Just Got My Nails Did @ Modern Touch

Okay this is not related to natural skin care in any ways but it is still related to beautifying and pampering yourself. I just recently paid a visit to Modern Touch, a newly opened nail salon. Located in the south side of Edmonton close to Argyl Plaza, co-owners, Lan and Trish,  opened the nail salon together in November.  Both ladies have been working in the beauty industry for 3 years and still constantly practicing to improve and perfect their skills. Using OPI and Colour Club lines, all sort of bright bold colours and glitter can be found here, not to mention their specialization in nail art.  The salon is spacious with calming atmosphere with friendly and attentive service.  There are hair salon station, a waxing room, as well as a massage room that they eventually want to rent out.  Whether it's Minx Nails from Sex & the City you're looking for, or Harajuku style 3D nail art, the girls can create one of a kind custom designs that will make heads turn. 

 

 Christina getting her gel on.

I was really happy with my manicure.  It took around an hour but Trish really took the time and paid close attention to details.  She asked me what design I wanted and gave suggestions on how to make it better.  The hand massage was extremely relaxing and I would go there just for that.  The design turned out really pretty.  Manicure is $15.  

There are several grand opening promotions going on.  This includes 10% off your first service, refer a friend for $5 off, as well as 50% off gel nails. So give them a call at 780-428-1777 and come check it out!

Find Modern Touch:
on Facebook
on Kijiji
on Twitter

Michelle Phan shares Thai beauty tips

Fun and beneficial for the skin!

The mud festival in Boryeong, South Korea is not only a fun festival to soak up and get dirty during the summer.  The mud dug up from around the area are rich in minerals and used by cosmetic manufacturing companies.  Imagine spending all day rolling around in the mud on a hot day, and leaving the scene with a glowing skin!

Beyond flavours: Spices that make your skin glow

Spices are great for adding flavours and aroma to food.  They have healthy benefits for the body when being consumed and also used as medicine.  Though not many regard spices as being used for skin care,  spices have been long used in beauty regimen since ancient times.   Spice trade was a driving force for the world economy particularly in India, Egypt, South East Asia and Roman.  The ancient beauty secrets that involved using spices in the skin care regime had also been passed on.  Winter is creeping in and skin can get dull and dry.  These spices come in handy for exfoliating and are already available  in your kitchen.

Lets explore the skin care benefits of these spices:

Cinnamon (อบเชย) Because cinnamon is rich in anti oxidants and helps stimulate blood circulation, it is considered to be an anti-aging agent and a mild astringent.

Peppercorn (เมล็ดพริกไทย) for treatment of eczema and itching.  Peppercorn extract is often used in bar soap or body cream.  It can also be used on sensitive skin.

Turmeric (ขมิ้น) has been used for over hundreds of years as a key ingredient for skin care in South East Asia.  Its contains high amounts of anti-oxidants, and vitamin A, C, E.  Due to its anti fungal properties, applying turmeric is known to treat acne, reduce hyper pigmentation, and fight free radical damage.  Frequent use of turmeric also shown to brighten dull skin and adds radiance.

Cumin (ยี่หร่า) Cumin seed oil is high in vitamin E, and has anti microbial properties.  It can be used as a moisturizer or for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Pandan (ใบเตย) Often used as food coloring and flavouring agent, pandan has a very delicious and comforting aroma.  Combined with other skin care agents, pandan scent is very refreshing and stimulates relaxation.
Ginger - Not only does ginger add flavours to dishes, it is also high in antioxidants and is often used for curing various ailments.  Some of its benefits include stimulating blood circulation, reducing inflammation.  For skin care, ginger extract can help reduce acne, lighten age spots, promotes smoothness and even skin tone.
Sandalwood(ไม้จันท์) for treating inflamed and irritated skin and acne, allergic reactions, adds radiance, cleanse and moisturize,
Aloe Fresh aloe has a very soothing and anti-inflammatory relief on skin. Not only is it a great cleanser, aloe also has anti-aging properties by offering more oxygen into skin cells, stimulating skin rejuvenation. See my previous post on more aloe skin care!

Ancient Thai herbal body scrub
Is your skin feeling snaggy from the cold dry winter yet?  This traditional Thai herbal scrub recipe is packed with vitamins which will hydrate and soften your skin.  It can also be used as anti-aging scrub to help skin stay dehydrated and rejuvenated.


