DIY: Whiten Yellow Nails

First, I wanted to apologize for 2 things; 1) for being MIA as I have been busy in the past few weeks at work and 2) for not reviewing the Beauty Formula's dry shampoo because I still haven't got the perfect oppurtunity to try it out. However, I am now back and I promise that I won't disappoint! :)

Now, let's get back to business...

Do you have yellow toenails/fingernails? If you do, this may mean that you lack iron or have a fungal infection. Other causes of yellow nails are, smoking, lack of oxygen, and excessive use of fake nails or polish. So the best way to treat yellow nails is to prevent them by taking care of yourself.

However, if you now have yellow nails, there a lot of natural remedies that you can try. I have listed a few that I think are most effective and easy to do:

Whitening toothpaste

Lightly brush your nails with toothpaste concentrating on the nail bed. Make sure to brush the sides of nails as well. You can also add a little bit of lemon for a stronger bleaching power.

Lemon and Rock salt

Mix lemon juice and rock salt to make a scrub and scrub your fingernails/toenails lightly. This is an effective way to exfoliate your nails. You can also use this mixture to scrub your feet. This will also help in stoping toenail fungus as it restores the natural acid layer of your skin.

Apple cider or White vinegar and Luke Warm Water

After your bath, soak your feet or hands into this mixture for 10-15 minutes. This will not only help you get rid of yellow nails but it also relaxes your tired feet and hands. Perfect when you're about to sleep!

Treating yellow nails is easy but as mentioned earlier, the best way is to prevent it by making sure that you stay healthy. If none of the above suggestions helped, seek help from a doctor right away.

Stay healthy,

Anj

HG Quickie: Oily Hair

Don't have time to wash your hair? Not a problem! You can use a dry shampoo to get rid of excess oil. If you don't have one, you can use cornstarch, which is a natural way to get rid of excess oil on your scalp.

To use cornstarch, just pour some into a clean plate or any flat container and dip a large or medium size blush brush into it. Brush it lightly onto your scalp, concentrating on the roots of your hair and leave it for 5-10 minutes to soak of the oil (you can get dress or drive to work; learn to multi-task ladies. *wink). After that, brush your hair with a hair brush to remove cornstarch flakes and the excess oil it absorbs. This will make your hair grease free for the rest of the day.

Note: You can also use baby powder if you don't like the texture of cornstarch. If you have super oily hair, I recommend you to use a dry shampoo like Klorane gentle dry shampoo ($18.00/Php 750.00 - not sold locally) or Beauty Formulas Dry Shampoo (Php 119.75/ $2.91 - will be reviewing next week)




Anne :)

DIY: Reduce cellulite - Coffee w/ Coconut Oil Body Scrub

Mother's day is just 6 days away and I am a little short on budget so instead of heading to the stores to look for the perfect gift, I decided to make one that I'm sure every mom (or every woman) would love - all natural body scrub!

Every mom needs a break and would definitely love some pampering so I'm sure your mom would love this homemade Coffee w/ Coconut Oil Body Scrub which is invigorating and will reduce the appearance of cellulite!






Quick facts:

Coffee - helps reduce inflammation and cellulite. In India, it is also used to melt body fats.
Virgin Coconut Oil - has antioxidants that helps in keeping the skin to stay soft and from aging.
Cinnamon - make skin plump and treats eczema. 

Let's get started...

What you'll need:

1 cup of ground coffee

1 cup of brown sugar (you can also use white sugar)

 

1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

1 tsp. cinnamon ground

1 tbsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Procedure:

All you have to do is to mix everything in a medium size bowl making sure that everything is mixed in thoroughly. If the mixture is a little oily for you, go ahead and add some more sugar and coffee.

At this point, I noticed that the mixture is a little oily for me...

...so I added 1/2 cup of ground coffee and 1/2 cup of sugar.

