Why Should You Care About Cosmetic Ingredients!

Are your cosmetic ingredients safe?

If I were to ask you what ingredients are in your cleanser or foundation would you know? The reality is most of you don't care but let me tell you why you should!

The Wrong Cosmetic Ingredients...

• Can clog pores
• Cause sensitivity
• Over-stimulate oil production
• Cause acne or breakouts
• Over-dry and cause skin to look dehydrated
• Cause a skin condition you've never had before

There are so many cosmetic companies out there and each has their own idea about ingredients that are the worst and best. The key is how active are the ingredients in the product as to chance irritation or toxicity.

What are the Active Ingredients?

When you look at ingredients on your packaging, do you pay attention to the "active ingredients" list? The first five are the most important - they are the ones that are most active.

Just in case you didn't know, you can have a reaction to any product. The key is not getting worked up from articles you read on ingredients. Remember, everyone has their own opinion and you need to form yours about which ingredients you want to stay away from.

Just because an ingredient may be "deemed" to have a low toxicity or probable cause for dermatitis doesn't mean it can't be used in trace amounts. It would take a lot of that ingredient to be absorbed into your blood before it would reach toxic levels.


Ingredients to Avoid in Cosmetics

• Bismuth oxychloride
• Methylparaben
• Proplyparaben
• Butylparaben
• Fatty acids (stearic acids)
• Mineral oil
• Colorants (FD&C)
• Alcohol denat. (denatured alcohol)

Many cosmetics and skincare products can contain any one of these ingredients but the key is to see if the ingredient is listed in the top five.

Safer Ingredients to Look for

Some of the ingredients I have found to be safe are plant based ingredients such as green tea, rosemary and chamomile as well as fragrances that are chemical free.

For those of you who want a more complete list I would recommend the book"Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun.

Some favorable ingredients for cosmetics are:

• Titanium dioxide
• Kaolin
• Jojoba esters
• St. John's Wort
• Green tea extract
• Vitamin C & E

culled from carolthompsonbeautysecrets

The Goodness of Tomatoes

Not many of us relish getting pelted on the face with tomatoes, but believe it or not, tomatoes are excellent for the skin.

The humble tomato is one item no kitchen shelf is ever without, no matter what the season or location. Perhaps this is why most of us take the tomato for granted and do not appreciate the tremendous health and beauty benefits it brings.

Not many of us relish getting pelted on the face with tomatoes, but believe it or not, tomatoes are excellent for the skin. In fact, as far as anti-ageing products go, tomatoes rank high on the list.

Tomatoes are rich in anti-oxidants and so they counter the ageing effects on the skin, by cutting out the number of free radicals in your body. Free radicals break down the support system for your hair and skin, so it makes sense to eat a tomato a day.

In addition, tomatoes help preserve moisture levels in the body. In the summer or winter, when our skin is exposed to artificial heating or cooling, moisture levels in our body fall. We need to constantly replenish this water supply, or our body will start sucking moisture from the skin and the hair. In addition to eating a tomato a day, it makes sense to drink no less than 10 to 12 glasses of water daily.

If your skin is oily, you can apply tomatoes to your face. It counters oily skin by absorbing surplus oil and also helps get rid of pimples and acne. Apply undiluted tomato paste to your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm, not hot, water. In addition, tomatoes also help lighten the complexion, especially if mixed with cucumber juice. This makes a great face mask for oily skin. Place a cucumber slice on each eyelid and cover the rest of your face with the mask, taking care to avoid the delicate under-eye area.

If your skin is dry, you can add some day-old curd to the tomato paste and then apply to your skin. Tomato masks have excellent anti-ageing properties, so start applying them once you cross the age of 25.

If your skin starts burning when you apply to tomato mask, wash it off. You should feel a gentle tingling sensation after applying the tomato but if it stings too much, you could wash it off and add curd before applying the mask.

Do you have a boil or a pimple? Apply tomato paste to it. The acids from the tomato will soothe the pain of a boil and will also speed its recovery.

Slightly red cheeks looks healthy and very appealing. Eating tomatoes regularly gives you a pink and glowing complexion, so eat up!

Culled from indiaparenting.com 

Enjoy this Video by Naija Runs Girls- How to Spot a Faker & a Maker

Watched this video on YouTube, it was hilarious. Like her sense of humor and  creativity. Enjoy

GLAD TO BE A WOMAN

Let's celebrate the fact that you're a woman. Here are just a few of the reasons you should be glad that you belong to the female species! 

