"No More Waity, Katie"..The Royal Wedding is finally here!

The time has come and I have been waiting for this for so long, I'm like a kid in a candy store talking about this! Butter London, is a line of nail lacquer from the UK founded by Londoner, Sasha Muir, along with London's leading manicurist, Nonie Creme. These fun colours are best known for their three-free formula, which are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP - three major carcinogens found in other conventional polishes.  New to Butter London, "No More Waity, Katie" limited edition nail polish is named for the alleged nickname given to Kate Middleton, "Waity Katie" for waiting nearly a decade for a proposal. The shade is a nice lavender/mauve base with a lavender glitter but subdued enough that it's not too flashy. It looks like it has a hint of grey in it as well. I already love their colours, and have been counting down to this wedding so you can only imagine how crazy I went when I heard they even came out with a limited edition nail colour in honour of the royal wedding. I was so excited, I called into Holt Renfrew, put it on hold and ran out the next day to buy it! Believe me when I say this ladies, the application is really nice, applies great, and has a salon quality finish to it. So, have a little royal wedding party for yourself and a few girlfriends with this fun and flirty colour - who knows maybe your prince-to-be might be admiring your style!
http://www.butterlondon.ca/

Congratulations to the newly married couple!



"No More Waity, Katie" on me!





The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge:
William Mountbatten-Windsor & Catherine Elizabeth Middleton

To Pick or Not To Pick...

The topic of discussion today goes by many names: zit, pimple, blemish, blackhead, pustule, acne, breakout, bump, whitehead, monstrosity and my favourite, that thing on your face! Not only is it important to spot the difference between them all but most importantly, how to take care of them. This is basically the "what to do when you get a breakout" mini manual that everyone out there should remember.

First off, what is a breakout/zit?

A breakout essentially happens when your skin produces an substantial amount of oil which gets trapped in your pores. These pores are called sebaceous glands. Mixed with dirt, bacteria and/or makeup and you have a deadly concoction! Periodically, the outer layer of your skin sheds like it's supposed to as it makes way for newer skin. When this happens your dead skin cells get left behind and begin to meet and mingle with the oil. Unfortunately, it's like a houseguest that never leaves and before you know it you have a blockage, even though you just don't see it yet. As per normal, your sebaceous glands end up secreting oil only this time it begins to build up behind the blockage which harbours bacteria that is responsible for causing infection and the infamous and sometimes painful inflammation related to a zit.

What to do with your monstrosity

It's probably not even all that bad but please, and I beg of you when I say this, don't pick it! I know you're not going to listen to me anyway, but hey, at least I tried right? Picking it will only make it worse, as I am sure you have heard this from your mom, or even your dermatologist. When you pop it, you can cause bacteria to spread which in turn will make the breakout worse or even add more to the clan. Worst of all though, it can leave behind a scar and what's worse then being reminded of the lil bugger in the first place...nothing really, so a little bit of patience goes a long way.

Even though I just mentioned why you shouldn't pick your zit, if you must, 'cause I know you're cringing right now thinking of this, try popping after a hot shower. This will almost feel like a fresh steaming to the skin and will facilitate easier removal of any pustules. Remember though, if it is resistant, don't push it! It's just not ready yet and you don't want to be left with a scar or a noticeably red spot on the face.  Try a spot treatment of tea tree or lavendar oil, which are great for their anti-bacterial properties. Don't let the word oil scare you though, not all oils are bad for the skin. Most importantly, I'd like to add that you should only get your skin treated by a professional such as a dermatologist or an aesthetician - leave the picking for them. These are professionals who have the right equipment and are trained in taking care and knowing what's best for you skin.

What not to do so you can minimize breakouts

Don't go to bed with makeup. To add to that, don't go to bed without washing your face. That said, don't wash it more than twice a day - it's a happy medium for your skin and that's what it needs! Washing your skin before bedtime ensures you've taken off the days filth and grime that you've accumulated throughout the day. Our face gets the most exposure than any other parts of our bodies so it's no surprise to know that on a daily basis it can show signs of environmental damage and be exposed to pollution, dust and even the bacteria from your hands! So, do you really want to go to bed with all that? Makes you think twice doesn't it?

Washing your skin too much or using products with man-made alcohols or surfactants dries out your skin. I know you might be thinking that this is good, and the oily skin types are clapping their hands enthusiastically, however, I'm sorry to break this to you, it's not. When your skin is excessively dried out or rather stripped of its natural oils, your skin thinks it needs to come to your rescue and in doing so begins to overcompensate by producing more oil than you need, which in turn can cause a breakout to occur - sounds like a vicious cycle.

I recommend the website  http://www.acne.org/whatisacne.html. It has great information in detail as well as illustrations and pictures of the different kinds of acne.

Product Review: Consonant Organic Hand Cream & Organic Body Soap

Intensive Therapy Organic Hand Cream

Consonant is a Toronto-based skincare company that both men and women alike will fall in love with! I was so excited to write about these guys 'cause I use them, gift them, and recommend them! I still remember when I first tried this organic hand cream, I said to my co-worker, "oh my god, this feels like a mousse, I wanna eat it!". Thank goodness I didn't however. This product is something I definitely recommend to anyone who has dry, chapped skin. Great for those who are constantly washing their hands, since I found this hand cream to be extremely moisturizing and have a great emollient texture. It slathers on nicely and gives you that feeling of a shield on your skin, which is great in aiding to protect the skin from environmental factors. Included in their wholesome ingredient list you will see vitamin e, soothing chamomile, rosemary, ginseng extracts and is also fortified with mineral-rich algae. Another great bonus for those of you who are not fans of something fragrant, this hand cream is unscented!  

http://www.consonantbody.com/

Available at:

