ScoutFor Eco Friendly Blog

It is said that plastic surgeons can do wonders with most parts of the body to help reduce signs of aging except for two places: the hands and the neck. The hands age at a much faster rate than other parts of the body. Their exposure to cold, heat, wind, water, harsh detergents and soaps expose them to great wear and tear. In order to minimize the harsh effects, it is crucial to nourish our hands and look after them.

Here are some tips to keep your hands looking great:

-Avoid quick-dry nail polishes which are generally high in acetone so they will dry out your nail

-Try not to buff nails strongly as this may thin the nail and the natural oils that lay on top.

-Keep nails and cuticles away from drying soaps, detergents and hot water as much as possible

-Try to wear gloves when doing the dishes or dealing with harsh chemicals

-Avoid frequent use of nail polish remover which dries out the nail bed and causes it to split

-use a nail brush with baking soda to remove dirt from underneath nails; never use a sharp object

-DO NOT BITE YOUR NAILS

-Try not to use your nails as a tool such as to open cans etc.

-Never cut your cuticles. Soak your nails in warm water to soften cuticles and gently push them back with a soft, moist towel

-To brighten yellowed and dull nails, scrub them with white vinegar

Try the two recipes below for great looking hands and nails

Hot Oil Nail Treatment:

Olive oil promotes nail strength and flexibility and nourishes cuticles and nails.

1/4 cup olive oil

oil from 1 vitamin E capsule

Heat oil in a saucepan and let it cool until it is just warm to the touch. Add vitamin E oil and rub into cuticles and nails, massaging any excess oil into hands. You can keep some of the solution in a clear eye drop bottle holder on the bathroom counter to massage onto nails after washing your hands.

Apricot Oil & Sugar Hand Exfoliator

Sugar abrasion is a popular way to clean the skin and stimulate growth and blood flow. The apricot oil is a natural lubricant and skin rejuvenator.

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 tablespoons apricot oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine ingredients and immediately rub the mixture on hands. Rinse with warm water and pat dry and moisturize.

Do you want to know a secret? It’s not a unknown secret or revolutionary but suprisingly many people don’t do this. My mother-in-law, once a Scientist in Russia and now a cosmetician always compliments me on my great skin. Of the hundreds and thousands of people she has treated over the years she said she has only seen 2 other people with skin like mine.

That sounds boastful but I credit my skin to great genes. My mother has perfect olive skin and my father has perfect ivory skin.

So what is the one most important thing you can do to have great skin? Is it a lotion, potion, injection, beauty treatment, face mask, pore cleanser, toner or does it come in the form of some magical sounding capsule sold in the beauty department developed by award-winning Scientists at corporate beauty labs? No, it’s a product which is entirely free and familiar. It’s water.

My mother-in-law tells all her clients that they must drink a lot of water each day. If I don’t drink enough water, she can tell by looking at my skin and I get scolded (well, lightly).

Drink water and lots of it. We must all know that doctors recommend that we drink 8 litres of water a day but not many of us do. In fact, Americans are addicted to sugar-based beverages think of the soda, juice, coffee, tea (most Americans add sugar to their tea unlike most other parts of the world), iced coffee beverage etc. Why? Well, sugar is addicting and most of us need an extra “kick” in order to drink the recommended amount of water per day. Plus sugar-drinks taste good. Hopefully you can train your taste buds to the beautiful natural taste of water.

Did I mention that sugar-drinks are added calories to your daily intake and water is one of the most important catalysts in losing weight and keeping it off. You don’t want a fatty liver, do you? Also, water acts as a natural appetitie-suppresser and helps the body metabolize stored fat. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will start to retain it which shows up as excess weight and bloating (not a great look).

So how can you increase your water intake per day?

1. Do what my husband does, drink 0.5litres before you head out the door.

2. Drink green tea or jasmine tea. It’s unique earthy flavour doesn’t require any sugar and you can constantly sip on it all day.

