Hyper-pigmentation and Dark Spots on Legs

This is a very personal post for me and was debating as to whether or not to share it. But I'm sure people can relate to this.  So here it goes...


After this long, cold and harsh winter in New York, I am so ready for  spring and summer! Although I adore these seasons,with it comes the fact that I have to show skin- especially the skin on my legs.

Since I was a child I have been plagued with dark spots on my legs and arms (more so on my legs) from mosquito bites! Getting a mosquito bite causes the hyper pigmentation on my skin and i'm left with an unsightly dark spot(s).  Therefore, getting ready for warmer temperatures left me wanting to hide and keep on long items of clothing.  With maturity, I learned to love myself and accept my flaws but still work to improve them. And so, I'd like to share with you some information on hyper pigmentation and dark spots, with steps to remedy them.


Hyper pigmentation is the darkening of the skin or nails caused by increased melanin. Melanin is a broad term for a group of natural pigments.


Dark spots, put simply, acne or any type of inflammatory trauma to the skin can lead to excess production of melanin which causes post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation dark spots.

So how can we minimize or lighten the appearance of dark spots on our legs caused from mosquito bites?

Figure 1.0 -(web image)

After this long, cold and harsh winter in New York, I am so ready for  spring and summer! Although I adore these seasons,with it comes the fact that I have to show skin- especially the skin on my legs.

Since I was a child I have been plagued with dark spots on my legs and arms (more so on my legs) from mosquito bites! Getting a mosquito bite causes the hyper pigmentation on my skin and i'm left with an unsightly dark spot(s).  Therefore, getting ready for warmer temperatures left me wanting to hide and keep on long items of clothing.  With maturity, I learned to love myself and accept my flaws but still work to improve them. And so, I'd like to share with you some information on hyper pigmentation and dark spots, with steps to remedy them.


Hyper pigmentation is the darkening of the skin or nails caused by increased melanin. Melanin is a broad term for a group of natural pigments.


Dark spots, put simply, acne or any type of inflammatory trauma to the skin can lead to excess production of melanin which causes post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation dark spots.

So how can we minimize or lighten the appearance of dark spots on our legs caused from mosquito bites?

Follow these tips -

Correcting the Dark Spots

If you couldn’t resist the urge to scratch or had an inflammatory reaction that caused hyperpigmentation spots you can try using lightening ingredients. Some recommend using hydroquinone for fading dark marks, but it can be problematic for skin of color. You can also use treatments specifically created to heal scars like Bio Oil, Mederma, and Scar Zone.

When using fade creams or ingredients to fade marks, only apply the lightening agents to the dark spots. Don’t apply to the unaffected skin.Visiting a dermatologist for a chemical peel is also a great way to remove the layer of skin affected by the dark spots. 

Natural ingredients for Fading Dark Marks

• Vitamin E applied to bite marks helps reduce redness and helps the skin heal.
• Rosehip seed oil helps reduce the discoloration and even out skin tone.
• Licorice is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that also has skin lightening properties.
• Coconut oil can lighten dark marks.
• Tomato exfoliates and lightens the skin.
• Lemons and limes are natural skin lighteners. (Try a Lemon Burst body scurb)
• Papaya helps fade dark spots and even out skin tone. Green papaya can be mixed with lemon or lime juice to help lighten spots.

Precautions

• When applying a substance for lightening spots, leave on for about 10 minutes and then rinse. It could take two to three months for spots to fade.
• Make sure that the topical ointment used is hypoallergenic and won’t cause an allergic reaction and cause further inflammation.
• When using any ingredient, be sure to do a patch test in a small area like the inner elbow to make sure you will not have an allergic reaction, which will only exacerbate the problem.
• Whatever treatment you decide to use, always protect the treated area with sunscreen. Apply sunscreen whenever the area will be exposed to the sun. Sun exposure can make the dark marks worse. In addition some people find that sun exposure also causes a bite to itch again (Source: multiculturalbeauty.about.com).

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

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 

Why You Should Take Off Your Make-up Before Bed

Now at some point or another we've all forgot to take off our make-up before we get under the covers and go to bed. What harm can it be right?  Well, maybe one time or so is not so bad but constantly going to bed without taking off your make-up can be doing your skin some harm.

In a recent survey, a third of women questioned confessed to sleeping with their slap on at least twice a week. 