Ingredients
1 cup sandalwood
1 cup cinnamon
1 cup  fresh aloe (or aloe gel)
1/2 cup pandan juice
1/2 cup warm water

Too much?? if you want to use only on certain areas rather than the whole body, you can cut the proportions to tablespoons instead of cups, and teaspoons for pandan and water.
Direction:
To extract pandan juice, blend chopped pandan leaves and keep adding in water until a paste is form.  Squeeze the living juice out of the paste using a strainer.

Combine all the ingredients together to form a grainy paste.  Scrub the mixture well all over the body between shower.  It takes some time for the ingredients to get absorbed so grab a magazine, listen to music, get comfortable.  After 15-20 minutes, rinse with warm water and moisturize with body lotion with coconut oil extract.


Apple strudel body scrub


Whether you're making breakfast, or baking a pie, this recipe would come in very handy and it is very simple to make.  Not only does it sound yummy, but all the ingredients used all have benefits on the skin.  Green apples are high in AHA, which would make a great exfoliant.  Oats are great for holding helping skin hold moisture and are gentle on sensitive skin.  Last but not least, cinnamon helps stimulate blood flow while scrubbing.

Ingredients:
1 green apple
1 cup tbsp. oat
1 tsp. vanilla essential oil
2 tsp. cinnamon

Cut up green apple and blend to form a paste.  Mix well with other ingredients.  Apply on desired area and scrub in circulating motion. Leave on for 10 minutes.

* As individuals sensitivity to natural ingredients may vary, remember to test small area with natural products first to see if irritations occur before application.

Protect your skin and hair from winter!

Winter is slowly creeping in and some may notice that the hair and scalp are affected by the changes in season.  Scalp may become very dry and flaky and hair may break and fall more easily.  Because the condition of your scalp affects the hair follicles, maintaining a healthy scalp directly correlated to the health of your hair.  When the weather is very dry, your scalp may also become very sensitive so stay clear off shampoo and conditioner with heavy chemicals which could strip even more natural oil or sebum off the scalp.   During shower, condition hair with natural coconut extract which are rich in vitamin E.  If you have time, give yourself a scalp massage while your hair is still wet with cold pressed coconut oil, or olive oil which are great for adding more lustre and soften to your hair.  Make sure to rinse out well after, or your hair will end up looking oily.  If possible, try to shampoo your hair less frequently during winter and avoid using extremely hot water as it can strip more sebum from the scalp and worsen dandruff.  Also, blow dry hair at medium or low heat high as high heat will further aggravate the scalp and increase breakage.

Coconut oil and moringa oil can also be used after shower as a great skin moisturizer and relief skin irritant as well.  Moringa contains antioxidants and is rich in vitamin and nutrients, and therefore, it has nourishing and emollient properties.  Because moringa contains antiseptic properties, regular use can help reduce acne and clear up blemishes as well.  It works well and is perfectly safe for all skin type, even sensitive skin.

Aside from treating the body from the outside, it is as important to nourish it from the inside as well.  To combat the dry weather, make sure you are drinking 8-10 glasses of water to keep the total body hydrated and well replenished.

DIY tamarind whitening scrub

Tamarind has been one of the most popular ingredients used in cooking in Thailand and other South East Asian countries.  Aside from adding flavours to dishes, it is also high nutrients and widely used for medicinal purposes. It is rich in fiber and vitamin C which helps with digestive problems and boosting immune system.  

Tamarind handmade natural soap 100 g

Tamarind is a perfect treatment for oily and acne prone skin due to antimicrobial properties.  High in AHA, tamarind can also be used as an exfoliant to remove dead skin, lighten skin tone, and reduce the appearance of blemishes.  Since the natural pulp of tamarind is very acidic, the facial skin will be irritated if applied on directly. Therefore, tamarind extract in natural soap or liquid form may be more gentle.  Nonetheless, natural tamarind can be combined and used on the body as a perfect body scrub.  This will be perfect for those who are having problems with body acne, uneven skin tone, exposing ingrown hair, or getting rid of dead cells.  Since this formula is quite strong, avoid contact with face and eyes.  Also, do not apply immediately after a shave or waxing as the skin will be very sensitive. 

