why are you breaking out?

You're growing bacteria.

That "dirt" in your blackheads? It's not dirt. In fact, those aren't even blackheads. They're whiteheads filled with a cocktail of bacteria, excess oil and dead skin cells that build up and get trapped under the surface of your skin. To get rid of them, Double Cleanse daily – it removes excess buildup – and exfoliate dead skin cells away with Daily.

You're eating too much sugar.

If you're eating lots of sugary, refined foods, they could be contributing to your breakouts. They don’t directly cause acne but they do exacerbate oil production on the face. You can control excess oil with Salicylic Acid products like Sebum Clearing Masque and Clearing Mattifier . 

Your hair is in your face.

Certain makeup, hair and skin care products contain acnegenic ingredients, which can cause or exacerbate acne. Avoid products made with Lanolin, petroleum-derived Mineral Oil, artificial colors like D&C red pigments, and artificial fragrance.

You can't stop picking.

The fingernails are notorious for harboring bacteria. If you pick at a breakout, you risk adding new bacteria to the area, which could result in even more breakouts! Instead, apply Concealing Spot Treatment to the area and wait it out. Seriously.

Your environment is polluted.

UV rays and seasonal changes can stimulate cell production, sebum and blood flow, and exacerbate acne symptoms. It’s especially worse for people who work in areas with high heat and humidity like kitchens and industrial settings. To help remove all the grime and pollution on your skin, Double Cleanse your face every night.

It's your fabric softener!

Yep, your laundry could be triggering breakouts. Try not using fabric softeners on your sheets and pillowcases. Fabric softeners are known to contain common irritants like beef lard and fragrances.

OK, so what if you've taken measures to curb all of the above and you're still breaking out? See a professional skin therapist to figure out what the culprit is and get a personalized product prescription.

Best Summer Skin Tips

PROTECT YOUR POUT

The sun rays are drying on the delicate lip tissue. To keep your lips luscious like Penelope Cruz, start with a richly textured lip balm with an SPF 15 or higher and reapply regularly when outdoors. 

1. Exfoliate for clearer, smoother skin

What it does: Exfoliation removes dead, dulling skin debris to prevent congestion and improve hydration from toners and moisturizers.

When: Perform in the mornings prior to toner, moisturizer, SPF and make-up application. Tip: Make-up will last longer on an exfoliated skin!

Don’t forget: After you exfoliate, follow with a hydrating body cream to seal in moisture, and always shield freshly exfoliated skin with an SPF (as recommended by the FDA). 

2. Keep skin hydrated

How: Up your regimen’s level of hydration with intensive masques, perfect for use one to two times a week. Boosters are a great fit, working best when layered underneath a moisturizer. Toners are a refreshing moisturizer prep, working to even out skin porosity. Tip: Refresh with a revitalizing toner spritz at your desk, in the car, at the gym, on the plane!

3. Make friends with H20

Why: Higher temperatures and more time outdoors leads to internal dehydration, which can result in headaches and dizzy spells!

What you can do: Eight 8-ounce glasses of plain, filtered water every day help maintain critical moisture balance of the body and skin, and assist in detoxification. Tip: If you drink caffeinated beverages, you must triple the amount of water you drink!

Recommended:  Plain and pure water!

4. When in doubt, apply (and reapply!)

Why:  It’s not enough to just apply sunscreen.: you must apply enough, and apply frequently.   Studies indicate that most people do not apply nearly as much daylight protection as they should.

How much: A teaspoon for the face. For the body, about as much as would fill a shot glass.

How often: Re-apply every two hours. Tip: Stay out of the midday sun from mid-morning to late afternoon whenever you can.

Bonus: Today’s sophisticated formulas and technology let you select sun protection that works with your skin condition. That means you can choose oil-free, mattifying formulas, extra emollient formulas for dry skin, or chemical free formulas for sensitized, reactive skin.

5. Soothe over-exposed skin

What: You forgot the sunscreen, didn’t apply enough, or got caught in a sunny spell.

What’s next: Unfortunately, the damage is done, but you don’t have to suffer in pain! Super-soothing botanicals and cooling gels can help prevent peeling and reduce redness and inflammation.

How: Apply cooling balms generously over-exposed skin, preferably at the first sight of a pink glow. 

Prevent: One blistering sunburn doubles your risk of melanoma -- remember to get a yearly skin exam by a doctor and perform a self-examination once a month to detect early warning signs of carcinomas and malignant melanoma. Look for a new growth or any skin change.

