Blackness Around the Neck (How Do I Get Rid of It!!!)

Have you ever seen anyone with really good looking face but when you look at their neck, there's a ring around it or blackness?  You probably think to yourself, "Well sheesh, they need to scrub their neck harder in the shower or do something!" Part of the problem as to why people have dark rings around the neck is failure to properly cleanse the neck along with the face when washing. Your face is the center of attention when you speak to people but as people talk to you they're also looking around the rest of your face, including your neck.

It is really important to cleanse and exfoliate the neck along with the rest of your face on a day to day basis. Not doing this will cause the blackness and dark regions around the neck.  

If you do have blackness or darkness around your neck here are some home remedies that will help you to get rid of it.

• Take milk and rub your neck with it. Milk is an excellent cleanser and a toner too.
• After cleansing, use a scrub, preferably natural one, to exfoliate the skin around your neck.
• You may mix olive oil with sugar and rub gently to scrub your neck.
• Sometimes use another scrub having bleaching agent such as lemon juice. You will find many scrubs here in this article that you can use for daily exfoliation.
• After exfoliating, wash off with water and apply some moisturizer.
• Whenever you go out, apply sunscreen to your neck along with your face. This will avoid pigmentation.
• Never step out in sun when you apply lemon juice on your skin. This will make your neck darker than before.

If you follow the above neck care regime daily, you will begin seeing result in a two week’s time. However, do not stop and continue cleansing, scrubbing and moisturizing your skin (rapidhomeremedies.com).

As for an exfoliant, I recommend Lemon Burst  face and body scrub by Body Scrubs by Rebeca.  Lemon burst exfoliates the skin. It is made with sugar, fresh lemon peel to help polish the skin, lemon juice that acts as the bleaching agent to fade blackness or dark spots and natural oils are great for moisturizing the skin.  Visit bodyscrubsbyrebeca.com to view more information. 

Lemon Burst $19.99 

Lemon burst face and neck scrub $19.99

Hope this information helps. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email! And also, let me know how this worked for you!

6 Tips to Reduce the Size of Your Pores

On my Instagram page (@body_scrubs_by_rebeca) I questioned my followers as to what some of their skincare concerns or issues are.  I received a few replies, both via Instagram as well as my personal email.  And so, while working, I got an alert that someone wanted to know how they can reduce the size of their pores.  I thought to myself, "hmm that's a really good question!"  Then, while at my desk, I started looking at my face, examining my skin and taking a closer look at my pores.

Me, au naturale - Owner of Body Scrubs by Rebeca
bodyscrubsbyrebeca.com 

(Pores are tiny little openings (holes) in the skin that help to produce natural oils, sebum is produced.)

I noticed that the size of them varied depending on certain situations.  A while back I noticed my pores were looking rather large and some days they looked pretty small. I payed attention to my habits to see when my pores looked their smallest. Here's what I found -

On days where I drank lots of water my skin looked very radiant. My pores also appeared to be smaller.

On days that I exfoliated (2x per week) using my natural body scrubs my pores were also smaller...

And on days I treated myself to a face mask my pores were looking fab!


I researched some more information about pores and found some really useful tips for those to reduce the size of their pores.

Here are 6 Tips to Reduce the Size of Your Pores

1.Hydrate - (drink water) all of our organs flourish with water. The same goes for your skin, so drink up!

2.Exfoliating - try a gentle sugar or walnut scrub to gently remove dead skin cells from your pores.
Exfoliating leaves your skin smooth and radiant and of course, makes your pores smaller.

3.Using a face mask- try a pharmacy brand face mask to cleanse and remove oils and dirt from your face. You should use a face mask once a week. This too will help reduce the size of your pores.

4. Cleanse - wash your face daily to unclog pores. When your face is dirty the pores expand as they are filled with dirt.

5. Tone - use a toner. It helps to close the pores.  That cool tingle you feel when you rub on the toner is helping to cool your skin so that your pores close. (Remember, warm opens pores and cold closes them).

6. Moisturize - Some people think lotion clogs the pores but its actually not true.  Moisturizing actually helps produce less natural oils that can help clog the pores, ultimately making them bigger.

So, there you have it! Six easy steps to reduce the size of your pores!