Natural Tamarind Body Scrub

3/4 cup fresh tamarind juice (with pulp)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons bakin soda

2 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients together until forming a smooth paste. Exfoliate well with a loofah before or during shower.

Scalp and Hair Health

Scalp and Hair

Hair and scalp conditions such as dandruff, acne, hair falls may depend on several factors such as genetics, hygiene, illness, smoking, alcohol, diets, etc.  Although the genetic factor is uncontrollable, other lifestyle factors can be altered to help alleviate the symptoms.  Ingredients in your hair products can also contribute to aggregate and worsen the symptoms as well.  The scalp is basically one of the most absorbent parts of your body and also one of the most sensitive areas.  Therefore, whatever you put on your scalp, styling products, hair dye, treatments, a part of it also gets into your body.  The connection of a good health is reflected in the health of your scalp.  Some people maybe sensitive to the chemical ingredients in hair products than others.  Therefore, if you are suffering from hair and scalp problems, you may need to carefully monitor not only your lifestyle, but also the hair products you are using.  

The Ultimate Hair Treatment Duo: Bergamot x Butterfly Pea

Bergamot Shampoo - Bergamot or Kaffir lime is widely used as essential oil in aromatherapy.  Also, it is used for scalp treatment as it contains antiseptic properties which is used for combatting psoriasis, itchy scalp and dandruff.  Bergamot oil provides extra shine and protection to hair cuticle without leaving behind oily residue.  We are testing out our latest addition to the line, Bergamot shampoo extracted with its natural oil and PULP! Just to make sure we get to keep as much of the essential nutrients and their integrity as possible.  Bergamot shampoo works well for all hair type especially those who suffer from acne, itch, dandruff and hair fall.  Since it does not contain any added chemical agent, it does not foam as much during wash.  The trick is to massage the bergamot pulp onto the scalp and leave on for 2-3 minutes during the shower.  Afterwards, my hair and scalp are left feeling more cleaned, refreshed and easier to style between each wash.
I've used both bergamot pulp shampoo with every wash for over 3 weeks now.  I have very oily scalp, and with the shampoo, it really conditions your scalp without stripping out all the sebum, causing it to dry and flake out.  I definitely noticed the shine and silky texture after continuous use without any help of other additional hair styling products.

After one week 

After 3 weeks (Disregard my drunk face, look at how shiny my hair is!)

On to the next one, the yin to the yang.

Butterfly Pea Conditioner - Butterfly Pea (aka Clitoria Ternatea) is a native flower in Thailand called ดอกอัญชัญ (dok Anchan).  It is widely used for food colouring, cooking, and as hair treatment.  Traditionally, Butterfly Pea extracts were rubbedon eyebrows and hair as it was believe to have pigment darkening effect.  Today, Butterfly pea is widely used in Thailand as hair wash and as natural alternative to hair dye.   Studies have shown the flower to be a rich source of anthocyanin - a polyphenol anti-oxidant also found in red grapes, making it much more beneficial to consume as well to apply topically.  In Thailand, Butterfly Pea juice not only gives out a beautiful blue colour and definitely satisfies your thirsts, but also jam-packed with nutrients and antioxidants.  

Delicious fresh butterfly pea juice

Butterfly Pea conditioner has the necessary proteins to nourish hair follicles, promoting hair growth, and leaving strands soft and glossy.  It is rich in pigment but will not stain bathroom floors.  Butterfly pea hair products, especially as natural hair dyes, are popular use in Thailand but is gaining popularity around Asia and Middle East.  

Gentle formulas and chemical preservatives free, these shampoo and conditioner are non irritating and perfect for all hair types.  Natural, exotic, effective, safe - your hair and scalp will be thankful.

