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.

Advertisement

Aroma Mist – Healthy Home and Body Scent

You do not have to use industrial air fresheners to keep your home smelling nice. Organic aroma misters are healthy and affordable alternative. Instead of heavy chemicals, aroma misters contain only organic alcohol, water and organic essential oils balanced in a way that is not harmful to your health. Water is a perfect way to make your aroma mist light and pure. What you want to be using is distilled water that does not have heavy minerals. Organic alcohol is necessary to eliminate odor causing germs. Any clear organic alcohol will do. Organic essential oils will add a nice crisp scent that will not irritate respiratory system. Any organic essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, spearmint, rose, tangerine, sweet orange, chamomile will work. You can use them alone or create your own blend to spice things up.

Ingredients:

½ cup distilled water

½ cup clear organic alcohol

20 drops organic essential oil

Mix water and organic alcohol well. Add organic essential oil and mix well. Pour into amber or cobalt blue misting bottle and cap well. Shake well before using. To use spray on the bathroom, in the linen close, in the car, in the living room and wherever you want a nice natural scent. Avoid direct contact with sensitive and colored fabrics as alcohol may fade the colors. Avoid getting any spray in your eyes and this goes without saying – do not spray directly on skin, children or pets. Keep aroma mist in cool dark place between uses.

For more great ideas, check out new Nina Bella Collection organic aroma mists and body sprays upcoming in May 2012.

Peppermint Foot Treatment

Dry, calloused feet are never a welcome or a pretty sight. Whether just for cosmetic or practical reasons, most of us will agree that dry calloused feet are an annoying and persistent nuisance. Dryness can be caused by variety of factors, from genetic to environment. The most common denominator seems to be exposure to harsh cleaning agents, walking barefoot, cold weather and yes – natural tendency toward having dry skin. Whatever the reason, loss of natural skin oils will cause feet skin to loose moisture which in turn causes dryness. This, in combinations with poor footwear choice, flat feet and general lack of foot care, can lead to corns, calluses and bunions. Left untreated, this can bring about skin cracking, bleeding and infection. In other words, cranky, painful, dry, tired looking feet.

But there is hope! Wearing cotton socks, avoiding going barefoot and well fitted shoes are a great start towards preventing dry calloused feet. Adding foot soaks, pumice stone scrubs and comprehensive foot moisturizing treatment will go a long way toward healing dry callused skin. Here is one of our favorite natural foot treatments which uses almond oil to moisturize, lemon to exfoliate and peppermint essential oil to smooth and refresh dry foot skin:

 Peppermint Foot Treatment:

 Ingredients:

 6 drops of peppermint essential oil

¼ cup almond oil

¼ cup lemon juice

Add peppermint essential oil to almond oil and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix well. To use apply a small quantity of ready Peppermint Foot Treatment to clean dry feet. Rub in well until fully absorbed. Use four times a week for best results. Store ready mixture in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Treat your feet kindly and your feet will treat you kindly in return!

Enjoy this and more natural treatments from Nina Bella Collection every week!

Cure Cold Sores with Lavender

Cold sores are annoying small, painful, fluid-filled reminders of how our body can react to colds, stress and weather. Popping around the mouth, lips and nose cold sores are painful, persistent and usually last for days, leaving most of us scrambling after concealers, powders and heavy creams that can make the problem worse. It is common nuisance – about 60% of the population suffers from cold sores at some point in their lives. And because cold sores are caused by a virus, they are contagious, hard to get rid of and often reoccur. This is why a golden rule of not picking cold sores with our hands applies and why they spread around the face when we do.

Today I will share with you a fairly simple and effective way to treat and prevent cold sores naturally. All you really need to do is spend 5 minutes making a simple tonic with lavender essential oil. Known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties lavender has been used a natural cure for cold sores and skin inflammations for centuries. To make your own lavender cold sore tonic do the following:

 Ingredients:

8 drops of lavender essential oil

8 drops of peppermint essential oil

1 teaspoon of glycerin

½ cup warm water

½ cup of witch hazel

Add lavender and peppermint essential oils to 1 teaspoon of glycerin and mix well. Add to ½ cup of warm water and mix well. Add ½ cup of witch hazel and mix well. To use dab a generous amount of tonic on affected areas with cotton compress and let dry. Apply two times a day until cold sore clears. Store the tonic in cold place for up to 3 months. Shake tonic well before each use.