6. Repair and treat sun damage

What causes skin damage: UV light causes photoaging in the form of brown spots, coarse skin and wrinkles, whether you have burned your skin or not. When sunlight comes in contact with skin a cascade of damage results (including the stripping of barrier lipids) causing inflammation, production of reactive oxygen molecules that affect healthy cell growth, and stimulation of collagen destructing enzymes.What to do: A tan may be a popular summer look, but it indicates damage. Bombard your skin with age-fighting ingredients to help undo any damage that may occur, and to further protect it from the aging effects of UV.

How To Protect Your Hair from The Summer Sun

Summer is upon us! A time when your hair needs to look it’s very best and a season to let go of the perfect, sleek hairdos and embrace that loose, natural look.

But have you ever thought about the effects the sun has on your hair and scalp? Just as the sun damages your skin, it can damage your hair and scalp, too.

SO now it’s time to learn how to protect your hair from the heat, the sun, and the humidity without turning it into an endless battle this summer!

Why Protect Your Hair from the Sun?

Your hair gets harmed in many different ways during summer like overexposure to the sun’s harmful rays, sweat and spending too much time in chlorinated water AKA swimming pools.

1. Start Summer with a Trim or Cut

Whether you have long or short hair, the summer weather can make the ends of your hair dry and brittle – and that’s certainly not good-looking.

Summer is the ideal time to give yourself a new haircut or opt for regular trims that will keep your hair in good condition and reduce the risk of split ends, and bring back life to your hair.

2. Care for Your Colour

If you have colour-treated hair, you would want to take extra care during the summer. Chemical treatments can lead to colour fading, maximum damage and hair dryness. Look for hair care products that are specially made for colour-treated hair.

If you want to change your hair colour during the summer, do it a month or two before the sun hits hard. However, if you have recently coloured your hair, try to avoid too much sun – especially when it peaks.

3. Use Conditioner

While the sun is drying out your hair, make sure you help restore some moisture and life in it by using a solid conditioner. Get one that suits your hair type and texture.

If you are going for a swim, apply a thin layer of coconut oil or conditioner in your hair before swimming to protect it. The silicones in the conditioner will keep chlorine and other chemicals away from your hair. 

4. Shampoo with Care

Shampooing your hair every day is not recommendable. A good rinse in cold or lukewarm water will do the trick on days where you don’t use shampoo. 

If your hair gets greasy and sweaty easily and you feel the need to shampoo every day, go for a mild shampoo. Shampoo mainly on the scalp, not the hair, and as you wash your hair, the shampoo will rinse down cleaning up your hair too.

5. Avoid Heat & Use Heat Protection

The sun is already heating your hair, so avoid tools like flat irons and blow dryers as much as you can. Go slow on the blow dryer, and if required, wash your hair half an hour earlier so it has time to air-dry.

If you use a blow dryer, set on a low or a medium temperature and remember to use heat protection.

6. Overnight Hair Treatment

To make your locks totally ready for summer, an overnight hair treatment is a simple method. All you need to do is apply a leave-in conditioner and wrap a towel around your hair overnight. When you wake up in the morning your hair will be soft and not frizzy at all!

7. Sun Protection 

The best way to screen hair from the sun is wearing a hat, cap or scarf. If that’s not to your liking, then make sure you use a leave-in conditioner with sunscreen.

8. Use a Wide Tooth Comb

Instead of brushing your hair with a regular hair brush, use a wide tooth comb. This will avoid pulling your hair making it more susceptible to breaking.

Well, how do you care of your hair in summer? Feel free to share your tips below…

DIY-Perfect Home Blow-Dry

Get the Tools

• The right dryer: Look for at least 1,800 watts and multiple heat and air settings. Medium heat is best for predrying hair. High heat manipulates your hair’s shape, and air sets a style.
• Nozzle: Don’t discard this. It is key to a smooth look and keeps hair from getting too close to the heat.
• Round brush: Straighten strands, make ends flip, or create waves with this tool. Time-saving tip: The bigger the surface area of a brush, the faster the drying time. Brushes with vents also shave off minutes.
• Hair clip: It keeps layers separate and easy to manage and prevents damage caused by overdrying sections.

Starting with the back section, direct small, manageable sections of hair forward with a large round brush as you dry to create a smoother, fuller appearance. Dry from roots to ends, moving the brush and the dryer together down the hair shafts. Always keep the airflow angled down toward the ends, which will make the cuticles lie flat and ultimately make your hair look smoother and shinier. Work your way around your head. Unclip the top layers and repeat.

