What to eat for glowing skin?
Spinach, broccoli and other dark green veggies.
How?
- rich in minerals and vitamin A
Benefits:
- antidote to dry skin and wrinkles
Olive oil, flaxseed oil, and fatty fish like salmon-all "healthy fats"
Benefits :
- make your skin supple and glowing
Drinking fresh-squeezed vegetable juice with lemon juice and cayenne pepper
How?
Vegetable juice boosts energy and the cayenne increases circulation for a healthy glow
Benefits :
- gives an instant rosy-cheek effect.
Courtesy from Marie Claire
Salon Review : Salon Esprit
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Salon : Salon Esprit
Location : Vivocity #01-73
Tel : 6376 9578
Stylist : Sharon Chai
Esprit started this Esprit salon in Vivocity 2 years ago but this was my first time being in there.
This salon, situated right in the Esprit store, also provides manicure and pedicure services.
The whole place looks and feels posh. Mirrors all around, good-looking male stylists and some pretty workers. Their standard colour code for work seems to be white matched with black leggings as per my observation on a Saturday.
I was there at 11am and the salon was pretty peaceful except for soft music in the background and a few lady customers. I was immediately shown to the seat where Sharon did a quick review of my hair structure.
A menu of the drinks selection was offered to me. I was impressed that they have a wider selection than most salons. I get to choose hot/iced cocoa, orange juice, Earl Grey Tea, Lipton Tea, Coffee, etc
Magazines were immediately placed on the shelves beside the mirrors. Quite prompt service, I will say.
Upon knowing my intention for a colouring job, Sharon took out the colouring board and recommended me some colours. A dark colour for a base and a slightly lighter colour for my highlights. I emphasized to her that I prefer brown natural tones than reddish tones.
She says she understood and asked me to leave the colouring combination to her. I trusted her choice but I was slightly disappointed with the end result.
Anyway, she told me she will do the haircut first, before the colouring and then she disappeared literally without a word. I waited for 20 minutes and was really getting impatient. I hated waiting in salons which is what every salon always did, except for Supercuts.
I seriously think that since I am the customer and I am paying for your service and your time, the stylist should not use my time to entertain other customers. The focus is just so incorrect.
Finally, Sharon came out, with an assistant in tow, known as Ah-Yen. I overheard Sharon telling her to do the colouring job first. I will expect Sharon to inform me of the change in decision from haircut to hair colouring.
Basically, Sharon did not do much. She just mixed the colours and give a few pointers to Ah Yen and off she goes. I was left in the hands of Ah Yen who was quite service-oriented. Serving me drinks, bringing me more magazines and asking if I require more drinks.
Sharon only came back to me, after the hair colouring and treatment was done to start on the haircut. She did not express on the intended haircut she wanted to do on me and just start snipping off my hair.
She did not suggest haircuts that will look softer on me but just do whatever she think its good.
She just gives a nod when I told her what I want.
I was disappointed with the colouring job because I really dislike red colour on my hair but she actually did a burgundy colour on it because she says red looks good on fair skin.
Goodness, was she listening when I told her I am more inclined towards brown natural tones?
The base colour was so dark that its almost black and she claimed that its to cover my grey hairs.
All in all, I spent $188 for 2 tone colour, $48 for cut and $68 for treatment which is a whopping $325.28 after GST. Thank goodness, I was using the 1 for 1 promotion with my sister who have the Esprit card and we shared the amount.
I did not think the amount was well-spent in the salon with the simple haircut. $188 for just a 2 tone colouring job was just too expensive, without any treatment included. It was misleading for them to quote $98 and above for 2 tones when my sister called them.
There were a number of male Cacausians customers of this salon. The influx of customers are still manageable during the 4 hours I was there.
Location : Vivocity #01-73
Tel : 6376 9578
Stylist : Sharon Chai
Esprit started this Esprit salon in Vivocity 2 years ago but this was my first time being in there.
This salon, situated right in the Esprit store, also provides manicure and pedicure services.