Pistachio, 2433 Yonge St., Toronto, On 416-322-9451

Big Carrot Natural Food Market, 348 Danforth Ave., Toronto, On 416-466-2129

Organic Body Soap

I have finally found the bar soap that I am going to be using 'till kingdom come! Funny thing is that it was Consonant's bar soaps that got me back to using bar soap in the first place. I grew up using bar soap all the time and hated it, so I eventually switched to body washes 'cause I loved the silky texture and feel of it on my skin. Well, I'll be damned this is the first bar soap I can say that doesn't dry out my skin and it smells delicious! These rectangular-shaped bar soaps come wrapped in tissue paper and will last you for months. They also come with a little loofah disc which you can rest your soap on when you're not using it to prevent it from getting all goopy. My favourite scent, Vanilla Clove has organic vanilla, buttermilk and honey with organic clove oil, its smells like your bathing in a luxurious vanilla chai latte! Mmmm, I think I might be getting hungry! These soaps contain ingredients such as organic olive oil, natural-occurring glycerin's, spring water, beeswax and mineral-based pigments. They also have a limited edition soap called Help Some-Body Soap where 100% of the proceeds goes to aid Sleeping Children Around The World. Other scents available: Goat's Milk, Organic Olive, Prairie Grains and Spearmint & Sage.        

http://www.consonantbody.com/

Available at:

Pistachio, 2433 Yonge St., Toronto, On 416-322-9451

Big Carrot Natural Food Market, 348 Danforth Ave., Toronto, On 416-466-2129

Easy, Simple Skin Rules to Live By!

I have decided to give some tlc to this blog as it has been long deserved and everyone can always benefit from a bit of useful info on taking care of their skin. Whether you're heading out on a night on the town, bumming around in your pajamas or striving for that perfect complexion, there are always some basic rules that need to be followed to ensure your skin is always in tip-top shape! I'm pretty sure if you follow these simple rules, you'll notice a difference in your skin and will thank yourself later in taking the time to do so! :)


Wear Sunscreen


Ladies..and Gents..of course, always remember to wear sunscreen, I cannot stress this enough. Just like Baz Luhrmann's popular hit song had us singing the tune so should you...on a daily basis! Not only are you saving your skin from hyperpigmentation but you are also helping to prevent it from age spots, sun damage and possible premature aging which you will see more evidently in the latter years of your life. Make sure you find the right SPF (Sun Protection Factor) for your skin type. If you burn very easily and have relatively fair skin, you may want to opt for the higher SPF. Whereas, Mediterranean to darker complexions can get away with an SPF of 10-15. Be weary, however, of sunscreens that act like you'd be better off using them, but are in fact loaded with chemicals out to create worse health problems then if you didn't use it to begin with. Stay away from sunscreens whose ingredients include any parabens, or petroleum-based derivatives, as they have been linked to causing certain cancers.


Tone up...your face that is


Ah, the feel of a nice misting all over the face, after a good cleanse is a great way to say "I love you, face!", just be sure you're not in public when you say it! Toning has been something I have always mentioned to all my clients as a must following the cleansing of your face, which I hope all of you do! :) Toning helps to close the pore and prevent it from clogging up with "new dirt" right after you've just finished cleansing it. Although your pores don't actually change in size, it is important to help in bringing your skin back to its homeostatic balance and pH level. It also helps the skin to maintain its moisture by containing moisture-binding humectants that latch onto the skin and retain what nature gave you, which in turns makes you end up using less of your moisturizer - bonus! Remember to stay away from toners which contain harsh alcohols as they only dry out your skin faster.


Say no to colourful pillowcases


Before you think I'm harping on you for your taste in bedding, by this I mean to wash that face of makeup off before bedtime! Ugh, if there's anything that grosses me out more than anything else, is knowing that you've decided to curl into bed and have taken the many colours of the rainbow with you! Even if you're too smashed or can barely keep an eye open, it's no excuse to doll up for bedtime. At night, when your resting, your skin is taking the opportunity to renew and repair itself because of all that it's exposed to throughout the day, which you don't get the full benefit of if you skip cleansing. When you leave makeup on your skin, or forget to wash your face before bedtime, it's also giving bacteria you have picked up throughout the day the chance to have a little fiesta on your face, at your expense! Combine that dirt with oil secretion and well, it's time to call the police for some crowd control. 


Scrub-a-Dub


No, I'm not referring to a bubble bath with duckies, although re-living my childhood at times wouldn't be so bad. :) I'm talking about exfoliation. It's great for the skin in helping to stimulate collagen production, lighten dark spots/hyperpigmentation, achieve a smoother complexion, brighten the skin, and remove dead skin cells. Each time you exfoliate you help to remove any dead skin cells that are floating around on the top layer of your skin which it was unable to shed on its own. It takes approximately 28 days for your skin to renew itself and push "old skin" to the surface while new skin is growing underneath. However, how can something that has so many benefits be too much to do and too often? I can answer that easily. Although you want to keep exfoliation to once a week, there are some exfoliants from some companies that will allow them to be used 2-3 times a week or even daily. Please, read the packaging carefully and ask a professional skin therapist on how to use the product correctly. The general rule is that the lighter or less granular the exfoliant, the more it can be used in a week, opposed to a coarser grind exfoliant which should be used no more than once a week. If your not careful, over exfoliation can lead to excessive dry skin, eczema, rashes or even breakouts due to the rawness of the skin. 


There you have it! Some easy simple rules to live by.. nothing too fancy shmancy! So, anytime you're feeling like it's getting to the point where you want to quit the regime and go on vaca, just remember that taking a lil' bit of time out now for your skin is only gonna get you big brownie points with it for years to come! :)