To style the hair around your face, roll the layers forward on the brush as you dry, Be sure to keep a comfortable tension between your hair and the brush to achieve a sleek, flat-ironed effect. After your hair is dry to the touch, give it a blast of cool air to set the style in place. Finally, massage a pea-size amount of smoothing serum (or styling cream) into the ends to flatten flyaways, and pat the top of your head with your hands so that any residual serum will level shorter, broken hairs that tend to stand up around the crown.

Things You Shouldn't Do After Coloring Hair

Things You Shouldn't Do After Coloring Hair

Lay Off the Chemicals

One of the most important things to remember after coloring your hair is not to overexpose it to too many chemicals. “Anything from hairspray and styling products with alcohol to too much blow-drying can all contribute to color fading.” The chemicals found in styling products open up the cuticle allowing the color to slip out.

Don’t Wash Your Hair (At First)

 Avoid washing your hair for the first 48 hours after color. “Color oxidizes during this time. The first day after you’ve colored your hair, the color slowly seeps into the natural pigments of your hair and the pigments settle overnight. By the second day, the color strengthens as the pigments lock themselves together as oxygen in the air stabilizes the color.” That’s why you don’t want to wash it—if you do, you’re lifting the color right out of your hair.

Steer Clear of Chlorine

Outen compares the chlorine in swimming pools like Kryptonite to color. Make sure to keep your hair protected whenever you’re outside with a good hat and sun-protecting hair products.

Stay Away From Heat

Heat-based styling tools won’t do anything good to your color, especially when you couple it with products. Try to avoid using volumizers, mousse, hairsprays, and even gels with high heat for long periods of time. The hair is too vulnerable and easily damaged.

History Of Threading

History of Threading

While threading is still a relatively new hair removal technique in the Western world, it has been used in Eastern countries for centuries. Though the exact origins of the technique are unknown, many believe it originated in India and Middle East , and then spread to become popular in Far Eastern countries like China.

Though eyebrows are the most popular area for threading in the Western world, in India threading was traditionally used to remove hair from other parts of the face as well. The upper lip, chin, sideburns and cheeks were all subject to hair removal by threading, and some salons in the West offer these services in addition to eyebrow threading.

Little-Known Facts About Your Brows

I’m obsessed with eyebrows—that’s a fact that's been well-documented.
I’m fascinated with testing the best products and finding the most natural-looking shape, that’s a given, but I’ve also found myself equally as interested in researching their history.

1. Your brows can have cowlicks. 

“Oftentimes eyebrows have cowlicks

just like we have on our head. This is more likely to happen if you have wavy or curly hair, although it can also happen on those with straight hair. This is especially important to know because when you are trimming the brows, you need to trim in the direction that the hairs are growing. When you isolate a cowlick, you must notice the wave pattern or the direction it's growing in and work accordingly.”

2. Your brows are more active in the summer.

“Your brow hairs grow faster in the summer because of the warm weather and the fact that we're more active. In the winter they slow down.”

3. Your brows give you better vision.

The shape of your brow bone and the brows themselves keep rain, moisture, and sweat away from your eyes so your vision stays clear.

4. The Mona Lisa doesn’t have eyebrows.

Never thought about it, right? Just think of all the tourists taking pictures with the painting and never once realising her famous face doesn’t include the feature we’ve come to love so dearly. But there was a report in 2007 that suggests either Leonardo da Vinci revised the painting (removing the brows) or that they had been unintentionally removed when the painting was cleaned.

5. Eyebrows really do nothing to change your face or eye shape.

“What they do is give people an impression of you. Are you happy? Sleepy? Mad? Surprised? Your eyebrows give a very quick first impression of the type of person someone thinks you are.”

6. Unibrows were seen as a sign of intelligence.

Many cultures throughout history held the unibrow in very high esteem. While we’re more apt to pluck or tweeze, many notable figures exaggerated the hair because it was considered to portray intelligence and beauty.

7. Stress effects the growth of your eyebrows.

“Stress can cause your brows to grow slower or not at all. I see brides trying to get their brows growing for the big day, and then once the honeymoon is over, their brows finally are growing in.”

8. Your hair follicle attempts to recover the hair after you’ve plucked it.

“Does the skin around your eyebrow bump up right after you tweeze ? It's usually the hair follicle closing to save the hair. It relaxes in about two hours and then it's gone. It's not a breakout. If you notice bumps two to three days after a tweeze ? That's a breakout. That's usually from a product that was applied right after the wax or tweeze.”