3. Snack on juicy fruits like oranges, watermelons, melons etc. Remember, water intake doesn’t only have to come in the form of a glass of water. Broccoli is 90% water, for example, and I just learned that meat/poultry is 50% water. This counts towards your water intake.  

4. Squeeze a lemon in some of the water you drink. Add vitimins and keeps things interesting.

5. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always order (tap) water. Whenever I eat a meal, I always drink at least a glass of water. This is something I learned as a child. Try to encourage your children to always drink water with meals as well.

6. Most of the fruit juices sold in stores today are too sweet. I fill up half a glass with juice and the other half with water.

7. If you are craving soda/pop, drink 2-4 glasses of water before it. You will find that you won’t crave the entire can of soda and 1/2 a can could be sufficient.

8. Keep a refillable water bottle by your desk so you will reach for this when you are thisty instead of going to the office kitchen for coffee.

So here’s me raising my glass (of water) to you – to your health and great skin. Cheers!

If you have any other tips that work for you, they may work for others too so post them below.

P.S. Oh, and my mother-in-law has a second important skin tip but that will follow in the next post

Hard a bad day? Hard a long day? Take a few minutes for yourself by using this spa formula to treat yourself. This recipe can easily be whipped up with common household ingredients.

Below you can find the benefits of each of the ingredients so you can see for yourself why this mask is so beneficial.

Heavy Cream is high in calcium and protein.

Carrots are high in beta-carotene and anti-oxidant vitamins. It is quite popular, more-so in Israel then in Canada, to drink fresh Carrot juice which can be bought from many local kiosks. I have gotten into it and it is sweet and quite good for you. Carrots are very benificial to one’s health and help lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and cancer. 

Avocados are almost a perfect food and are the most nutritious of all fruits. I once heard on the radio that if you were stranded on a desert island and there was only one food native to the island, you better hope that it is the avocado as it is the one food that gives you the most daily vitamins/protein intake etc. Avocado is rich in potassium and vitamin A. It is also used to heal skin problems as it contains antioxidants and can be made into a paste and applied to rashes and rough skin to make it smoother. The pulp is also believed to be both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is also a superior natural sunscreen. They help in stroke prevention, are a source of protein, and are a fiber source. In skin care, the two major advantages of the avocado are its marked softening and soothing nature and its notable absorption. Compared with almond, corn, olive, and soybean oils, avocado oil had the highest skin penetration rate (Swisher, 1988). Swisher, H.E. 1988. Avocado oil: from food use to skin care. J. Amer. Oil Chemists’ Soc. 65: 1704-1706.

When choosing an Avocado, remember that the brighter the fruit, the more beta-carotene (the substance that helps to prevent cancer) your avocado contains. You don’t need to discard the pit of the avocado when you are making this mask as the pit makes an excellent and natural massage tool. Rub it and roll it against your skin to sooth tired muscles.

Honey: Women in Ancient Rome used to use a mixture of honey and tepid asses’ milk as a face lotion following the lead of the emperor Nero’s wife Poppea who employed a hundred slaves to attend her beauty.

Honey has a nourishing, bleaching, astringent and antiseptic effect on the skin. Consumption of honey raises antioxidant levels which provide defense against free radicals (which cause cell damage). Honey is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes skin and the hair. It acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns. To give your hair lustrous shine, mix 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse. And if you’re a blond, add the juice of 1 lemon, too.

Now onto the Carrot, Avocado & Cream mask recipe and directions.

Recipe:1/2 cup heavy cream1 avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed1 carrot, cooked and mashed3 tablespoons of honey

This mask is a combination of heavy cream, carrot, avocado and honey, things most people have in their kitchen so you don’t need to look far and wide to create a great mask fit for the spa. This facial mask, when used regularly will help improve skin texture, diminsh age spots and rebuild skin collagen. You can also benefit from the properties of carrots, avocados and honey, which I wrote about above, through this mask as well as by consuming them regularly in your diet.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and spread over face and neck. Relax for 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water.