Packaging:

You can buy one from a craft store or reuse an old jar, just make sure to wash the jar before using. I used the old Crumpy Duo jar that my mom used to love.

 

 

 ...and your done! You can also try making different body scrubs, experiment with different oils like almond oil and olive oil. Also, you may try to pair lemon or kalamansi with sugar (or sea salt) instead of coffee. Just make sure that you (and the receiver of the gift) are not allergic to any of the ingredients that you will put in the mixture. Remember, we want them to look good; we don't want them to end up having bumps and worst, drop like a fly! (hehe, ok that is a little too exaggerated, they may not die, but still...) So, make sure to research first and know the preferences of your mom (or friend) before making one. Good luck and have a great mother's day with your mom!


Anj :)


References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/98727-benefits-coffee-skin-care/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/91597-benefits-ground-cinnamon-skin/

HG Quickie: Soft, Kissable Lips

The key to having soft and smooth lips is to keep it hydrated. The skin that we have on our lips is different from most of our skin, it is actually thinner and is lined with mucous membrane which explains its pinkish color. Mucous membrane also lacks keratin (a tough protective layer that keeps our skin from drying) so it has to be moistened.

Since the skin on our lips is thin and fragile, I don't really recommend scrubbing or exfoliating it as this will only make your lips chap more. A simple lip care routine like lip balm and sunscreen is enough.

If you have very dry or chapped lips, make sure to slather on some lip balm or petroleum jelly before going to bed and you'll be good the next day. Also, NEVER lick your lips as this may cause your lips to chap even more. Saliva contains acid that helps break down food and when it dries out, it dehydrates our lips even more.

So make it a habit to moisturize lips by keeping a handy lip balm in your purse to make sure you'll have soft and kissable lips all through out the day!

Anj :)

HG Reviews: St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser

I have combination skin which means that my t-zone gets very oily. I also have whiteheads/blackheads around my nose and chin which I hate and recently (probably because of stress and my erratic work schedule), I get huge pimples on my forehead! Determined to stop these breakouts and permanently get rid of my white heads, I started looking for natural products that would help eliminate the issues that I have on face. Since I have learned not so long ago through other health and beauty blogs that green tea helps fight acne and the positive effects can be felt even after a few application, I have decided to look for products that has green tea in it.

Thankfully, I found St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser which promises to gently clears breakouts.

Product says...

This cleanser with 100% Natural Extracts gently clears and calms redness.

- Hypoallergenic
- Non-comedogenic
- Oil-free
- Formulated without *Parabens & Phthalates
- Dermatologist Tested
- Has 2% *Salicylic Acid
- Treats Acne

Ingredients...

My take on this product...

What I like:

- Natural extracts were used which makes it not as harsh as the other competing cleansers out there.
- Dries out pimples
- My face feels clean and soft every after wash
- I love the smell! It has this fresh clean scent with a hint of green tea.
- This actually helps eliminate my whiteheads/blackheads
- Packaging is pretty descent and I like the fact that it is in a pump bottle which makes it easy to control the amount of product that you need.
- You can reuse the bottle and according to St. Ives, they recycle their packaging.
- It doesn't clog pores
- It dries out pimples after a few days of use

What I don't like:

- My t-zone area feels a little tighter after wash. I personally don't mind it as I tone and moisturize every after wash but, some may not like it.
- It doesn't lather

Overall review:

I think this product is best for oily to acne prone skin as it prevents breakouts and it removes blackheads. However, I think this is not the best product for dry to normal skin. With that said, I recommend this product for those who have acne prone skin. Also, since I have combination skin, I will repurchase.

More product information...

Brand name: St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser
Manufacturer/Distributor: Unilever
Made in: USA
Price: Php 175.00 ($4.25)
Where did I get mine? Watsons at SM Department Store Fairview

Pictures:

Obviously, I have been loving this since I bought it. Haha

It has this liquid texture that makes it easy to apply.

Before

After

Anj :)