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Have a great Tuesday to y'all!

Tips for Your Oily T-zone

How bothering it is to see your face in the mirror all shimmering and shining with oil. Do you imagine yourself cram for a remedy  to lessen the oiliness instantly  just to avoid further shame and annoyance? I have experienced that myself, because I am the queen of oiliness. Not the queen, just experiencing mild problems about that. And boy,how shameful when I'm passing like a boutique and when I peek over the glass to see the display I see my oily face instead, horrifying! And so I would rush to comfort room and retouch.

I am planning to go to derma these coming days and get my facial. I have neglected to maintain my facial care for ages now.

So anyway, think that I am done with my facial and after few weeks I'm back again to before, what would be my resort just in case I go short-budgeted for an expensive facial treatment?

I guess this tips would help:

Daily Skin Care Needs for Oily Skin

Cleanse morning and night. - People with oily skin do well with a gel based or "soapy" cleanser. This will help clean out pores and strip away excess oil. Look for a cleanser that says specifically for oily skin. Looking for one with great reviews? Alpha Hydrox Facial Wash (compare prices).

Use a toner to pick up left over dirt, oil and cleanser A step that I personally believe in, but is many times forgotten is using a toner. Simply apply toner onto a cotton ball and swipe over your face paying special attention to the areas that may be forgotten such as the crevices around your nose.

Use a light moisturizer. Many people with oily skin are afraid of moisture, but guess what? Your skin needs it. Use something light, like a serum to give your face the moisture it needs.

Weekly Skin Care Needs for Oily Skin

Exfoliate once or twice a week. Exfoliating your skin helps to get rid of the dead skin cells and encourage cell turnover, which brings healthy skin to the surface faster. If you're acne prone, be gentle. Over exfoliating can cause more breakouts.

Use a weekly mask. There are some fantastic masks on the market that help clean out your pores and tighten them. Large pore size is a common complaint for those with oily skin, so pick a day each week for your weekly mask. It will quickly become a routine when you see the difference it makes. Masks made with clay are great for oily skin.

Occasional Skin Care Needs for Oily Skin

Acne treatments as needed. Using a spot treatment or an all over face acne treatment will help combat acne and help keep it at bay. Use as needed, but remember, acne starts before you can see it. If you're prone to acne popping up on a regular basis, use an acne treatment once a day on a continual basis. source

Very high maintenance.
Well, that's what it takes to be beautiful.

Taylor Swift

My first time here at Music Monday and I was listening to Taylor Swift's music just a while ago. I guess, this would be my entry for today. I don't know why many hate Taylor, but for me she's so lovely and I adore her. Jezzz, if I may add, I envy her beauty.

Monday Minute with Cristy

Who would play you in a movie?
I can't think of who can play me, uhmmm... Why not me? I'll be a good actress, promise! lol

Are you a good speller?
Not sure already. I'm used to shortened words due to texting. Honestly, sometimes I forgot to spell right certain words, then I asked myself what's happening to me. Jeeezz....

Have you/do you smoke cigarettes?
No, never!

Have you ever won a trophy?
Not yet, but hoping one day? hahaha!

Have you ever written[or started to write] a book?
Nah! But I love to write, but I don't think I'm a good writer. Well, I want to learn how to write.

Kenneth Cole Newest Accessories

I am sure girls out there are drooling over Kenneth Cole's newest accessories. Who wouldn't with its tough chic vibe that best suits city girls, huh! Who wanted to be left behind if you are a fashion fanatic.

Taking Care of Rebonded Hair

Two days ago when I got my new hair cut and the day after that, I was thinking of getting my hair rebonded or relaxed because I'm annoyed already at my fly away hair.My fault too,because I got it cut short, shoulder length and I should have expected I would get a wavy hair for the coming days, which I got anyway. So today, I went in a haste to fixed it by rebonding and boy, how long the process took my time, I've been in the salon for almost 6 hours and just got back home two hours ago. Wheeww! But its all worth it.

I was told not to wash my hair for three days, no clips or any hair accessories for a month, I should sleep with my hair neatly arrange to avoid foldings or whatever is that, and thorough care to maintain its beauty.

That what just I have been told, and to make sure I don't missed anything I searched for the after care of rebonded hair.

 
* Use a shampoo for straight hair
* Use a conditioner every time you wash your hair
* Apply a hair serum after towel drying hair.
* Oil your hair regularly
* Use natural hair masks once a week before washing your hair. You can use aloe vera gel, curd or olive oil with an egg.
* Oil and steam your hair every fifteen days. You can wrap a towel dipped in warm water, around your hair. This will deep condition your hair.
* Consume a balanced diet. Include nuts and sprouts in your diet. [source]

Short but very helpful. Well, would try my best to do them for the sake of the money I spent. Haha! Seriously, I will take care of my hair.

Friday Follow New Friends

Preventing Stretch Marks

One of the obvious problems of being a woman or some men , especially for those who are pregnant or who gave birth already like me, is stretch marks. Those visible root-like planted on the skin, mostly below the tummy,back of the knee and arms are some of the areas greatly affected by stretch marks. It is a result of tearing of the skin when it is stretched beyond its limit. It happens under the skin as collagen deposits tears apart.

Who usually gets them? And how to prevent stretch marks? Read on...

Who Gets Them
Not everyone has to worry about stretch marks. They are more common in fair-skinned women, and there is also a genetic disposition towards them. If the women in your family have all had them, then you should start thinking about preventing them. Weight gain, dry skin and poor nutrition all affect the skin's ability to stretch. If you are carrying more than one baby or your baby is large, then you may also be prone to stretch marks.