Chocolate Body Wrap

I was recently treated with a chocolate body wrap courtesy of Marvel College in Edmonton, Alberta.  The services there are offered by students as a part of their learning curriculum.  The experience I had was wonderful.  I was scrubbed down with honey and brown sugar exfoliant to eliminate dead skin cells. It has a sweet aroma and the right texture, not too sticky and not too oily.  Then, I was moisturized with cocoa cream before being treated with the warm chocolate wrap and tucked in like a cocoon for about 20 minutes.  Using chocolate for body wrap is definitely a fun way as it is both beneficial for the skin and stimulating for the senses as well.  The cocoa mixture contains other compounds and minerals   for hydrating and soothing the skin.  The delicious chocolate scent calms and relaxes your senses, while the warm and thick texture of hot cocoa fondue is being smothered all over your body.  After, the chocolate is washed off in a hydro shower with steamer before being moisturized with a light massage.  The whole treatment takes about an hour and a half and I definitely noticed how much softer my skin felt after the treatment.  The best part is I still smell a bit like chocolate after! Of course, I won't mind doing this on a regular basis.

Bernard Cassiere, the brand of products being used for the treatment, is a natural skin care line from France. Established in 2000, the brand is well known for the chocolate skin care products, which are offered exclusively at certain locations in Canada.  I quite enjoyed the products and looking forward to trying more in the future.

Do it right from your home! (a bit messy and you may need another person there to help with the wrap)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of sugar
olive or coconut oil

First stage: honey and sugar exfoliate  

Make sure you use big sugar granules for a good scrub.  Mix 2 ingredients together to make one cup.  You may want to add olive or coconut oil for extra moisturizing power.

Ingredients:

2 dark chocolate bars, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup whole milk
plastic wraps (or to improvise, use clean garbage bags cut out)
several big towels you won't mind getting messy
2 small face towels

Second stage: the chocolate fondue wrap
Melt chocolate bars and mix honey and whole milk to the mixture.  Make sure you cool down the chocolate to warm so it doesn't burn the skin when you apply.

Procedure:
*warning: This will get messy!
Sit on a mat layered with towels on the bottom and plastic wraps on top.  Exfoliate all over the body with honey and sugar.  With a warm and moist towel, wipe away all the granules from the body.  Then, cover entire body with the warm chocolate mixture starting with the legs.  Make sure you do a couple layers while the chocolate is still warm.  The chocolate mixture would also make a great face mask as well. Start wrapping yourself with the plastic wrap starting from your feet up, followed by wrapping with towels.  Make sure you are well tucked in.  It is a good idea to use some kind of support for your knees and neck to keep yourself elevated and comfortable.   After 20 minutes, rinse off the chocolate with warm shower and moisturize immediately.

Thai herbal 101

List of ingredients commonly use in Thai cuisine, medicine, and skin care regime. Check out their benefits here!

Green Tea benefits for natural skin care

1.Weight Loss - green tea extract is rich in polyphenols and caffeine which stimulate fat oxidation and increase metabolic rate.  Green tea consumption should be limited to 2 - 3 cups / day.
2.Cancer and heart disease - consumption is green tea is also shown to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and reducing risks of cardiovascular disease.  Studies suggest that polyphenols in green tea inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells.
3. Skin care - High in vitamin C, minerals, and phytochemical compounds, green tea helps increase elasticity and skin rejuvenation.  Anti oxidants in green tea reduces appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and lighten uneven complexion.  The leaves can be used as a gentle exfoliant to give skin a healthy glow.
4. Inflammation - Green tea extract has anti-inflammatory effects on sensitive skin
5. Acne - Green tea catechins are anti-bacterial and can control acne breakouts without side effects.  To create a green tea toner, simply steep green tea into a cup of distilled or mineral water.  Apply to affected areas with cotton pads.
6. Tired puffy eyes - Caffeine in green tea can help stimulate blood circulation.  Steeped green tea pouches can be refrigerated for 2 hours then placed over tired eyes to alleviate puffiness.

Skin care NO NO's: Cockroach face mask

I'm still not 100% sure if this is real or fake because of the cockroach legs strategically placed on her face.  Nonetheless, I hate cockroaches and I think they are dirty.  I know of nutrients in the fruits and yogurt, but cockroaches blended and mixed with yogurt for face mask? I think it can only do more harm than good.

Thailand, the land of spa

During the early 2000's, the growth of the spa industry in Thailand rocketed by an exhilarating 64% and since 1999 Thailand has secured itself a top-5 world rating. Currently, Thailand is the second highest ranked spa destination and one of the largest spa exporters in the world.  If you have traveled to Thailand, you have seen health spas flourish in almost every street corner.  The popularity soared with the locals becoming more health conscious and looking for natural ways to relax and detoxify while foreigners often seek traditional Thai massage and being in a tropical retreat.  Most commonly seen spas are 4 to 5 star resort and spas which are often destination retreat for honeymoon couples, or foreigners who often come back to relax.   Health spas in Thailand usually includes Thai traditional massage, detoxification, body wraps, and rejuvenating facial treatments.  