Eyebrow Mistakes You’re Probably Making

Eyebrow Mistake #1: Choosing the Wrong-Color Brow Pencil

If you have brown hair, you don’t necessarily want to use a brown eyebrow shadow/pencil. Buy a brow product that’s a shade or two lighter than your actual hair color. It looks more natural and less harsh that way. Another tip? If you have highlights, match the eyebrow shadow shade to the lighter strands for the most genuine-looking finish.

Eyebrow Mistake #2: Using a Magnifying Mirror

Magnifying mirrors are great for a precise makeup application, but when it comes to hair removal, not so much. Be an arm’s-length distance from the mirror and use as much natural light as possible when plucking your brows, “By viewing your brows too close up, you lose perspective on how much hair you’ve already taken off.”

Eyebrow Mistake #3: Plucking Before a Shower or Bath

It’s no secret that tweezing can hurt, but a steamy shower will open up the pores and soften the hair follicle so hairs can glide out easier. Bonus: This also helps limit redness and irritation. Tweeze after your bath instead and it’ll be (almost) painless.

Eyebrow Mistake #4: Tweezing Too Often

“Routinely tweezing the eyebrows every day can lead to some serious overplucking,” Instead, shape your brows every one to two weeks, depending on your rate of hair growth. By allowing them to grow in a bit, you’ll have more to work with and avoid going too thin.

Eyebrow Mistake #5: Applying Skin Care Products to the Brow Area

You wouldn’t slather face cream on your scalp, would you? Of course not! So there’s no reason to apply it to your brows either. “Avoid getting any lotions, gels, sunscreens, foundations, or moisturizers on or around the brow area,” They seep into the brows and prevent growth, or worse, cause the hairs to fall out.

Eyebrow Mistake #6: Making Brows Identical

When grooming your brows, don’t obsess over symmetry. Try to shape your eyebrows in a way that ensures they start and end at generally the same points. Keep in mind that your face isn’t perfectly symmetrical, so your brows may not be either (as the saying goes, eyebrows should be sisters, not twins).

Eyebrow Mistake #7: Plucking, Waxing, or Threading During Your Period

Most women are more sensitive during that time of the month, so hold off on grooming until after your period has ended to avoid an extra-painful hair-removal session.

Castor Oil vs Coconut Oil

Castor Oil Properties:

Being thick in consistency, castor oil is often misinterpreted for its skin and hair benefits. But to our utter surprise, it is a wonderful natural remedy that promotes thickening and re-growth of hair. In fact, not only for scalp, it can even be used for the eyebrows and eyelashes to make them thick, long and luscious in an easy and quick manner. Here is how this happens:

1. Castor oil has high amounts of ricinoleic acid, due to which it is highly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal in nature. Hence, it attacks the bacteria and fungus that dwell in the roots of the hair and prevent them from growing.

2. The thickness of castor oil is also an advantage as it prevents the hair from falling by coating it nicely and helping it stay firmly on its roots.

3. Rich in omega 9 fatty acids, castor oil proves to be a source of nourishment for the hair, hair follicles and the skin alike. It can penetrate deep into the skin and the roots of the hair and thus nourishes them finely making them stronger.

4. Another benefit of castor oil for hair is that it makes the hair glossy and shiny. Also, when regularly applied, it can help one have smooth hair that is easily manageable and strong as well!

5. Castor oil is required to be used sparingly because even a little amount of it is very thick and can spread on quite a major part of the scalp. Hence, it also proves to be quite cost-friendly, given its usage and the pricing that it has in the markets.

With all these traits, castor oil is indeed the dream oil for all those who would like to regain their lost hair or make their hair stronger! However, coconut oil is also a viable option in this context; here’s how:

Coconut Oil Properties:

If castor oil is for treating hair for issues like hair fall, and hair loss, coconut oil is that one oil that you would like to add to your regular hair care regime. The oil has properties with which it protects the hair from environmental conditions and also keeps it moisturized for long. With this, it also helps in growing the hair longer and stronger in a convenient manner.

1. Coconut oil is quite helpful in treating and avoiding dandruff as it has anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. At the same time, it also prevents issues like head lice and hair shedding as it contains vitamins E and K in considerable amounts.

2. Regular massage with coconut oil improves the hair cuticle health and strengthens the hair follicles, thus improving the strength of the hair. Alongside, massaging the hair with this oil keeps the hair and scalp moisturized and thus protects them from dust and environmental pollution.

3. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, capric acid and quite a few essential fatty acids which supply proteins to the hair and thus help in retaining their strength and prevent them from breakage and falling off.

4. Massaging with coconut oil also boosts the circulation of blood in the scalp and ensures a healthy supply of oxygen to the hair, thus making it stronger, softer and healthier.

