After using Eminence, an organic spa line from Hungary, I was really inspired to recreate my own natural and creative version of skincare products. Organic products, as you all know, use natural vitamins, proteins, minerals etc. of plants and fruits to treat specific skincare problems, thus they are free of man-made chemicals. The best part about DIY beauty is that you can get together with your girlfriends and have a beauty party and make as much as you’d like right before using it, so it’s as fresh as possible. Also it can be tailor-made to your needs/resources and is completely organic/natural and preservative-free. My favorite things to make are masks and scrubs as they can be easily washed off your body afterwards.
The most recent one I’ve been wanting to make is a face scrub. This is inspired by the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant by Eminence, a daily use rice- based exfoliant containing strawberry, rhubarb, rice, chickpea flour, thermal mud, oats, and a signature BioComplex.
My DIY version consists of organic rice, oats, and wheatgerm- all of which are easily found at home. Using organic ingredients is especially important because non-organic foods may contain harmful pesticides and pollutants that cause unwanted damage to your skin. Rice is the base of this scrub; it is gentle and can soften the skin. Using rice water to cleanse the skin is actually an ancient Asian secret to keep the skin soft and glowy. With this scrub, you can achieve the added benefits of rice water while exfoliating and rinsing your face. Oat is a popular skincare ingredient nowadays used by many companies like Aveeno, Aveda, and St. Ives. It can moisturize dry skin, ease irritation, tighten pores, whiten the skin, and absorb/remove oil and impurities from the skin. Also, it is hypoallergenic so you can use this no matter how sensitive your skin is. Wheat germ and its oil contain large amounts of anti-oxidant vitamin E (counteract damage of the suns harmful rays- yay!!) and minerals like zinc which help clear acne scars. These ingredients all sound so amazing eh? I'm really excited about this too!
To make, measure 1 tablespoon of each and grind them in a blender until they have the consistency of flour. I am not making too much each time because all of these ingredients are super sensitive to moisture, and in HK, there is plenty of moisture in the air! To store, put it in a saltshaker/spice jar that has a cap to seal off moisture. This way you can just sprinkle some onto your palms conveniently. I would recommend using this 2-3 times a week. While using, you can first form a paste with honey (I love the single stick packaging- super convenient and hygienic) or facial serums, or you can just use it on a wet face (I would recommend spraying with slightly acidic water with a pH of 5.5 to balance your skins natural pH). Remember to exfoliate gentley and enjoy!
And that’s it! A simple, fresh, chemical-free, inexpensive facial scrub that can naturally remove excess oils/impurities, smooth and tighten pores, and lock moisture into your skin :)
Jul 16, 2011
Jul 15, 2011
Skincare: Natural vs. Chemical
With the vast number of brands and products out there plastered with marketing and sales, it’s hard to tell what is truly good for you. I have always liked the idea of organic foods and beauty, organic being free of pollutants and pesticides and harsh preservatives. As great as it sounds, organic skincare does have its downfalls. Being made of plant extracts with a short shelf-life, these products tend to be milder in effect. Nevertheless, the idea of applying ‘clean’ skin care in a world full of pollutants is very attractive to me. So in the recent months I have taken an organic approach to my skincare, using products from lines like Origins (not all organic but at least paraben-free *parabens have been linked to cancer*) and Eminence (organic spa line from Hungary). I have been testing out these lines for 3 months now and love the smell of their natural components, like blueberry soy and stone crop and coconut. And the results you may ask? Well these organic products have done very well in maintaining my usually nice skin condition, especially the Eight Greens Serum (hormone-balancing) from Eminence which has given me pimple free skin for almost 2 months now!!! But consistencies of certain products are thicker and rub off with excessive rubbing (like the coconut day cream with mineral spf 32). But I have not seen significant reductions in the fine lines around my eyes. In conclusion, I really love these natural products and will continue to use them as long as my skin is in good condition. But I will probably resort back to more non-natural or ‘chemical’ products when targeting serious issues like wrinkles or large pores. Because in the end, when I’m 40, I’m pretty sure I would rather have ‘perfect’ skin than ‘virgin but imperfect skin’.
Jul 14, 2011
Jul 11, 2011
A New Start
It's been almost a month since I've moved back to HK and I've just been relaxing at home and enjoying myself. I'm excited for work to start yet I'm kinda nervous about it too. I'm so thankful for all the love I've received from my family and friends, from my parents helping me find this job and uncle peter for giving me this opportunity, grandma always being the 'invisible helper', all my loving friends who spent time with me before I left Vancouver and gave me their best wishes, bosco's constant attentiveness, to bosco's parents setting up this lovely home for 'him'. I'm so blessed to have so many beautiful and loving people surround me. I wish there was a way I could show them all how much I appreciate them.. and I think the first way for me to do that is by working hard at my new job and doing well and making everyone proud of me! So, cheers to a bright and hardworking future! :)
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