The uniqueness of Thai spa comes from a combination of holistic approach to healing and balancing the body and spirit with nature.  Thai traditional massage originated around 2500 hundred years ago.  Practitioners operate the massage with yoga-like postures, treating the body as a "vessel" which permeates "air", energy, to travel through.  Since ancient times, both traditional massage and the use of natural ingredients are combined to treat ailments and skin disorders.  Abundant with botanicals, Thailand is rich in both resources and knowledge of the healing properties of these plants on human physiology.  The same ingredients used in modern day skincare products today are the same that were used over one hundred years ago in Thailand.  They include coconut oil, rice bran oil, moringa, bergamot, etc.  Aromatherapy used with essential oils extracted from tropical herbs and flowers such as orchid, jasmine, ginger, and lemongrass have also become distinct signature scents for Thai spa.  

Harnn & Thann goes head-to-head against skin-care giants

Harnn & Thann goes head-to-head against skin-care giants

Fadi Ghaby has a nose for business. After falling in love with the exotic scents and smells of Thailand, the savvy businessman jumped at the opportunity to bring them home.

Ghaby is the owner of Harnn & Thann North America. The Thai-based, all-natural skin-care line enjoys huge success throughout Asia, Australia and Europe. Surprisingly, its North American headquarters is in Ottawa. The brand's success across the continent rests largely on Ghaby's shoulders, as he gets set to take on the leading skin-care giants.

"I am blown away by the product," he says. "Both men and women love it. The line is exotic but not feminine."

The 37-year-old believes people buy products from companies that have a huge marketing machine behind them such as Aveda, Clinique and the Body Shop.

Harnn was first launched in Thailand in 1999 as a home-spa product company. Thann was created three years later to promote its skin-and hair-care line. The company now boasts 70 stores in 22 countries. The two lines feature all-natural face and body care, moisturizers, cleansers, aromatherapy and anti-aging products. All are paraben-free with no artificial colours or fragrances, and the packaging is made from recycled materials.

"Asian culture is about balance. Our concept is to calm people down by concentrating on mind, body and spirit," Ghaby says.

The sensual aromas of jasmine, orange, magnolia, lemon grass and cinnamon greet visitors at his store, where customers can purchase full spa treatments.

"When people try it, they're addicted, but this is a niche market where we have to entice the right customer," Ghaby says. "Our client is not usually an impulse buyer. They want information on ingredients, product line, and will return to make a purchase."

Ingredients include sesame seed oil, rice bran oil, chamomile and honey extract and Shiso essential oils.

Ghaby, a former JDS Uniphase employee, left the field of high-tech in 2006 to become an entrepreneur.

"When a friend brought back the product from Thailand, my wife and I tried it and were hooked. I went to Bangkok, met the owners and the rest is history."

Visit www.thann.ca

What's the deal with parabens?

What are parabens?
Parabens are a class of synthetic chemicals used in preservatives for cosmetics.  Their anti-fungal properties stop the spread of bacteria and increasing the shelf-life of products.  They are known to be effective and low-cost which explains why they are widely used by many cosmetic brands.  Recently, there has been much controversy regarding the health risks on the long-term use of paraben containing products.  In many inconclusive studies, there seems to be an indirect correlation to breast cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive problems.  Even though, there is no restriction on the use of parabens in cosmetics, there are heavy restrictions on the production and labelling of product ingredients.  In the past years, consumers are becoming more concerned of the potential risks associated with the long-term use of products.  Instead, they actively search the market for natural alternatives which exclude parabens, aluminum, mineral oil, and so forth.  Due to the vast reduction in demands, cosmetic companies are responding by promoting natural or organic product lines that are "paraben/chemical-free".

Natural alternatives 
When shopping for natural skin care products, consumers should look for "paraben-free"labelling and checking the list of ingredients.  For more information on how to check the labelling, click here.