Xo,

Rebeca


*Here are some products I like - 

Dickinson's Witch Hazel

Body Scrubs by Rebeca all natural coffee scrub

Clinique cleansing bar soap

Skincare Uses for Coconut Oil

I don't think I've ever mentioned how much I love coconut oil! Coconut oil is the fatty oil obtained 
from the coconut and used in candies,confections and in cosmetics.  I first learned about 
coconut oil after starting my skincare business in 2011. When I first started making natural body scrubs I only used oils that I was familiar with such as olive oils.  I was pretty ignorant to all of the other oils out there that are beneficial for the skin but after some research I discovered the benefits of coconut oil.  I'd love to share with you some of their many benefits for the skin. 

Lip Gel:  Cracks in our lips can be a source of worry, discomfort, and embarrassment. When we apply chemical gels on the lips, it is possible to consume those gels accidentally, even though they are somewhat toxic. Some gels may be edible, but you still don’t want to eat those chemicals.

Coconut oil comes as an ideal alternative in such cases. It acts quickly and even if it goes in your stomach, it will only give you additional benefits, so everyone wins!

Skin softener: Most of us use several creams and lotions for softening our skin, especially the skin of the face and hands. Coconut oil is a great skin softener and helps you do away with dry and hard skin conditions. Simply take some coconut oil on your palms, rub your palms against each other once or twice and then on your face, hands, or wherever you want to see the moisturizing effect.

Coconut oil is also good for hardened and cracked feet, which may happen due to excessive cold or strenuous work while standing on your feet. The cracks in your feet will not vanish, but your feet will become softer within days if you apply coconut oil to the affected area.

As an exfoliant, including coconut oil as an agent with other exfoliating or grainy materials like salts and sugars can vastly improve the effects. You will successfully scrape off excess dead skin and clean out whatever substances have blocked the pores without leaving the skin feeling irritated. The natural soothing nature of the oil combines with the grainy, exfoliating material perfectly, and leaves your skin with an even color, closed pores, and a soft texture.

Makeup Remover: Coconut oil can also be used a makeup remover. This is not common, but women have begun using it for removing the makeup of the face and eyes, without worrying about the harsh chemicals of other removers getting into delicate or sensitive areas.

Skin disorders: It is claimed that coconut oil is good for several skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Several readers have reported this benefit. However, scientific research is ongoing in order to prove or disprove these claims. Much of the research that is there speaks to its protein content, since the replacement of sick or dying cells that can occur with various skin disorders, are quickly replaced by new, healthy cells. In this way, coconut oil not only treats the infection by battling the microbial bodies, they also heal the damage or the visible marks of that skin disorder; it is a two-in-one solution!

www.organicfacts.net

Spring,Hair Removal and Exfoliation

You probably wouldn't think that spring, hair removal and exfoliation are something that go together hand in hand, but it's been a very long winter, and as we transition from colder temperatures to warmer temperatures, we have to be mindful about what our skin has gone through and how to properly prepare our skin for the spring- especially when it comes to hair removal.  


Our skin has been dry, scaly, rough, overheated and undernourished during the cold winter days and if your like most women you've paid less attention to your body hair and its time for some immediate de-fuzzing!  According to Claudia Spagnolo, among the best things you can do for your skin is a full-body exfoliating scrub before you shave, wax, Nair or whatever else you do to remove your unwanted body hair.

"If you use a mild natural ingredient like brown sugar to gently, and I repeat, gently rub your body several days before having a waxing or chemical hair removal, you'll loosen and remove dead skin cells, which will not only make your hair removal easier but also safer," says Spagnolo, director of the DeFranco Spagnolo Salon and Spa in Great Neck, N.Y.

Body Scrubs by Rebeca - Sweet Honey Almond scrub - $20 www.bodyscrubsbyrebeca.com 

Spagnolo says that the full-body scrub is also a great way to get ready for an application of any faux tanning product, adding that it "helps to ensure a more even application with less streaking."

Source: www.webmd.com

10 Winter Skincare Tips To Keep Your Skin Healthy

For many people, including myself the cold clear days of winter bring more than just a rosy glow to the cheeks. They also bring uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. For some people, the problem is worse than just a general tight, dry feeling: They get skin so dry it results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed).

As soon as you turn the heat on indoors, the skin starts to dry out, it doesn't matter if you heat your home using oil, wood, or electricity. The skin gets dry.