The whole place looks and feels posh. Mirrors all around, good-looking male stylists and some pretty workers. Their standard colour code for work seems to be white matched with black leggings as per my observation on a Saturday.
I was there at 11am and the salon was pretty peaceful except for soft music in the background and a few lady customers. I was immediately shown to the seat where Sharon did a quick review of my hair structure.
A menu of the drinks selection was offered to me. I was impressed that they have a wider selection than most salons. I get to choose hot/iced cocoa, orange juice, Earl Grey Tea, Lipton Tea, Coffee, etc
Magazines were immediately placed on the shelves beside the mirrors. Quite prompt service, I will say.
Upon knowing my intention for a colouring job, Sharon took out the colouring board and recommended me some colours. A dark colour for a base and a slightly lighter colour for my highlights. I emphasized to her that I prefer brown natural tones than reddish tones.
She says she understood and asked me to leave the colouring combination to her. I trusted her choice but I was slightly disappointed with the end result.
Anyway, she told me she will do the haircut first, before the colouring and then she disappeared literally without a word. I waited for 20 minutes and was really getting impatient. I hated waiting in salons which is what every salon always did, except for Supercuts.
I seriously think that since I am the customer and I am paying for your service and your time, the stylist should not use my time to entertain other customers. The focus is just so incorrect.
Finally, Sharon came out, with an assistant in tow, known as Ah-Yen. I overheard Sharon telling her to do the colouring job first. I will expect Sharon to inform me of the change in decision from haircut to hair colouring.
Basically, Sharon did not do much. She just mixed the colours and give a few pointers to Ah Yen and off she goes. I was left in the hands of Ah Yen who was quite service-oriented. Serving me drinks, bringing me more magazines and asking if I require more drinks.
Sharon only came back to me, after the hair colouring and treatment was done to start on the haircut. She did not express on the intended haircut she wanted to do on me and just start snipping off my hair.
She did not suggest haircuts that will look softer on me but just do whatever she think its good.
She just gives a nod when I told her what I want.
I was disappointed with the colouring job because I really dislike red colour on my hair but she actually did a burgundy colour on it because she says red looks good on fair skin.
Goodness, was she listening when I told her I am more inclined towards brown natural tones?
The base colour was so dark that its almost black and she claimed that its to cover my grey hairs.
All in all, I spent $188 for 2 tone colour, $48 for cut and $68 for treatment which is a whopping $325.28 after GST. Thank goodness, I was using the 1 for 1 promotion with my sister who have the Esprit card and we shared the amount.
I did not think the amount was well-spent in the salon with the simple haircut. $188 for just a 2 tone colouring job was just too expensive, without any treatment included. It was misleading for them to quote $98 and above for 2 tones when my sister called them.
There were a number of male Cacausians customers of this salon. The influx of customers are still manageable during the 4 hours I was there.
Review on Skinlite Age Care Eye Gel Mask
Friday, July 17, 2009
I bought these eye masks from Sasa on a whim because I simply have a weakness for eye masks. I am just so obsessed in making my eyes look better.At $7.90 for 3 pieces, I did not find itcheap since I never even heard of the brand. But since it was made in Korea, I decided to give it a try.
It claims to visibly helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles and leaves eye zone moisturized and soft.
Main Ingredients : Contains Ginseng, Green Tea, Vitamin A & E, and Aloe Vera.
This eye mask unlike the common essence-soaked cresent shape-like patches, is actually a 1 piece long dry gel-like mask.
The mask is folded in half with a backing paper inbetween. Just peel off the backing and you are ready to use the long patch.
There is a slight fragrance which reminded me of lychee fruits and it feels cooling on my under eye area. But there is no great news to share because it does not work.
And at times, my under eye area will feel itchy if I did not remove it by the stated duration of 15mins to 20mins.
Frankly speaking I actually prefer essence-soaked eye masks because dry masks feel surreal and it made me wonder if it actually deliver any beneficial nutrients to my skin.
It does not deliver its claims and I am on my way to use other masks.
