For decades women have been told to eat our fruits, veggies and monitor the amount of food we put into our bodies. But what exactly is portion control and how does one go about implementing it into your lifestyle. Let’s be clear…today’s blog is not about losing weight. Portion control is a way of life. Our body only needs so many fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and grains a day (think old school food pyramid). Also, the average women is going to need smaller daily portions than a man. That is where portion control comes in to play…portion control helps you to monitor the amount of food you intake daily, while also ensuring you are meeting your daily serving of fruits and veggies AND allowing you to still enjoy the foods you love.
Honestly though, it’s not practical to practice portion control when out to eat. It’s not as if you can throw measuring cups in your purse and often food sizes at restaurants are massive. In these instances, your hand can be a wonderful approximate guide to how much you should be eating.
It’s 3 o’clock pm and it’s almost time to head home from work, but the day keeps lagging on, your eyes are beginning to get heavy, and your head and shoulders start to sag. Full-time, part-time, stay-at-home moms…We have all been there and it’s called the “3PM Slump.” So often when you find yourself feeling tired around mid-afternoon it’s because you are hungry. It is so easy to reach for a sugary snack, cup of coffee, or salty snack. These will satisfy your immediate cravings, however your body will quickly burn thru the sugar causing you to crash again. Your body needs carbs that are high in protein, fiber and healthy fats to keep you energized longer. In order to beat the 3PM Slump you need to be prepared. Keep foods on hand like nuts, seeds, fruit, greek yogurt, cheese sticks, popcorn and hummus. Most of these are portable and can be thrown in your purse/backpack. Also, KIND bars are great for portable energy (and my personal favorite). They are low in sugar and high in fiber. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help to sustain your energy levels throughout the day. You can also drink a cold glass of ice water around this time to help wake you up, as dehydration can cause sleepiness.
We have all heard that daily exercise is good for the heart, lungs and your overall stress levels. And although the overall cardiovascular benefits of exercise are important, we often forget about how exercise affects your skin tone. You might find that exercise can be the most thrifty skin care regimen in your arsenal.
Exercising increases your blood flow, which allows the blood to carry oxygen and beneficial nutrients to cells in your body, including your skin. Blood flow also helps in carrying away free radicals from these working blood cells. In laymen’s terms, think of it like detoxifying your skin from the inside out, as well as fighting off premature aging.
Stress levels have been known to decrease when exercising regularly, but on top of that reducing stress has been shown to improve acne and eczema.
Hydration can flush out any additional toxins and oils from your skin during exercise.
Sweat also purges your body of toxins and oils during exercise.
Exercise tones your muscles. The stronger those muscles are underneath your skin the more toned and healthier your skin will appear.
Exercising regularly produces natural oils that will make your skin have a healthy glow, while also keeping your skin moisturized. However, it is important to shower after working out to prevent breakouts.
*** If you plan on exercising outside, be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen. ***
With July 4th approaching, I am sure you will be spending plenty of time outside this weekend. And as the temperature begins to rise, you might be looking for a quick way to cool down and refresh. Hydration is key to keep your skin looking its best and feeling refreshed, but I am not talking about just drinking a glass of water (or six, or seven glasses like you should be drinking daily). I am talking about fine mist sprays. I know what you are probably thinking…fine mist sprays are just water in an aerosol can, but fine mist sprays are a wonderful way to hydrate your skin. Think of them as the adult version of running thru a sprinkler as a child. To properly use a facial mist and prevent your skin from drying out, hold the can six-inches away from your face and spray. Let the mist sit for one-minute on your skin and then blot off excess mist with a tissue or rag (blotting is key). You can also apply your fine mist spray underneath your daily moisturizer, which allows moisture to stay locked in under the skin. Just remember that not all fine mist sprays are created equal. Some contain antioxidants and healing properties, others contain essential oils. Some facial sprays are better for the winter months, others may be better for the Summer months. They even contain different water types (distilled water versus thermal water). Just exercise caution with how many times you apply your facial mist daily. Just like licking your lips, applying a fine mist too many times a day can leave your skin dry and irritated. Also, if buying an aerosol based facial spray it may contain alcohol or a VOC compound which can also dry out your skin.
I have always been amazed at the beauty products you can find in your pantry and fridge. Some might consider honey one of natures best kept secrets, yet it is always sitting on my pantry shelf directly between the sugar and cinnamon. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, honey is a natural antibiotic. Its antibiotic properties can assist in healing and killing bacteria associated with acne and wounds. How exactly does honey help heal/reduce acne and wounds? If you place honey on acne/wounds it will absorb the water in the wound. The honey will then kill all bacteria because bacteria needs water to survive as well. The water the honey absorbed will then trigger a chemical reaction, which causes the honey to release hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is also a wonderful antibiotic and will help to kill additional bacteria associated with the acne/wound. Also, honey is another natural product that can remedy inflammation. Because honey is acidic, it helps reduce the redness associated with acne. Try applying honey directly to the face in mask form to alleviate redness. Also, taking a spoonful of honey daily as a supplement can improve general skin-tone. If you are planning on using honey as a daily supplement, buy it in its raw, unprocessed form. Some people even use honey as their daily face-wash because there are no chemicals and it does not strip your skin of its natural oils. Although this is not going to completely remove your makeup, so it is best to use this face-washing method after your morning shower.
How are you all doing? Hope you have found a way to keep it cool in this hot humid weather! Drinking lot of water and keeping the body hydrated will help your skin to look and feel radiant even on a hot sunny day.
Speaking of hydration, I have found that Aloe Vera works really well. Products made with Aloe Vera juice help to keep skin hydrated due to the incredible moisturizing properties of Aloe Vera.
We use Aloe Vera in most products and sunless tanning products made with Aloe Vera are very moisturizing. Recently we have received some calls that made me write this post. Misguided information about products made with Aloe Vera Juice,some companies promoting that products made with Aloe Vera Juice are thick, tacky and sticky, leaving the skin feeling wet longer period of time after spray tan and aloe products clog pores – that is far from the truth.
Aloe Vera used in cosmetics, personal care products most likely are 1:1 or 10:1 ratio liquid or sometime used as a 200x powder (which can be reconstituted in a liquid form just before using in products) all of these versions have the same viscosity as a water, leaving the skin feeling smooth and not tacky or sticky, so even if Aloe Vera is the very first ingredient in the products ingredient list, the end result does not feel tacky , sticky and it does not leaves skin feeling wet for a long period of time.
You might ask why Aloe Vera Gels or Jelly’s found in the stores are thick and green or clear and sometime tacky to the touch. All of these gel or jelly products are formulated with a combination of Carbomer and TEA( Triethanolamine) which creates a perfect gel or some time used is Xanthan gums or Cellulose , all these leaves the skin feeling a bit wet until it dries but it is not the aloe juice that causes this, it is the other ingredients .
If you have ever applied Aloe Juice direct from the plant, it will feel a bit sticky until it dries. Aloe powders available in the market place for cosmetic or food industry use are either freeze dried or spray dried. We like to use IASC certified Aloe Vera powder. IASC stands for International Aloe Science Council, it is a third party verification process that makes sure purity of aloe products,
How do they make aloe powder from Aloe Vera plants?
Aloe plants are freshly harvested, inner gel is then carefully removed to ensure it does not disrupt the Aloin layer, then all the collected gel is processed to remove all the pulp and fiber, gel is then pasteurized to maintain efficacy and concentration using temperature evaporation, concentrated gel is then freeze dried without the use of any matrix, preservation or any other additives.
I hope this gives some idea on how aloe juice are used in cosmetic products including sunless tanning solution. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact us at AYU labs