5. Issues like split ends, hair breakage, rough/frizzy hair are also addressed by the use of coconut oil on a regular basis.

The above analysis proves that both castor oil and coconut oil are wondrous products for hair care. However, the choice that you make among these depends on the kind of issue that you would like to address. If its hair loss and hair regain, then go in for castor oil and if it is regular hair maintenance that we are talking about, then coconut oil should be your pick!

Castor Oil For Eyebrows

Nowadays thick eyebrows are trendier than ever.Growing thicker eyebrows can be trickier especially for those people who suffer from rapid brow loss. It will be hard and might need tremendous amount of patience to achieve successful growth of eyebrows.

One of the major problem associated with women is the difficulty in regrowing their eyebrow after they have had them waxed or shaved off. The most effective solution for regrowing eyebrows is to apply a natural oil like Castor oil. They are assumed to have the ability to thicken up the eyebrows and provide a nice appearance.

How to use Castor oil on Eyebrows?

Widely known for triggering hair growth, castor oil is mainly used as a tonic for promoting thick hair. If applied to eyebrows, it can really accelerate hair growth in places where it has been over – plucked or shaved off.

Ingredients :

• Castor oil
• Cotton swab or Clean eyeliner brush
• Towel
• Glycerin

Steps :

1. Clean the skin by washing properly with warm water. Make sure you wash eyebrows too. Gently dry it using a towel.
2. Now take the cotton swab or eyeliner brush and dip it into the castor oil. Make sure you let go off any excess back into the sink. In case you don’t have a cotton swab, you can use a thick cotton cloth.
3. Apply it directly onto the eyebrows.
4. Make use of the dry end of Cotton swab to get rid off any excess oil which may be present around the eyebrows.
5. You may also use a bit of glycerin on each eyebrows to improve the effectiveness of castor oil.
6. Leave it untouched overnight.
7. Next morning, wash off the face with warm water.
8. Repeat this process regularly for best results.

Getting beautiful and charming eyebrows is a very easy thing if you put a bit of effort on it and stick to the daily routine. In most cases you should start to see results within 5-6 weeks of starting castor oil method.

Is threading better than waxing?

Is threading better than waxing?

Yes threading is known to be a superior option to tweezing, sugaring or waxing. That’s why salons in the States have experienced an exponential growth in the demand for this service. This eastern method of hair removal involves less discomfort and eliminates the chance of your coming in contact with wax that is too hot for tender facial skin. Hair is removed from the root so there’s less of that “grow-back factor.” This extends the time between salon visits, saving time and money and maintenance in front of the mirror! …And, because of the precision involved, “threaders” can hone their artistry, creating perfect brows for everyone’s unique face shape and personality.

How long does threading last?

How long does threading last?

Depending on your hair type and area of the face, full re-growth can be anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. Hair will start to grow back sparse and finer after repeated threading because hair is pulled out at the root, which gets weakened through this process. You can get re-threaded as soon hair grows just above the skin, whereas with waxing the hair needs to be at least 2/8” long before it can be removed again.

What’s the main benefit of threading vs. other hair removal method?

What’s the main benefit of threading vs. other hair removal method?

Threading’s main benefit is the manner in which the eyebrow is shaped-not just from underneath, but also from the top. One of the major drawbacks of tweezing, especially when done at home, is that it’s easy to remove the wrong hairs, creating holes or divots in the shape of the brow. Certain thicker hairs on the bottom line of the brow act as supportive “scaffolding” for the entire brow, so if you inadvertently remove the wrong hairs, the whole shape collapses. Then you are left with trying to camouflage your goof until the hairs grow back. Threading eliminates this common mishap. Some of the other benefits are :

• Waxing can tug on, pull, stretch, and can peel off a layer of skin. Such harsh treatment can facilitate the development of wrinkles. With threading, there is none of that. You’ll simply look smooth, refreshed and hair-free.

• Less messy and time consuming than waxing.

• 100% natural; no artificial waxes, chemicals or invasive techniques used

• Hair does not grow back as fast.

• The skin doesn’t usually get red and irritated.

• Threading can target individual hairs.

• Hair only needs to grow just above the skin to get threaded.

• Over time, hair becomes finer and more sparse.

• Threading will pick up the finest hairs from the surface of the skin.

• Excellent option for those who use RetinA, and Accutane. Dermatologist recommended!

• 100% suitable for skin that is too sensitive for waxing or laser hair removal

• Many people who breakout from waxing tend not to breakout from threading

• Inexpensive alternative to waxing or laser