Bad Blogger! Bad! Bad!

Bad Blogger!  Bad! Bad!

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you...with out a dope beat to step to" Rakim

Okay, I have been neglecting my Mangoes...and for that I apologize!  Life has become hectic, school is kicking my "arse" and my son is out of school...all at the same time!  Add all of that to my general procrastination...and it equals no blog posts....yes I am wrong!

However, we will catch up in subsequent posts...I promise!!

But no worries, I will leave with a dope beat (or blog post) to step to.  I found this on ulookhaute.com...Ladies it is interesting, see below

"Have you ever heard of face mapping? If not, it’s pretty much the key to unlocking the mysteries behind problematic skin. Thanks to the combined knowledge of dermatologists who have analyzed skin behaviors and ancient Chinese medicinal methods there is a smarter way to interpret and treat skin imperfections by way of “face mapping.” Face mapping is a type of skin analysis that explains why and how certain areas of your face are connected to other parts of your body. If you ask me, it's pretty amazing stuff...

Why do you break out in some areas and not others?

Think of your blemishes as X’s on a map that is your face. Different zones correspond to different problems. With this “map” as your guide, you can address the underlying causes of blemishes and correctly determine how to prevent them from recurring. (Don't you wish you know about this in middle school?)

So, what are your breakouts telling you?

Using the face mapping method to decode what’s going on with your body is both incredibly informative and very extensive if you ask me. Here is an overview of the basic areas and what breakouts or abnormalities in those areas mean:

Zone 1 & 3: Bladder & Digestive System — Improve your diet and drink more water.

Zone 2: Liver — Try cutting back on alcohol, heavy food or dairy. This area can also indicate a food allergy.

Zone 4 & 10: Kidneys — Make sure you’re keeping yourself hydrated with water and cut back on liquids that dehydrate you. This means nix the soda, coffee and/or alcohol.

Zone 5 & 9: Respiratory system — Those who smoke or have allergies tend to have acne here.

Zone 6 & 8: Kidneys — Dark circles are usually a result of dehydration. Drink up!

Zone 7: Heart — Check your blood pressure and make sure you’re not using makeup that irritates your skin.

Zone 12: Stomach — Consider a detox or adding more fiber to your diet to help with digestion.

Zone 11 & 13: Hormones — Stress and hormonal changes can sometimes be alleviated with more water and a few extra servings of dark, leafy greens but if breakouts in this area persistent, make an appointment with your doctor to look into a possible hormonal imbalance. Additionally, breakouts in this area also indicate when you are ovulating (and which side).

Zone 14: Illness — Can be a sign of your body fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Take a breather and drink plenty of fluids.

So the next time you breakout or notice dark under eye circles, look to your map (or shall we say face map).

Have you heard of face mapping before? 

Xx
Alex
@alexTHEandre 
Follow me on Pinterest too!

P.S. Please note that these are general guidelines. Just becuase you breakout on your nose doesn't mean you have a heart problem. As with all medical issues, it is always best to see your doctor or dermotologist for a proper prognosis. "

So what is your skin telling you?!

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Ayurveda for Skin Care

Ayurveda for Skin care

Hello Retail Addicts!  Yes it's been a long time.  I have been in an absolute nightmare switching ISP's.  Nightmare!  However, like my grandmother used to say, "one monkey doesn't stop the show"!  

Since I have been without Internet for so long, it has given me an opportunity to read books I have been meaning to pick up for awhile now.  Lately, I have been into Ayurveda, so I picked up a few wonderful books about the subject. I was even thinking about taking courses at California College of Ayurveda (check them out here)  I was first introduced to Ayurveda by my fabulously stylish and progressive mother.  She had the book, "Ayurvedic Beauty Care, Ageless Techniques to Invoke Natural Beauty" by Melanie Sachs, years ago. 

A quote from the book,  "Traditional Ayurveda fits quite well into modern models of holistic healing, concerned with a broad view of the total health of the individual: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  What Ayurveda offers to these models beyond its own techniques is a deeper awareness of how the body and our experiences are a microcosm of the greater universe and the relationships in the interaction between our inner and outer worlds."  I feel beautiful and grounded already!

Ayurveda is so appealing, especially when talking about skin care,  because as most of know, for beautiful skin it must be healthy and balanced from the inside and out.  In the book, Melanie Sachs speaks of the benefits of face packs.

If you are unfamiliar with face packs, "they are softer and more porous type of face masks.  Very similar in action, they improve circulation as well as cleanse and tauten the entire face.  Because they are soft, they allow the skin to breathe more and are gentler than masks, they can be left on longer, even during a full body massage"

I have porous, oily skin, which has just calmed down since I have reached my 30's.  However, due to abuse (and at times neglect-I admit it) I have dark marks (hyper pigmentation) and the occasional acne due to hormonal changes.  For years, I have struggled to make my skin beautiful.  Recently, I have been using Ayur face packs every day.  (I wouldn't recommend this for those with dry skin.  Even though face packs are gentler than face masks, they can still be drying.)

I have noticed a huge improvement over the last two months.  My pores are less visible, I have no acne and my dark marks are starting to fade.  My favorite Ayur face pack is, Sandal. Made with sandalwood, multani mitti (Fuller’s earth), calamine, and kaolin. It claims to be for normal to dry skin, however, I still would suggest people with dry skin use sparingly or mix with yogurt or buttermilk.

The mask smells like sandalwood and does have a cooling effect.  I keep mine on for about 15 minutes and as soon as I wash it off my skin is noticeably smoother and my pores are invisible.  Furthermore, I absolutely love the smell of sandalwood, so to get a slight whiff every so often after the application is wonderful.

My second favorite Ayur face pack, hands down, is the Shahi Ubtan face pack (or the Anti Sun face pack).  Out of the box it's just a beige powder, but as soon as you add your liquid (water, milk, rose water, etc) purple-ish beads start to appear.  What makes this face pack a little different is instead of washing it off, you initially rub it off.  Remember those purple beads, I spoke of?  Well as soon as it hardens you scrub it off.  So it acts as an exfoliate after the fact.  (Indian women claim that the ingredients in this product as a mask, can reduce facial hair as well.  Hence the rubbing off pulls at superfluous hair) After the vigorous rubbing, you can then wash off any remaining residue.

I love this mask because after repeated use my dark marks have lightened considerably.  At times I mix it with lemon juice to accelerate the "lightening" aspect.  After repeated use, my skin is smoother and my dark marks are fading.  This face pack is also not as drying as some of the others, making it gentle for everyday use.

My third favorite is the Neem face pack.  I use it once a week just for the extra glow and to get rid of the pimples.  It’s best when we use it along with a good quality rose water as it helps get that extra bit of glow. Rose water has some anti-septic properties as well which helps in healing blemishes faster.  Neem is a natural antiseptic that helps sooth skin and heals pimples and blackheads. It restores skin’s natural oil balance and also stops scaling.

 Ayur Neem Face Pack contains Neem extracts mixed with natural ingredients like Multani Mitti, Calamine Powder and Kaolin Powder.  Regular use of this face pack tones and revitalizes the skin to make it soft and healthy.  Again, I recommend this face pack to people with oily skin as it is drying.

These are some of the best "skin resurfacing" "pore minimizers" and acne treatments money can buy.  AND they are affordable to everyone.  Furthermore, their formula is based on hundreds of years worth of knowledge and testing.  I personally swear by them!  Please let me know how they work for you, or if you need help finding Ayur products locally!

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