In cosmetics, parabens are being replaced by grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E and essential oil as natural preservatives.  Some "paraben-free" deodorants contain caster seed oil which absorbs and neutralizes odour.  Alum (potassium alum) is an organic compound known for reducing bacteria growth.  Due to its large molecule, it is impossible to be absorbed through the skin.  It is also biodegradable and free of toxins, making it one of the main ingredients for natural deodorants.


 While many consumers can take a breather knowing that the natural, "paraben-free" products are completely  safe, but how effective is the natural alternative compared to the previous?  Here is a testimonial of one consumer on the use of "paraben-free" deodorant:

"On the stick my new deodorant smelled like honey drizzled over fresh-cut hay. On my armpit it smelled like a child caked in sweaty, urine-drenched baby powder."

In terms of perspiration, natural deodorants do not prohibit or suppress sweat production.  The body odour caused by perspiration is simply masked by the scent, and the rate of bacteria growth is reduced.  Therefore, even though natural and "paraben-free" deodorants do not get absorbed through the skin, they do not last just as long and have to be used more frequent to achieve desirable results.  Also, everybody has different body scent that when interacts with a fragrant and sweats, will produce a completely different scent.  Some might turn out smelling great, while others with the same scent might turn out repulsive.  It might be a good idea to test out which essential oil extract will produce the best outcome when combined with your body scent.  Try testing a small area for a few hours and see if that turns out alright.

Honey and lime: not just good for curing sore throats

 Now everybody knows the lime and honey are great for soothing sore throats, and adding flavours to food and beverages.  But the duo also makes quite a potent facial cleanser especially for oily, acne-prone skin. First, honey has antibacterial properties which makes it a great cleanser even for sensitive skin.  Furthermore, it has the ability to absorb and retain moisture for the skin without any oiliness.  Skin will be left feeling softer as elasticity is maintained.  The second portion, citrus fruits such as lime and lemon, contain high levels of vitamin C and their extracts are often used in skincare lightening products as they are high in AHA.  At natural state, fresh lime juice is much too acidic and can irritate skin.  Be sure to keep the ingredients away from the eyes at all times as once in contact, it will sting like there is no tomorrow!

This natural treatment is great for the summer as it will eliminate excess oil build up.  Vitamin C in lime also acts as a light peel by removing dead skin cells, exposing a fresher, more even complexion. 

Honey Lime cleanser (for normal to oily skin): Dilute 1 teaspoon lime juice with 2 teaspoons distilled water.  Add 2 tablespoons of honey and mix all the ingredients together.  

(for dry and senstive skin): Use the mixture above and add 2 table spoons of yogurt.  The yogurt acts as a buffer to reduce the acidity of lime juice, and revitalizes with a radiant glow. 

Direction: Splash warm water on the face, gentle massage the cleanser on the face in small circular motion, starting with forehead.  Work your way down the t-zone, around cheekbones, and upper and lower lips.  The whole process should take about 2-3 minutes.  Once you evenly cover the entire facial area, leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.  If your skin feels irritated, rinse off immediately.  Apply your favourite moisturizer.  After treatment with fruits high in AHA, it is best to use plenty of sunscreen before stepping out as AHA treatment can cause skin to be more sensitive to sunlight.  

After repeating for a few weeks, you should see the difference in a more supple, clear, and lighter complexion.

Egg for skin and hair care: my testimonial

Egg is a common ingredient for natural skin and hair care.  It works well on oily skin as the egg white absorbs oil and reduce pores, treating minor acne and firms up skin.   Also, the yolk is used to condition and moisturizes the skin.  After talking to a dermatologist, he doesn't recommend egg mask for everybody.  Due to its protein content, egg not recommended with people who are prone for breakouts or have sensitive skin as the enzymes can aggravate and irritate skin.   After careful consideration, I put the egg to the test, separating the white and the yolk.  After a quick whisk, I massaged the egg white all over the face particularly in the t-zone area.   While wearing the mask, I definitely felt my skin tightened as the egg dries.  After 10 minutes I washed off the mask and my skin felt slightly more firm.  I will use this maybe once every 2 weeks since it does a good job absorbing oil and drying out minor acne.