Skin Care Ingredient : Hyaluronic Acid
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hyaluronic Acid (otherwise referred to as HA) is an ingredient that can be found in an increasing number of skin care products geared towards increasing hydration and boosting the effectiveness of daily moisturizers.
Its helps to store water in the skin, providing essential moisture to body processes
A substance naturally found in the body, Hyaluronic Acid works to absorb water and lubricate skin tissue. Young skin contains high levels of this chemical and as a result appears full, plump and smooth. As we age, our levels of Hyaluronic Acid decrease, resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Skin loses elasticity and becomes dry because moisture is lost and that’s because hyaluronic acid in between your cells have decreased. To keep skin hydrated, it’s important to have hyaluronic acid at optimal levels.
HA can hold hundreds of times its weight in water and is often used in moisturizing formulas.
As derived from here, HA works by attracting moisture from the air and sealing it into our skin. However if you live in a relatively dry climate, the usage of hyaluronic acid alone might cause skin dehydration. The reason is that when there isn't enough moisture in the air, hyaluronic acid will instead take moisture from you skin to seal them on the surface. So if you decide to use a hyaluronic acid in a dry climate, make sure you have a face spray with you at all time. That will solve the dilemma.
Hyaluronic acid has many functions throughout the body, especially in the connective tissue. In the skin, some of its known roles are the following:
- Holding moisture
- Increasing viscosity and reducing permeability of extracellular fluid
- Contributing to mechanical resilience and suppleness of the skin
- Regulation of tissues repair
- Regulation of movement and proliferation of cells
- Regulation of immune and inflammatory responses
Its helps to store water in the skin, providing essential moisture to body processes
A substance naturally found in the body, Hyaluronic Acid works to absorb water and lubricate skin tissue. Young skin contains high levels of this chemical and as a result appears full, plump and smooth. As we age, our levels of Hyaluronic Acid decrease, resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Skin loses elasticity and becomes dry because moisture is lost and that’s because hyaluronic acid in between your cells have decreased. To keep skin hydrated, it’s important to have hyaluronic acid at optimal levels.
HA can hold hundreds of times its weight in water and is often used in moisturizing formulas.
As derived from here, HA works by attracting moisture from the air and sealing it into our skin. However if you live in a relatively dry climate, the usage of hyaluronic acid alone might cause skin dehydration. The reason is that when there isn't enough moisture in the air, hyaluronic acid will instead take moisture from you skin to seal them on the surface. So if you decide to use a hyaluronic acid in a dry climate, make sure you have a face spray with you at all time. That will solve the dilemma.
Hyaluronic acid has many functions throughout the body, especially in the connective tissue. In the skin, some of its known roles are the following:
- Holding moisture
- Increasing viscosity and reducing permeability of extracellular fluid
- Contributing to mechanical resilience and suppleness of the skin
- Regulation of tissues repair
- Regulation of movement and proliferation of cells
- Regulation of immune and inflammatory responses
Skin Care Ingredient : Coenzyme Q10
Saturday, July 11, 2009
There have been a sprout of skincare products touting to have beneficial Coenzyme Q10 for for the skin.
So what is exactly Coenzyme Q10?
Also known ubiquinone or CoQ10 in short, it is a vitamin-like compound that is present in all cells.
An antioxidant, it protects the cells from the damage caused by the free radicals in the body. Free radicals are produced during the normal process of producing energy, however, as we get older, the body starts producing too many of these free radicals. This can be damaging for people whose bodies are not producing enough CoQ10 and other antioxidants to control these.
Free radicals are the main culprits commonly implicated in causing skin aging. Oxygen and nitrogen free radicals are produced by cigarette smoking, environmental pollution, less than adequate nutrition, pesticides and other chemicals in the food, and most importantly, from the UV action upon the skin. When UV radiation interacts with the skin, it produces an excessive amount of free radicals which destroy collagen, elastin and other proteins in the skin.
As we get older, the amount of CoQ10 that the body produces decreases. Various external factors such as aging, stress and some medications can lower the levels of CoQ10 in the body.
