Tips for black women on skin care.

You have all seen it on TV and in magazines.  You so much desire it and often wonder how you can get it.  What is it??  BEAUTIFUL SKIN.  Is it perfect? Not likely, because the models and celebs have a mountain of beauty weapons that the average woman doesn’t have access to like professional make up and expensive skin care.

While perfect skin is usually the hallmark of babies and retouched photographs, beautiful, healthy skin is within your grasp. For black women, a smooth, even complexion is attainable with proper care.

Beautiful skin often begins inside and radiates outward. A healthy diet is absolutely vital. This means eating good-for-you foods and saving indulgent treats for special occasions. Fruits and vegetables should make up a large portion of your daily intake and if impossible to maintain then think about purchasing the Oleda Veggies and Fruit concentrate. Fatty, fried foods should be kept to a minimum. Instead, bake, sauté (in olive oil or oily sprays), or broil your food.

Also, the importance of water cannot be overemphasized. Drink at least the recommended eight cups a day and compensate for alcoholic and caffeinated beverages with more water.

Exercise is also a good component to skin care. Regular workouts keep the skin toned and make you feel good. Find an activity you like, be it biking, walking, jogging, swimming, or sports. If you like what you do, you're more likely to stick with it for the long haul.

Besides following a healthy lifestyle, what else can black women do to maintain touchably soft skin?

Moisturizers are a an absolute must. Darker skin has a tendency to appear "ashy" when it's not well-lubricated. Creams and lotions, best applied after showering when skin is slightly damp and better able to hold in moisture.  You can chat to the Hair Beauty skin care specialist for free advice and helpful tips at any time on the email hairbeauty@iburst.co.za 

For the face, it's best to use a separate moisturizer and our consultants will explain in detail in order to ensure that you get the very very best from your skin care and/or anti aging formula.

A facial cleanser should be used in the morning and at night, especially to wash off make up and a day's worth of grime. You can use your clean hands to wash your face, but if you use washcloths or sponges, these items must be washed or replaced frequently to prevent an overgrowth of germs and bacteria, which will lead to skin problems.

Black women, especially of the darker skin tones, often believe they don't need to use sunscreen since blacks rarely complain of sunburn, but this is false. Black skin also needs protection from the damaging rays of the sun. It is nice to find moisturizers which contain sunscreen as this single combination product does the job of two. Make sure to use sunscreen daily, year-round, to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer. It's also a good idea to wear wide-brimmed hats if you know you're going to be outside for a while, whether gardening or just being out and about; the hat will shade your face from the sun.

If you suffer from acne, do not pick at pimples. This often leaves unattractive scarring and black skin is much more prone to developing keloids as a result. Keloids are scar tissue caused by trauma or surgical incisions. It is important to treat the acne gently, but effectively. Washing too vigorously and handling roughly will only make the problem worse. Chat to the Hair Beauty team on the email provided if you are worried about acne.  One of our consultants will work hand in hand with you to help you work towards having a beautiful, flawless skin.  Again, following a healthy diet and being active also can help to prevent breakouts.

For those who are worried about fine lines and wrinkles, the Oleda anti aging formula is rated among the best in the world and rightly so.  At a whopping 78 years of age, Oleda still looks in her 50's and has the attitude that BEAUTY IS AGELESS ......

For most of us, having healthy skin takes a small amount of work, but beautiful skin is worth the effort. Whether you have ten minutes or an hour's worth of pampering, take the time you need. Whether you are a black woman or a white woman.  Every time you look in a mirror, you'll be glad you did.

The importance of massaging the scalp

As we age, our skin, the body’s largest organ, loses elasticity, some of its natural oils and becomes thinner.  You might see small lines developing, while your skin no longer looks as moist and dewy.  So, you compensate for that by treating the skin with what it needs: creams, lotions and a better nutritional intake for feeding from within through the blood stream.  The little blood vessels under the scalp, just below the skin’s surface, are responsible for feeding your hair follicles (The Papilla).  When we’re young, there’s not much problem, the follicles have a rich, fast flowing blood supply, bringing oxygen, nutrients and natural oils to the hair – and carrying away carbon dioxide and other wastes.  The result:  A healthy, shiny, thick head of hair.

In addition to thinning skin, aging also causes thinning hair.  There are several reasons for hair loss in women.  Sometimes it is due to hormonal imbalances, but also a tightening of the passageways that feed the hair follicles, preventing a full, rich, fast flowing blood stream and depriving them of their full complement of oxygen and nutrients.  Let this continue and you have a death sentence for the thick, shiny, healthy hair of your youth.

One of the hormonal problems has to do with Testosterone.  Yes, that male hormone, which women have some of too, that produces a by-product, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes hair loss.  But, women also have the female hormones, Estrogen and Progestin, both of which act to block the effect of DHT on hair – unless there’s a deficiency in them, which can happen often after pregnancy and during menopause.  The answer to this could be hormone replacement therapy under the proper guidance of a competent doctor.

But female hormone reduction isn’t the only problem that causes hair loss.  Frequently, it can be lack of stimulation of the scalp and hair roots and insufficient feeding the hair follicles a rich source of nutrients.  There are two major actions we can take to improve hair loss and hair thinning, firstly taking your daily Hair Helper Vitamins and secondly:

Massage … Massage … Massage

The goal is to bring a greater flow of blood to the hair follicles, faster and to make your scalp more flexible.  You can do this by becoming serious about massage treatments that you can do yourself at home.  Massage will also help carry away carbon dioxide and waste and speed the removal of oil and dead cells that combine to form debris on your scalp’s surface.  Such debris hardens and sticks to the scalp, reducing circulation and eventually destroying hair roots.  Often the debris can’t be seen by the naked eye because it can form in the skin’s pores and be invisible.

 With the fingertips of both hands placed firmly on your head, push the skin under your hair in a circular motion for about ten seconds, moving from place to place on your head until the entire scalp is covered.  Do this until your head tingles and feels warm (from increased circulation).  Pay special attention to any thinning areas or bald spots.  You can’t massage too much and don’t be afraid to rub vigorously.

Next, after the blood is coursing through your scalp, take a clump of hair in each hand and pull on it gently with a smooth, firm motion and hold it for a count or three, then release and repeat until you have “pulled” the hair all over your scalp.

You won’t lose any more hair than has already been programmed to come out.  In fact, in the first week or two of this treatment, you may notice a bit more hair loss, but those will be hairs that were coming out anyway.

In eight weeks, or less (maybe even three or four weeks) you should notice many new hairs growing.  Separate your hair flat at the part and look at it when you begin this treatment and again two months into the program to see the difference.  You should notice what will appear to be little singed hair beginning to grow that will eventually become strong, full single strands.

Keep massaging your scalp every day, twice a day at least, more, if possible.  Fingertips work OK to stimulate circulation.

Oleda Hair Helpers is a "combined vitamin" containing vitamins, minerals and even "trace elements", ingredients your WHOLE body needs, especially your hair. Why not find out what it can do for YOUR hair?