Vitamins for Your Skin

When picking the right skin product it is a good idea to check the ingredients to see if it has the right skin nourishing combination. Good product should contain most if not all of following vitamins to keep skin supple and healthy:

a) Vitamin A

Vitamin A is in charge of maintenance and repair of vital skin tissue, and is the key to healthy skin. Lack of vitamin A can cause skin dryness and wrinkles.

b) Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B complex contains the nutrient, biotin, which forms the basis of nails, skin, and hair cells. It is anti-inflammatory, it hydrates the skin cells and gives a healthy glow to skin.

c) Vitamin C

In skin, vitamin C can help collagen production. This in turn reduces wrinkles, improves skin texture, and reduces photo damage.

d) Vitamin E

The trick to getting soft touchable skin is vitamin E. It regenerates skin and can improve appearance of acne scars.

e) Vitamin K

Vitamin K is your secret weapon to fighting dark circles and bruises. This vitamin helps fade discolorations on the skin, reducing puffiness and dark circles that so many of us suffer from.

While off the shelf cosmetic product can come packed with artificially synthesized vitamin groups, you really want to go as organic as possible. Organically sourced vitamins absorb into skin better and are more potent bringing better overall skin benefits.  Whenever possible choose the facial products that source vitamins from organic ingredients.

When it comes down to your skin, healthier is better. Please check out our  great selection of organic products at Nina Bella Organic Collection.

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How Do SLS Free, Natural and Organic Bath and Beauty Products Differ?

In quest for healthier bath and beauty products more and more of us are tuning toward organic/natural alternatives. Question that consistently comes up in organic/natural bath and beauty market is what is difference between SLS free, natural and organic bath and beauty products?  It is really simple really…

SLS Free Bath and Beauty Products

As the name implies SLS Free products do not contain SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), SLS Free products use mild saponifying agents, such as Decyl Glucoside and raw Coco Glucoside, derived from natural ingredients. Mild saponifying agents clean equally well, but foam less and are not damaging to skin, hair and body. Mild saponifying agents closely match skin’s pH, and thus do not overstrip skin from natural oils while cleaning. This means they will not cause skin irritation, allergies and skin dryness and leave skin soft, moisturized and balanced skin and hair soft, manageable and touchable.

Natural Bath and Beauty Products

Natural products are made from natural, wild crafted and organic ingredients in different proportions. When a product is labeled as “natural”, this means that the entire product is made from greater than 70% and up to 95% of natural, wild-crafted, organic and/or organic certified ingredients. Natural standards vary from country to country but there are rules that determine what can and what cannot be labeled as natural in Canada and USA. When a product is labeled as “natural”, this means that the entire product is made from greater than 70% and up to 95% natural, wild-crafted, organic and/or organic certified ingredients whichever the case may be.

Organic Bath and Beauty Products

Organic products are made from organic certified ingredients only. Organic certified means that a plant or other natural material is certified produced as pesticide free. Organic standards and certification vary from country to country but there are rules that determine what can and what cannot be labeled as organic in Canada and USA. When a product is labeled as “organic”, this means that the entire product is made from greater than 95% organic certified ingredients.

The proof is as they say in the pudding. And in the natural/organic bath and beauty market it all comes down to what kind of pudding you like… And remember – when in doubt – ask – Nina Bella Collection is always here to answer.

Erase Stretch Marks with Cacao Oil

Weight loss does not guarantee a firm body!

Stretch marks stem from dermis damage caused by hormonal and weight fluctuations. As the skin is stretched and contracted, its elasticity decreases until dermis is damaged causing scars. Scars are initially red but then fade to white or off white, visible just enough to make beach visits a pure nightmare. Stretch marks are most commonly found where skin is stressed the most such as breasts, thighs, hips, abdomen, arms, around the belly button, buttocks, and back. No matter what the cause stretch marks are an unseemly reminder of skin’s natural lifecycle and it is rare few that escape them.  As far as the rest of us – they are better off wished gone, camouflaged, or if when nothing else works – hidden. Bottom line is whatever you do to treat stretch marks is better than leaving them be. And the most obvious solution is, as always, right in front of us and that is organic cacao oil. You can minimize stretch marks just using specific organic cacao oil preparations for just 10 minutes every day. Mix it up as follows:

Ingredients:

20 grams of organic cacao oil

20 grams of organic almond oil

20 grams of organic apricot kernel oil

20 grams of glycerin

10 grams of nigella oil

10 grams of St John’s wort oil

10 grams of olive oil

10 grams of flex seed oil

Blend all ingredients well until uniform. Apply the mixture on clean and dry skin of the affected area and gently massage in. Let the skin absorb the mixture, then wait minimum 10 minutes. To get a good result apply once a day. You will observe visible results in just a few weeks. So go on and enjoy that bikini!! Compliments of Nina Bella!