As a result, the ability of cells to withstand stress and regenerate declines. Unfortunately, the levels of CoQ10 in the body almost inevitably decline with age. In fact, CoQ10 is regarded as one of the most accurate biomarkers of aging since its decline correlates so well with the aging process.
CoQ10-depleted skin may be more prone to the damage by free radicals, which are particularly abundant in the skin since it is exposed to the elements. Thus, CoQ10 may boost skin repair and regeneration and reduce free radical damage.
Studies have shown that Co-enzyme Q10 applied directly on the skin helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
After the age of 30-35 the body becomes less able to create enough co-enzyme Q10 to meet its energy needs. This is made worse by bad eating habits, stress, infection or certain drugs. Co-enzyme Q10 can significantly suppress the expression of collagenase, an enzyme which destroys collagen. In addition, it can penetrate the outer layers of the skin and exert antioxidant benefits deep in the dermis.
CoQ10 acts as a powerful free-radical scavenger, helping to guard against environmental damage known to cause fine lines and wrinkles, such as UVA and UVB radiation, cigarette smoke and air pollution.
It is important to keep in mind that products listing ubiquinone or CoQ10 among the ingredients must be stored properly in closed containers (air-tight pumps or capsules) and kept away from harsh light or direct sunlight.
Much like Vitamin C, CoQ10 can be rendered inactive by exposure to oxygen. Products containing CoQ10 are considered safe for all skin types; although anyone with a known sensitivity should avoid ubiquinone and its synthetic derivatives, idebenone or idebenol.
More information can be found here
Other studies found here
More about skin aging
So what is exactly Coenzyme Q10?
Also known ubiquinone or CoQ10 in short, it is a vitamin-like compound that is present in all cells.
An antioxidant, it protects the cells from the damage caused by the free radicals in the body. Free radicals are produced during the normal process of producing energy, however, as we get older, the body starts producing too many of these free radicals. This can be damaging for people whose bodies are not producing enough CoQ10 and other antioxidants to control these.
Free radicals are the main culprits commonly implicated in causing skin aging. Oxygen and nitrogen free radicals are produced by cigarette smoking, environmental pollution, less than adequate nutrition, pesticides and other chemicals in the food, and most importantly, from the UV action upon the skin. When UV radiation interacts with the skin, it produces an excessive amount of free radicals which destroy collagen, elastin and other proteins in the skin.
As we get older, the amount of CoQ10 that the body produces decreases. Various external factors such as aging, stress and some medications can lower the levels of CoQ10 in the body.
As a result, the ability of cells to withstand stress and regenerate declines. Unfortunately, the levels of CoQ10 in the body almost inevitably decline with age. In fact, CoQ10 is regarded as one of the most accurate biomarkers of aging since its decline correlates so well with the aging process.
CoQ10-depleted skin may be more prone to the damage by free radicals, which are particularly abundant in the skin since it is exposed to the elements. Thus, CoQ10 may boost skin repair and regeneration and reduce free radical damage.
Studies have shown that Co-enzyme Q10 applied directly on the skin helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
After the age of 30-35 the body becomes less able to create enough co-enzyme Q10 to meet its energy needs. This is made worse by bad eating habits, stress, infection or certain drugs. Co-enzyme Q10 can significantly suppress the expression of collagenase, an enzyme which destroys collagen. In addition, it can penetrate the outer layers of the skin and exert antioxidant benefits deep in the dermis.
CoQ10 acts as a powerful free-radical scavenger, helping to guard against environmental damage known to cause fine lines and wrinkles, such as UVA and UVB radiation, cigarette smoke and air pollution.
It is important to keep in mind that products listing ubiquinone or CoQ10 among the ingredients must be stored properly in closed containers (air-tight pumps or capsules) and kept away from harsh light or direct sunlight.
Much like Vitamin C, CoQ10 can be rendered inactive by exposure to oxygen. Products containing CoQ10 are considered safe for all skin types; although anyone with a known sensitivity should avoid ubiquinone and its synthetic derivatives, idebenone or idebenol.
More information can be found here
Other studies found here
More about skin aging
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