As for hair care, it is quite well-known that using egg as hair mask will soften and adds shine to hair.  I wonder how accurate it would be, so I decided to go with quite a basic hair mask recipe.  After trying it, I definitely recommend this to all those who have dry and limp hair.  After conditioning my hair with egg mixture, I washed it off with coconut shampoo.  The result? Extremely soft, smooth, and silky hair. I am not more impressed with this treatment, I absolutely LOVE it!!

Egg Hair Mask Recipe

1 beaten egg
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. of virgin coconut oil or olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together.  Massage the scalp to stimulate blood flow, make sure you work mixture into the strands, and leave for 5 minutes.  Rinse and shampoo.  Do this twice a week and I guarantee you will have soft and silky smooth hair!

More summer time skin care with Aloe!

If you haven't plant yourself an aloe plant already, it's at your best interest to get it started.  As I've mentioned in the previous blog, aloe is great for treating sunburns, eczema and other skin irritations.  More of its health benefits include aiding digestive system, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, and speeds up healing for wounds.  It also serves as a perfect skin care at its raw state.  The gel from the aloe not only moisturizes, but helps clear up any acne or irritations caused by toxins, makeup, or pollution.  All you need is to cut off an aloe leaf (it grows back very fast), slice of the skin.  Make sure you rinse with water and get rid of all the brown sap.  Slice up the aloe into thin pieces and refrigerate until cool.  Rub the aloe pieces all over your face, and make sure that you get the gel out.  Massage your face with aloe pieces until the gel is absorped into your skin.  Repeat until all the gel is absorbed.  Leave on for 15 minutes or until your skin is dried and rinse of with water.  Your skin will be left feeling extremely refreshed, smooth, and firm.  It is great for all skin type.  Use it several times a week and you will have a naturally smooth glowing skin. Try it today!

Fish Spa

One of the most recent spa treatments that has gained a lot of popularity is a foot or pedicure treatment by Garra Rufa fish, also known as “Doctor Fish.” Feet are emerged into a small pool or filled with these little carp who eat away at the dead skin on your feet.  The "Doctor Fish" spas initially started in the Middle East particularly in Turkey.  In 2006, resorts in Hakonne, Japan started bringing in the fish spa treatment.  Currently, there are fish spa widely offered all over the world.


My Experience
These fish spas are all over Thailand.  I tried a session for 15 minutes and I decided to go in the pool with smaller fish.  After going in, the whole school of fish swarmed at my feet and even though there were 2 people in the pool, they were mostly interested at my feet (I guess there was much to work with). If you are ticklish, then this will not be an option.  It felt a bit tingly and I could feel the suction on my feet (but thousands of suctions at the same time).  I was told that the bigger fish bite even harder so I decided to stay with the small ones.  Afterwards, I definitely felt a huge change.  My feet were much softer and the doctors did a good job of cleaning them up! 

How to get baby soft skin!

Your groceries are more useful than just for your belly, they also make great skin food.  If you are looking for a facial treat that will make your skin noticeably softer and smoother, I have a perfect mask recipe that you can make straight out of your kitchen. I'm torn between calling it the Banana Flambe or the Monkey Mask. Anyways, here it goes:

For 1 serving:
1/2 a banana
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. virgin coconut oil or virgin olive oil
optional: 2 tbsp. Yogurt

Mash the banana and mix the ingredients all together to form a paste.

Rub the mixture all over the face and give it a nice light massage.  Leave the mask on for 15 mins then rinse off.

Banana has AHA which is great for skin rejuvenation, brightening up complexion, reduce lines, treating blemish and light acne.  If you're skin is not so sensitive you can also try adding a squeeze of lemon juice to increase the AHA (but do not use if your skin is inflamed!).  Other than its treatment function, banana is also great for hydrating skin.  Honey works well in cleansing as it has anti-bacterial function.  The combination is great for cleansing and moisturizing the skin.  It has no added preservatives or extra chemicals! Try it out and see how you like it!

Charcoal Soap

Charcoal has been used throughout Asia for skin care purposes.  The carbon in charcoal draws out impurities and residues from pollution and cosmetics, leaving skin firmer, glowing, and softer.  With a hint of cinnamon scent, charcoal soap is delightful for cleansing oily skin after a long day in the sun and pollution, or after a night out filled with sweats and heavy makeup. 