Creams May Help
There are several methods that help to slow or prevent stretch marks. Since they result from dry skin, it's a good idea to keep your skin moisturized. This is especially important during the first three months of pregnancy. Use moisturizer liberally during this period and be sure to get an oil or cream that's specially formulated for preventing stretch marks. These products contain substances such as Vitamin A, Vitamin E, cocoa butter, lanolin or wheat-germ oil which nourish the skin and help to keep it supple. Increasing the circulation to your skin can also help. The way to do that is to massage your skin with a body brush or a washcloth.

Diet Is Vital
A healthy diet is important if you are trying to ward off stretch marks. Good nutrition is important for your baby and for the condition of your skin. Eating the right fruits and vegetables will help your skin cope better with stretching and will help you recover more quickly after you have given birth. Foods containing zinc, silica, Vitamin C and Vitamin E are very important, as are leafy green vegetables such as spinach. Drinking plenty of water will also help.

Watch Your Weight
One way to escape unsightly stretch marks is to limit the amount of weight you gain during pregnancy. Don't diet, but forget about eating for two and follow sensible eating guidelines instead.

Nutrition, moisturizers and watching your weight are all proven methods of preventing stretch marks, but they don't work for everyone. If you get stretch marks anyway, then you need to focus on keeping them from remaining unsightly. Some ointments may be applied to the affected areas after giving birth, stopping them from developing when the skin shrinks. These are not always safe for use while breastfeeding, as they may affect your milk and your baby's nutrition.

Removing Stretch Marks
A popular method of removing stretch marks is to use laser treatments to repair the collagen under the skin. This is a quick process and it doesn't take long to recover. Some people who have unsightly stretch marks or scarring use cosmetic surgery to get rid of them, though this is expensive.

For some, stretch marks are an unfortunate, unpleasant fact and, in most cases, they are permanent. However, stretch marks do fade over time and will eventually blend with your skin. An eye towards prevention may help to reduce the problem.[source]

I guess I have to live with it forever, if surgery is that expensive. lol

Rebonding and Hair Relaxing, Which is Best?

After I got my hair cut short today and after realizing upon looking it on the mirror how short it is, I've been thinking of getting  hair rebond or relax. Because I'm sure my shoulder length hair would give me a fly away problem starting tomorrow. Anyway, I think hair rebonding or hair relaxing will solve my upcoming predicament. You know, I can't religiously blow dry my hair everyday just to look good and I really can't stand fly away hair either. So before I can decide  which way to go, let's have a peek about the two.

Function

Although both relaxers and rebonding formulas both have the same ultimate goal of straightening, they accomplish it in different ways. Relaxers break hair's disulfide bonds, according to Hairfinder.com, to loosen or "relax" the curl. Rebonding formulas do the same, but claim to provide the added benefit of improved shine and texture along with the new shape, according to CBS News.

Features

Relaxers often contain sodium hydroxide (lye) or ammonium thioglycolate as the active ingredients that break up the hair's bonds. Keratin treatments usually contain formaldahyde or its deratives in order to break the chemical bonds in the hair.

Effects

Lye-based relaxers "soften" the hair fibers and cause them to swell. It then penetrates into the cortex of the hair to break the bonds, according to Hair Boutique. Formaldahyde is the chemical straightening in rebonding formulas, not keratin, according to a CBS News article.

Time Frame

Keratin rebonding is a process that can take several hours depending on the length and texture of hair. It involves thermal heat, so blow drying and flat ironing are necessary for rebonding the hair into it straight shape. Relaxers take less time and don't require thermal heat tools to accomplish the straightening effect.

Misconceptions

Keratin straightening manufacturers claim that the keratin helps repair hair, but it actually just works as a veneer, covering the damage temporarily, until its effects begin to wash out over a period of weeks, according to Richard Hoffman of the Newton General Science Archive.

Considerations

Keratin rebonding treatments are safe to use on color-treated or highlighted hair. Typically chemical processes such as relaxing, bleaching and perming can not be done on these hair types because of the increased damage it will cause. Keratin treatments repair damage caused by processing hair, according to Liquid Keratin, a retailer. [source]

So what do you think?
Tough.

How to Prevent Chapped Lips

Now that the air is becoming more cooler each passing day, I noticed few people including me, has dry and chapped lips. I've learned that it was caused by the loss of natural oils that keep the lips moist and healthy.

Just how exactly we can prevent our lips from chapping?

Steps

1. Ensure your body is not deficient in B vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause scaling of lips and cracking of lip corners. Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement after consultation with your physician.
2. Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause dryness of lips. Increase your water intake during winter to keep your lips looking fresh. You can also humidify the rooms to deal with winter dryness.
3. Rule out allergy to lipstick dyes.
4. If in spite of water intake your lips seem dehydrated, apply cool wet cloth to hydrate lips. Also try to seal in the moisture with a lip balm. Apply lip balm every hour or two to treat dry lips and to keep them healthy. Use balm with spf of at least 15 to save your lips from sun damage.
5. Don't lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn't moisturize them.
6. Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying.
7. Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
8. Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent your lips from chapping. Avoid using lipsticks that can dry out your lips.
9. Ordinary Vaseline works wonders. It prevents sun blisters as well if applied before venturing into the sun.

Tips

• If your chapped lips are due to drooling in the night, you can use zinc oxide ointment that acts as a protective agent.
• You can also try applying clarified butter or milk cream before going to bed for a few days.
• Vitamin A is also important for repair of skin. Ensure that your diet includes vitamin A rich ingredients like carrots, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and legumes. You can also have a vitamin rich juice made up of 1 tbsp. of water cress, carrot and spinach juice, 2 tbsp. wheat germ oil, one glass of tomato juice, and 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.
• Put on lip balm after a shower to seal in the moisture. [source]

Now I know, I lack vitamins, it's not the weather to be blame after all.

How about you?