BENEFITS OF BEING A WOMAN

• We got off the Titanic first. 
• We can scare male bosses with mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.
• We get to flirt with systems support men who always return our calls, and are nice to us when we blow up our computers. 
• Our boyfriend's clothes make us look elfin & gorgeous. Guys look like complete idiots in ours. 
• We never ejaculate prematurely.
• We can be groupies. Male groupies are stalkers. 
• We can cry and get off speeding fines. 
• We've never lusted after a cartoon character or the central figure in a computer game. 
• Taxis stop for us. 
• We live longer, so we can be cantankerous old biddies wearing inappropriate clothes and shouting at strangers......
• Men die earlier, so we get to cash in on the life insurance. 
• We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing. 
• Free drinks, free dinners. 
• We absently hum tunes from musicals without anyone being suspect of our sexuality.
• We can hug our friends without wondering if they're gay. 
• We can hug our friends without wondering if WE'RE gay. 
• New lipstick gives us a whole new lease on life. 
• If we're not making enough money we can blame the glass ceiling. 
• We don't have to fart to amuse ourselves. 
• If we forget to shave, no one has to know. . 
• If we have a zit, we know how to conceal it. 
• We never have to reach down every so often to make sure our privates are still there. 
• If we're dumb, some people will find it cute. 
• We have the ability to dress ourselves. 
• We can talk to people of the opposite sex without having to picture them naked. 
• There are times when chocolate or Ice-cream really can solve all our problems. 
• We know which glass was ours by the lipstick mark.
• We can fully assess a person just by looking at their shoes. 
• We'll never regret piercing our ears. 

My Beauty/Skincare Confessions

I realised that a big part of being a beauty blogger involves you trying different products to know which works best, it involves a process of trial and error. This is how we learn what works and what isn't right? It’s basically my job to try out beauty products and tell you how they work. But i av to confess even after awhile in the game, I still miss it. Even though I know better, I still find myself committing all kinds of skincare sins. Here are some of my worst.....lol

I sometimes consider cheap products good: A lot of times, I end up buying some products cuz its very affordable compared to some other products. But where I tend to miss it is that when I use the products I have purchased, the results come out really horrible and I end up regretting why I brought it in the first place.

I don’t wash my personal makeup brushes often enough. I don’t even want to go into detail. It’s just embarrassing and shameful. But new year, new resolution.....*winks*

I don’t always take off my makeup at night. yeah yeah, I know I preach cleansing face at night, but sometimes I just don't do it, I get home really tired and just fall on my bed and sleep off. Don't be like me peeps, cleanse ur face every night.....

Sometimes I really don’t care about my skincare as much as I should. I'm sure I am not the only one, right? If I see a breakout or any discomfort on my skin or face, I freak out and go into skincare overkill mode. But if everything more or less looks alright, I go into relax mode which I know it’s wrong. But it happens or call it laziness. I’m a work in progress and I’m trying to be better to my body’s largest organ.

So who is perfect, cuz am into this line of biz don't make me perfect. We all make mistakes sometimes. But it shouldn't be a habit that's all.

These are a few of my skincare confessions that I am willing to share! What are yours? What skin care resolutions do you need to make for the new year?

Applying Foundation: Fingers or Brushes?

When applying foundation, what do you usually do? Do you blend directly with your fingers or do you use tools, like brushes or sponges? I cant exactly say which is the best, but let's take an in-depth look at these two different techniques for applying your face makeup.

FINGERS

VS

Why it works:
The natural heat of your body allows the makeup to melt in your hands.
Many members agree that using your fingers is more precise.
Brushes cost money, but your fingers are free! No splurging on expensive tools.Why you should avoid it:

If you don't wash your hands, using your fingers can spread bacteria to the face.
Even if you do wash your hands, fingers still spread oils around that lead to acne.
Finger application can be messy - watch out for stained hands!

BRUSHES/SPONGES

 Why it works:

• With so many brush types, you can experiment for the perfect finish.
• Having a brush set allows you to apply makeup on friends without the germs.
• Brushes (and sponges) usually give a lighter, less caked-on finish.
• 
  

         Why you should avoid it:

• Brushes and sponges are absorbent, so you might waste more product.
• Without proper cleaning, these tools will be full of bacteria and dead skin cells.
• Makeup brushes and sponges can be expensive if you're a newbie

Final verdict: Both techniques have the same number of pros and cons, so there's no clear answer as to which is the best. Experiment and find what works best for you. You might find, for example, that brushes are better for powders while fingers are better for liquids.

No matter which technique you use, though, make sure you keep your tools (whether they're attached to your body or not!) clean before makeup application. Brushes should be washed at least once a week with brush cleanser, and your make sure you wash your hands before rubbing on product

 SOURCE: http://www.makeuptalk.com

My Recent Makeup Jobs

 Here are some of my recent works for your viewing pleasure......so what do you think?...I try?...

 view more pics after the cut