I've been using charcoal soap for over a month now.  The first few times I washed my face with it, I noticed that my skin felt a little bit tight.  After 2 weeks, I noticed that my skin complexion was more even. The downside is that frequent use tends to dry out.  I wouldn't recommend washing your face with charcoal soap on a daily basis, maybe 2-3 times per week followed by moisturizer. 

Aloe for sunburn treatment

So you have forgotten to wear sunscreen with SPF at least 30+, and now you are left looking like a red lobster. Soon enough, you will be golden brown with dead skin peeling off like a snake shedding its skin. The best remedy and the first step in treating sun burns is to slap on a fresh piece of aloe right on the burn areas.

Aloe has both cooling and moisturizing effects as it miraculously absorbs the heat from the burned skin. I rubbed fresh pieces of aloe on the sun burned areas and I could feel the skin cooling and relieving the sting. After the gel dries out, slice off the dry layer to expose a fresher layer.  Aloe, if not fully used, can be kept in the refrigerator or submerged in water.  It will become hydrated again.  The next day, my skin is not as red, there is no skin peeling, and the stinging disappeared.

If you are unfortunate and no aloe plant can be found nearby, the next alternative is to find aloe gel in a local drugstore. Your skin will still peel, but will heal much faster and less painful than without. Once the skin starts to peel, exfoliate with loofah and coconut body scrub to remove dead skin, soften and moisturize the new layer of skin. Don't forget to moisturize with lotion containing shea butter or oatmeal at least twice a day.

Summer time skincare

Each summer vacation I spend outside of North America, particularly in hot tropical weather where the heat rises up to 40 c, I always feel like peeling off my face and get brand new skin. As I spend most of the time in Canada where the weather is mostly cold and dry, being in Asia has caused all my pores to open up 10 times more than normal. Imagine all the worst factors that can possibly ruin your skin combined all together. For example, Thailand has the heat + humidity + makeup (because sometimes, you just have to) + pollution = one dirty face. Having sensitive AND mixed combination skin type does not help. Delicate treatment and prevention are crucial. To save myself from spending the rest of the vacation looking like a grease monkey, I searched and searched for remedy and how to battle the weather. Luckily, I found a few solutions that are working against the environment.

1. The miracle of WATER

Your body sweats a lot more during intense heat, leaving you dehydrated. Coupled with pol

lution, and poor diet, this could really damage your skin. It is important to clean from the inside as well as outside. Drink lots of water throughout the day to replenish lost fluids and also to help your body clean out the toxins from the air and diet. I try to practice what I preach, but sometimes I find it extremely hard to keep up with drinking 7-8 glasses of water per day. So as a rule, I force myself to drink a glass of water when I wake up, one glass with each meal, one during the afternoon, and one before bed. That's already 6 minimum, though, it's not difficult to accomplish when the weather is scorching hot outside and you feel like you're dying of thirst.

2. A good bar of herbal soap

Twice a day, wash your face with glyceri

n soap that has ingredients containing AHA and anti oxidants. I find herbal soaps great because they only contain natural ingredients which won't harm the skin in the long run. I use aloe and seaweed glycerin soap which keeps my skin squeaky cleaned and dehydrated at the same time.

Too much pollution in the air also causes redness on my cheeks. Before bed, I use charcoal soap which detoxifies and removes impurities off the skin. After 3 weeks, I notice that the redness and rashes on my cheeks subdued and my complexion also is also lightened and even out. The glycerin soaps are not long term therapeutic and have to be used regularly. I find that once I stop using charcoal soap for a few days, the rash and acne start to come back. Also, you should test of sensitive your skin is the the soap by testing small amount on the body first to see if there is irritation.

3. Deep cleansing

When I feel like my face still has a lot of oil and dirt build up, small amount of Neutrogena astrigen does the trick. As a mild alcohol base, astrigent deeply removes excess dirt and oil. Only use it in oil prone areas such as t-zone, though, as it tends to dry out the skin.

4. Moisturize

Because of my mild combination skin, I need to use moisturizer that is light and not too greasy. I also try to stick to the ones with the least amount of chemicals as possible. I find Thann rice extract lotion, which is high in Vitamin E, really light and not sticky at all. Best of all, my skin is left silky soft and smelling nice.