drops onto a cotton pad and swipe across my face and neck in upward sweeping motions. You need a toner to close the pores and remove the last traces of make-up and dirt.

Step 3: Moisturising:
For eyes:  The skin around your eye is very delicate. Put a tiny dab of the cream on the tip of your left ring finger, transfer it onto the right by pressing both fingertips together, then dab, don't rub, along the undereye and on your eyelid in a circular motion. I use Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream.
For the face: I love Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream. I use the same moisturizer in the morning and before sleeping, but if you prefer a day and night cream, it's upto you. Always warm up the product by putting some in your palm and rubbing them together. It spreads much easier and you won't use too much.
My moisturizer is always followed by my sun screen during the day. For knowing about which sun screen I use and recommend, read this post here.
For lips: I use Lucas Papaw Ointment. This product is 100% fermented papaya and available only in Australia.Vaseline works too.

Step 4: Tea Tree Oil
I apply Body Shop Tea Tree Oil on my face and neck after moisturizing. I do it only once before sleeping. It helps keeps acne at bay.

That was my skincare routine. If you have any questions you can ask me by posting on my facebook page. I'll be following up this post with what I do in addition to this routine to keep my skin looking healthy.
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Shabana Feroze
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[name=About Me] [img=https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP6wdDIrRF_dx-pVv8PqBiSrQRKrEMzJ7vf1N7r/photo/AF1QipNnYi7lR3UkPF0ptL0QV_mqWadL-JCe7F7afRiS] [description=I'm an entrepreneur, published author, fitness instructor and artist. But most of all, I'm me. And I LOVE being me. Through this blog, I want to inspire you to love being you, too. I enjoy dressing up, chasing my passions, travelling the world, staying fit and encouraging others to do the same. If you'd like to know more, click the Who I Am tab on the top of the site! Thank you for reading my blog!] (facebook=https://www.facebook.com/TheSilverKickDiaries/?fref=ts) (instagram=https://www.instagram.com/thesilverkickdiaries/) (twitter=https://twitter.com/SilverKick) (bloglovin=https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/silver-kick-diaries-3736366) (pinterest=https://www.pinterest.com/silverkick/)