Fragrance Oils – Bad for Your Skin!

Fragrance oils. They smell nice and they are cheap. And they are also very bad for your health and for your skin.

Our skin is our body’s largest organ. It covers and protects everything inside our body. It holds our tissues, organs, bones and muscles together and keeps us alive by protecting us from damage, chemicals and pathogens. Skin also absorbs compounds from anything that touches it, air, water and body care products. When we use products with fragrance oils, harmful chemicals are absorbed through our skin and transported to various parts of our body where they can cause damage. And therein lies the danger.

No matter how good fragrance oil smells,  it is an artificial product made in a laboratory from petrochemicals to mimic scents of plants, flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. National Academy of Sciences reports that as many as 95% of chemicals used in fragrance oil production are derived from petroleum and contain benzene derivatives, aldehydes and similar known toxins and synthetic compounds capable of causing:

• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Central nervous system disorders
• Allergic reactions

Being volatile, fragrance oils evaporate and settle on surface of hair, clothes, furniture and food. When they touch our skin, fragrance oils alter the skin’s surface tension and increase absorption of chemicals that lead to conditions such as:

• Skin allergies
• Skin irritations
• Increased photosensitivity
• Contact dermatitis
• Affect the brain and nervous system in temporary and permanent fashion
• Modify brain blood flow
• Alter blood pressure
• Alter pulse
• Affect mood
• Trigger migraine headaches
• Induce or worsen respiratory problems.
• Act as respiratory irritants
• Act as respiratory sensitizers
• Disrupt estrogen and testosterone hormones

The reason manufacturers like using fragrance oils is that it is  a very cheap way to scent the products.  And with over 99% of the bath and beauty products containing fragrance oils, they are hard to avoid.

There are choices though. Products with natural and organic essential oils, are a safe alternative that make skin beautiful and keep consumer safe through following benefits:

• Sourced naturally from plants, fruits, vegetables and herbs
• Safe
• 100% Natural
• Great natural scent
• Superior skin care
• NON toxic
• Soothe inflammation
• Act as an antiseptic
• Help dull pain
• Stimulate digestion
• Promote relaxation
• Provide natural skin care
• Many more!

You can have beautiful and fragrant skin without compromising your health. Bath and beauty products with organic essential oils have a great scent and offer a safe and affordable skin care alternative.

What is SLS?

SLS, short for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, is a strong industrial chemical, a foaming agent commonly used in most bath and beauty products.  The nice foaming action and big bubbles most bubble baths, shower gels, shampoos and soaps have?  That is SLS!

Cheap and popular way to get a rich foamy effect going, SLS is found in over 98% of all bath and beauty products on the market.

However, consumer beware!  SLS has a more sinister side.  A recent studies indicate, SLS, carries the danger of:

• Being absorbed into the bloodstream,
• Building up in the internal organs such as liver, kidneys and brain,
• Forming nitrosamines (carcinogens),
• Causing skin irritations
• Causing skin allergies
• Causing skin dehydration
• Gum disease and gingivitis
• And more

Realistically, it is hard to avoid SLS based products. It is even harder to find SLS free products. But the trouble is well worth it! SLS free products use mild saponifying agents sourced from nature. By going with SLS free products, consumer benefits by having:

• No skin irritation
• No skin allergies
• No harmful substances
• Not absorbed into bloodstream
• Non-cancerogenic
• No gum diseases
• All natural mild saponifiers
• Saponifyers sourced from nature
• Great natural hydration
• Gentle natural cleansing action
• Works with your skin balance
• Does not strip protective layer of skin
• Softens skins naturally
• Premium skin care that is good for you!

The choice is ultimately up to the consumer. And naturally  – you have to ask yourself  – what is the price of good health?  Is it really worth it to pay one dollar less for SLS based shower gel today, just to pay thousands in medical bills later? Thankfully, there are great SLS free choices out there for those of us not willing to compromise our health.

For more information on SLS free products consult SLS free product expert, Nina Bella Collection.