Yet those very same women did so despite believing that skipping their skincare routine before bedtime would give them spots, dry their skin and make their eyelashes brittle.

An English woman decided to go a whole month without taking her make up off before bed and the results are staggering!

See below:

Not removing make-up regularly for a whole month.

Removing make-up regularly.

Over the period of a month the woman's skin experience the following:

PAINFULLY DRY

The camera showed that the surface texture of her skin was around ten per cent worse (i.e. more uneven) on her forehead and on the right hand side.

On the left hand side, it was around 20 per cent worse.  This meant that even less oxygen would get to the skin here, which would magnify any problems that the lingering make-up might have caused.

WRINKLES

Although the wrinkles on her forehead hadn't worsened significantly, they had become deeper on both the right and left hand sides of my face.

Dr Williams said that it's no coincidence these were also the driest parts of her face.

'When skin is dry, it's less elastic so wrinkles are more prominent,' she told me.

SKIN IRRITATION

The woman's skin is sensitive and prone to redness anyway. This meant that even before the experiment she scored in the bottom six per cent of women my age.

A month in and it had become two percentage points worse. Any more of a downward slide and she would be an off-the-scale mass of angry, dilated facial capillaries. Dr Williams, her doctor  told her this redness was a sign of irritation in the skin.

'Sleeping in make-up,' she warned, 'has an occlusive effect (it forms a barrier over the surface of the skin).

'This means any irritants are locked in, exacerbating any allergic reactions, and moisturisers are locked out.'

DAMAGED PORES

The pictures showed that her pores were about five per cent larger than they had been at the start. Dr Williams said this was partly due to physical clogging.

'Dirt in pores not only makes them more noticeable and thus appear larger but, over time, we think it can actually stretch them.'

However, she also believed that it was a sign that my skin had aged over the month.

CONCLUSION?

The woman's skin had aged greatly in a month. She aged her skin by about ten years by not removing her make up. It is highly important to remove your make up at night time before going to sleep, especially if you want to be forever young!

Long-term avoidance of washing while continuing to wear make-up is detrimental to skin in the long run.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2380419/What-sleeping-make-does-skin-Our-shocking-experiment-exposes-happens.html#ixzz3HpmYslHj

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

Dark Under Eye Circle Remedies

Do people tell you that you look tired all the time? Do you look in the mirror and wonder why you have those dark circles around your eyes? 

Yup. That's you. You have the dreaded dark circles also known as skin discoloration. This can be caused by fatigue, genetics or age.

You're probably thinking you will look tired and old forever right? Nope - not the case my friend. 

Here are three natural tips to help reduce the appearance of those dreaded dark circles around your eyes -

1. Almond Oil

Almond oil is a great natural ingredient that is very beneficial for the delicate skin around your eyes. Regular usage of almond oil will help fade your under eye circles. In addition to almond oil, you can use vitamin E oil to eliminate dark circles under the eyes.

•Before going to bed, apply a little almond oil over the dark circles and gently massage it into the skin.

•Leave it on overnight.

•The next morning, wash it off with cold water.

•Follow this remedy daily until the dark circles disappear. 

    

2. Cucumber

Cucumbers have skin-lightening and mild astringent properties that help fix those raccoon eyes naturally. Plus, they have a soothing and refreshing effect.

•Cut a fresh cucumber into thick slices and chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Put the slices onto the affected skin area for about 10 minutes. Wash the area with water. Repeat twice daily for about a week or more.

•Another option is to mix cucumber juice with lemon juice in equal amounts. Use a cotton ball to apply the mixture on the affected skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off with water. Follow this remedy daily for at least one week.

3. Lemon Juice

The vitamin C present in lemon juice can also help remove dark circles under the eyes, thanks to its skin-lightening properties.

•Use a cotton ball to apply fresh lemon juice around your eyes. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and rinse it off. Do this once daily for a few weeks.

•Another option is to make a thick paste by mixing one tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of tomato puree, a pinch of gram flour (besan) and turmeric powder. Apply this thick paste gently around your eyes. Rinse it off with clean water after 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat two or three times every week.

Note: If the lemon juice causes a burning sensation then discontinue its use.

I hope these tips were helpful to you but as with most things you're not going to see results over night. You have to do this repeatedly to see a difference.

Xo,

Rebeca 💕