More evidence that low-calorie sweeteners are bad for your health
Studies show that artificial sweeteners can raise the risk of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, including stroke.
Our skin is the largest organ of our body, and its vitality is a key indicator of our health and well-being.
Creating healthy, radiant skin is the foundation of any beauty regime. Much of this depends on lifestyle – for instance, what you eat, how well you sleep, whether you smoke – and on understanding the key cycles of of healthy, normal skin.
But what you put on your skin is part of the picture too.
Exposure of skin to sunlight, pollution, and the skin’s own natural processes produce free radicals, highly reactive molecules that can damage skin. These free radicals are able to interact with DNA, proteins and lipids and can lead to sunburn, inflammatory disorders, premature ageing and even skin cancer.
Taking some quiet time to relax with a soothing facial mask – whether it’s one you have bought or one you have made – can be one of life’s indulgent pleasures but it is also a way of putting back some of what life takes out.
A good facial mask is more than just a ‘treat’. It can help deep cleanse, rejuvenate, rebalance and intensely nourish skin leaving your skin feeling brighter and more radiant.
Using products made from high quality herbal extracts with known antioxidant properties, coupled with skin-loving ingredients like essential fatty acids can help to reinforce the skin’s natural defence and repair mechanisms.
If you like to do it yourself, you can make some amazing facial treatments at home. Here’s three recipes to get you started.
Strawberries and cream exfoliating facial mask
This fruity mask refreshes and brightens skin. Strawberries, which are rich in natural fruit acids that help exfoliate the skin, are combined with ground oats to give texture and extra polish, unclog pores and smooth the skin. As it uses fresh and dairy ingredients, this recipe, which makes enough for one treatment, is for immediate use.
Ingredients
Method
1 Using a pestle and mortar, grind the oats to a fine powder. Mash the strawberries with a fork and combine with the oats. Add the cream and mix to a thick paste (add a little more cream if necessary to get the right consistency)
2 Apply the paste to clean skin (avoiding the area around the eyes and mouth) and leave for 10 minutes.
3 Remove the paste by applying a little water to loosen it first. Then gently rub it away in a circular movement. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a towel.
Lavender clay mask
Natural clay minerals draw impurities from the skin and deeply cleanse it. With moisturising honey and antioxidant rich aloe vera and reviving, balancing lavender water and essential oil, this soothing, purifying mask leaves skin feeling fresh and smooth. Store in a sterilised dark glass jar with a tight fitting lid and use within 2 months.
Ingredients
Method
1 Combine the aloe vera, lavender water and honey. Add the clay powders by sprinkling them gradually over the mixed liquids while stirring continually. Press the mixture through a sieve. add the essential oil and stir again to mix well
2 Apply to clean skin (avoiding the area directly around the eyes and mouth). Leave for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a towel
Avocado and aloe vera facial mask
A deeply nourishing and soothing facial mask for all sky types. Avocado is vitamin and mineral rich, as well as being high in fatty acids, lecithin and phytosterols, which make it an excellent moisturiser for dry skin. As it uses fresh fruit and dairy ingredients, this recipes should be used immediately
Ingredients
Method
1 Split the avocado in two and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Mash with a fork to make a paste, then add the other ingredients and mix.
2 Apply to freshly cleansed skin (avoiding the area directly around the eyes and mouth). Leave for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a towel.
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