Check out these 10 tips to keep your skin healthy during the winter months:

1. See a Dermatologist

If you go to your local drugstore, you'll be hard put to find a salesperson who can give you good advice. That's why going to an esthetician or dermatologist even once is a good investment. 

2. Moisturize 

You may have found a moisturizer that works just fine in spring and summer.  But as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine.  Find an "ointment" moisturizer that's oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion.

3. Use Sunscreen

No, sunscreen isn't just for summertime. Winter sun -- combined with snow glare -- can still damage your skin. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they're exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside.

4. Protect Your Hands

The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it's harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. 

5. Exfoliate

During the cold months skin is very dry. With dry skin your skin needs to be exfoliated more. Try a good exfoliant. Exfoliating helps to remove the dead skin cells that you collect over time leaving your skin smooth and soft during the winter months. Try exfoliating with Body Scrubs by Rebeca.

6. Hook Up the Humidifier

Central heating systems (as well as space heaters) blast hot dry air throughout our homes and offices. Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. 

7. Hydrate for Your Health, Not for Your Skin

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Drinking water helps your skin stay young looking. In fact, it's a myth. Water is good for your overall health and "the skin of someone who is severely dehydrated will benefit from fluids.

8. Grease Up Your Feet

Yes, those minty foot lotions are lovely in the hot summer months, but during the winter, your feet need stronger stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead.

9. Pace the Peels

If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin.

10. Easy On the Hot Showers and Baths

Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. "You're better off with just warm water," LaPlante advises, "and staying in the water a shorter amount of time." A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda, can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Thanks for reading!

Source: www.webmd.com 

Taking Care of Your Skin in Your 30's

So, it's no secret that I've reached the rightful age of 30 earlier this year. Being 30 is something 
that I have embraced and am very proud of.  Being 30 isn't "old" as I once thought as a child, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not going to be getting any younger, BUT I sure can LOOK younger than my biological age.

As we get older our skin begins to change- we lose firmness, get fine lines, the parenthesis around our mouth and for some, early signs of wrinkles. Well, Rebeca doesn't have time for that! So here are some of the things I do to make sure my skin stays youthful for years to come.


Anti- Aging Skin Care Remedies

1. Water, Water, Water (Hydration)!!

If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.

As water is lost in large quantities every day, you need to replace it somehow. The unfortunate truth about drinking water and skin is that water will reach all the other organs before it reaches the skin. So, it's important to apply water to our skin and keep it there - this will not only show a visible difference in hydration, but it can prevent wrinkles, as well.

So what is the best way to add water to the skin?

• Apply a hydrating moisturizer within 2 minutes of leaving the bath or shower. The skin is still porous and is vulnerable to products that are applied following the bath or shower, allowing better absorption.

• Drink more water. Drinking at least 8 glasses a day will help rid the body and skin of toxins. Everyone will not agree that water consumption will improve skin… but it certainly can't hurt. Many people often report that by increasing their water intake, their skin has a more radiant glow. Those who suffer from acne have reported the same results. Nothing will happen overnight, but even a good couple of weeks of increasing water intake should be enough for you to see how hydration affects your own skin.

2. Sunscreen

Studies have shown that sunscreen doesn't only protect one from sunburns and skin cancer, sunscreen also has excellent anti-aging effects for the skin.  A 2013 research study by Australian scientists stated "regular sunscreen use protects against photoaging: the wrinkling, spotting and loss of elasticity caused by exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation."

Apply that sunscreen guys (yes, even black people)!

3. Exfoliate!

Exfoliation is the removal of the oldest dead skin cells that cling to the skin's outermost surface, or the epidermis.  Exfoliation is an important part of both facials and body treatments.  When done correctly, exfoliation leaves the skin feeling smoother and fresher looking.

There are two types of exfoliating processes - mechanical and chemical.  The mechanical method of exfoliation is my preference because I rather not use chemicals with all of those funny spelling ingredients.

I mechanically exfoliate by using Body Scrubs by Rebeca hand-made, natural body scrubs.

Body Scrubs by Rebeca gently exfoliates the skin leaving it soft, smooth and refreshing!

Well guys, I hope you find these anti-aging tips helpful as I practice them myself, daily to maintain my skin. 

Remember, getting older is truly a milestone and a blessing but we can choose the way we wish to age. Water, sunscreen and exfoliating will all help with that!

Xo,

Rebeca