When winter hits, our skin becomes incredibly parched due to the abrasive elements and cold and dry conditions. Moisturizers and skin care products are necessary but one of the best ways to hydrate your skin is through nutrition.

One simple habit that you should start to implement as soon as Winter Frost starts nipping at your nose is to drink at least one quart of pure water every day. Keeping your body hydrated consequently keeps your skin, the largest of organ in your body, functioning as its optimal best.

In addition to water, food is equally important to getting your skin look its best. Load up on beta-carotene rich fruits and veggies that are orange and green in color. Beta-carotene is an important nutrient and well-known beauty aid. Munch on green leafy vegetables, parsley, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, as well as almonds, apples, avocados, barley, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.

It’s also essential to consume the right kinds of fats. Commercial heated fats like soy, corn and canola may do more harm to your skin than good because they are so highly processed. Reach instead for olive and nut oils for cooking with and topping on foods.

My skin care bible is Beauty by Nature by Brigitte Mars. It’s full of comprehensive information and includes simple beauty care recipes that you can create yourself.

With the holidays approaching, Beauty by Nature would make a great gift to someone close to you or as a special gift to yourself!

Did You Know?

The skin is the largest most important eliminative organ in the body and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day.

The skin eliminates over one pound of waste acids each day in the average adult, most of it through the sweat glands.

That the skin is known also as our third kidney.

That the skin receives one third of all the blood circulated in the body.

That the skin is the last to receive nutrients in the body, yet the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency.

Detoxification is performed by a number of organs, glands, and transportation systems, including the skin, gut, kidneys, liver, lungs, lymphatic system, and mucous membranes. The dry brushing technique deals with detoxification of the skin.

Dry brushing is a way to stimulate all the above organs of detoxification because it provides a gentle internal massage.

Dry Brushing was recommended by the Finnish Dr., Paavo Airola for his patients 30 years ago and is still popular in European spas and many cancer treatment centers today. The Russians, Turks and Scandinavians have used this treatment for centuries. Dry brushing is promoted as a preventative for dry skin and a way to exfoliate the skin, thus stimulating skin renewal that is super soft to the touch, but there are many other benefits as well.

There are hundreds of ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your life, especially your love life.

This massage oil encourage passion.
1 drop jasmine absolute
1 drop neroli essential oil
1 drop sandalwood essential oil
1 drop spikenard essential oil
1 drop ylang ylang essential oil
1 ounce vegetables oil (olive or jojoba oil)
Combine the essential oils in a small container and shake vigorously. Then add the vegetables and shake again until is truly blended.

From: Sex, Love & Health with Brigitte Mars

A question I get asked often: What do I use on my skin in the Winter time?

My favorite recipes for Regenerating Winter Skin Care

Rosa Skin Serum-Deluxe

• 30 ml rosa rubiginosa
• 3 drops rose bulgarian essential oil
• 3 drops neroli essential oil

For a daily rejuvenating skin care treatment, spritz clean skin with rosewater and massage a small amount of Rosa Skin Serum into wet skin.
**
Rosa Rubiginosa ( rose hip seed oil) is a natural source of Trans-Retinoic acid, a derivative of Retinol (Vitamin A) which is an
important component in maintaining healthy cells. Used daily, rosa rubiginosa helps minimize fine lines and uneven pigmentation and promotes healthy skin.

For your Body moisturizer you can try this blend:

Balancing Synergy:

• 3 ml rose geranium essential oil
• 2 ml rosewood essential oil
• 5 ml bergamot essential oil
• 4 ml lavender essential oil

Combine as a synergy.
Add a few drops to bath or shower gel.
Add 20 drops of synergy oil to 30 ml carrier oil, like Jojoba oil or my favorite virgin organic coconut oil, and apply to skin.

You can get good quality essential oil from:

• Essential Botanicals: organic essential oils
• Living Libations: Nadine Artemis

Click here for more info

1/8 cup cold-pressed coconut oil, at room temperature
3 drops cypress essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil
3 drops grapefruit essential oil
3 drops juniper essential oil
3 drops rosemary essential oil

Place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well before applying to the skin.
from: Beauty by Nature with Brigitte Mars

Recently a lipstick brand called ‘Red Earth’ decreased their prices from $67 to $9.90 It contained lead. Lead is a chemical which causes cancer. The lipstick brands that contain lead are:

• CHRISTIAN DIOR
• LANCOME
• CLINIQUE
• Y.S.L
• ESTEE LAUDER
• SHISEIDO
• RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)
• CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)

The higher the lead content, The greater the chance of causing cancer. After doing a test on lipsticks, It was found that the Y.S.L. Lipstick Contained the most amount of lead.

Watch out for those lipsticks,Which are supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is
Because of the higher content of lead. Here is the test you can do yourself:
1. Put some lipstick on your hand.
2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
3. If the lipstick color changes to black,
Then you know the lipstick contains lead.

This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer,
Especially breast cancer.

Switch2Organics.comÔøº

Eating sea vegetables is a great way to add mineral nutrients to your diet. They are 12 times more nutritious than the average vegetable. Sea vegetables are rich in essential minerals and vital trace minerals that we can barely find even in the richest organic soil — especially iodine, iron, B6, B12, magnesium and many others. Iodine helps regulate the metabolism by feeding the thyroid into action.

You can use sea vegetables in granule form for seasoning salads, sandwiches and blended raw soup. I also carry in my office PotentSea in capsule form.

PotentSea Sea Vegetables

The more you learn about what’s in modern cosmetics and personal care products, the less likely you’ll be to want to put them on your face, lips, skin or hair.

"Yet some of the 10,000 ingredients in beauty products are suspected or confirmed carcinogens, hormone-mimicking chemicals or substances linked to birth defects. And in an age of increasing fear over chemical exposures, the $5.3-billion cosmetics industry is poised to become the new frontier for health and eco-minded consumers."

You can read more about this from the Globe and Mail article Cancer and cosmetics.You’ll also find a list of some compounds in personal care products that are worth watching out for.

Here’s what I use and recommend for your body:

• Aubrey Organics: available at any health food store
• Essential Botanicals: organic essential oils
• Living Libations: Nadine Artemis

Purchase this weekend at the Health Show from Nadine Artemis

• Marula Tamanus Serum: for the face. Incredible serum for mature skin!
• Spring tonic: a few drops in the bath for circulation and a glowing lymph flow.
• Lei Lady Lei: My favorite natural perfume

If you would like to mix your own blend: here are some great recipes
from Essential Botanicals:

Regenerating Skin Care
Rosa Skin Serum – Deluxe
30 ml rosa rubiginosa
3 drops rose bulgarian essential oil
3 drops neroli essential oil

Massage a small amount of rosa serum into  skin.
Rosa rubiginosa helps minimize fine lines, uneven pigmentation and promotes
healthy skin. 

Stress Relief Synergy
6 mls lavender essential oil
1 ml sweet marjoram essential oil
2 ml Roman chamomile essential oil

Combine oils together in a synergy.
Add 20 drops to sea salt or coconut milk in bathwater for a blissfully
relaxing bath.
Add 20 drops to 30 ml carrier oil for a relaxing body massage. 

Balancing Synergy:
3 ml rose geranium essential oil
2 ml rosewood essential oil
5 ml bergamot essential oil
4 ml lavender essential oil

Combine as a synergy.
Add a few drops to bath or shower gel.
Add 20 drops to 30 ml carrier oil for a balancing massage.