Monday, February 28, 2011

3 Tips for Oily Skin

So you have oily skin. Here are some tips that may help:

1. Gentle Cleansing - The biggest mistake people make is using very harsh cleansers for oily skin. The fact is that when you strip your skin of all its oils, it responds by producing even more oil. Opt for a very gentle oil or gel-based (rather than milk-based) cleanser. Oil-based cleansers are particularly good because while oil does not dissolve in water, it dissolves quite readily in oil-based compounds.

2. Moisturize and hydrate- Another common misinformation is that oily skin does not need to be moisturized. In fact, since water (and not oil) is what hydrates skin, oily skin can become very dehydrated. Using a light weight moisturizer can hydrate the skin and should be applied after cleansing. Make sure these moisturizers don't contain petrochemicals and other comedogenic products that can block pores and cause black heads. Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin from within.

3. Exfoliate - use a gentle exfoliating agent or scrub as needed and focus on problem areas (which tend to be on the nose, chin and forehead). This also helps to clear the pores.

-hydrOtion Research Team

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Google Recipes is Awesome!

Google is just fantastic (no, they're not paying me to say this)! And here's a new awesome addition: Google Recipes.

It automatically searches and finds ONLY recipes based on the key words you enter. What's even better is you can limit the results by picking prep time, calories and additional ingredients common to the dish you entered. And as with everything Google, it's very user friendly.

1. Select a dish (or you can just put in an ingredient, like fish or even cilantro!) and press search.
2. Pick ingredients you want or don't want in the menu on the left.
3. Select your prep time (less than 15 minutes? sign me up!)
4. Select the number of calories per serving.


Friday, February 25, 2011

I stand with Planned Parenthood

Since its conception, hydrOtion has supported the well-being and advancement of women. This is why we donate to organizations such as Association for Women in Science (AWIS) and the Girl Effect. And this is why we stand with Planned Parenthood today. As you may have heard, the house has passed a bill that will cut funding to Title X companies such as planned parenthood (PP) and the bill is now headed to the senate.

I think most people oppose PP funding because they think all PP does is perform abortions. This could not be further from the truth. Here are some facts for you to consider before you dismiss this.

  • Only 3% of PP services are abortion related.
  • The great majority of what PP does is cancer screening, providing contraception, and testing and treatment of STDs. (see PP 2008 annual report).
  • PP provides more than 1.2 million people (teens and adults) with accurate education about sex and sexually transmitted diseases each year.
  • One in four women has turned to Planned Parenthood for health care at least once in their life. This includes pap smears, breast exams and STD testing.

Please stand with us today and support PP for the invaluable health care services and education they provide because knowledge and health are power. To see others who stand with Planned Parenthood, try this blog.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Let Steve Jobs Inspire You

A week or so ago, I asked hydrotion's Facebook friends who they admired most: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Linus Torvalds. The unanimous answer (mine excluded) was Bill Gates. Of course, why wouldn't we admire Bill Gates? Not only has he been consistently one of the world's wealthiest people, by philanthropy through the Bill and Melinda Foundation he can be considered one of the most compassionate wealthy individuals in the world. Not to mention, similar to some 80% of US computer users, I am typing this blog on a computer with a Windows OS (but this is not a "are you a Mac or PC" question.)

While I admire Gates, I admire Jobs even more. There is no doubt that both men had what it takes to lead and revolutionize the world, but it seems Jobs had more obstacles on his way to overcome. I'm not just rooting for the underdog (which I tend to do) but I think watching him overcome these obstacles has taught us a lot about being successful and picking ourselves up after a fall. Much of these obstacles came to Jobs quite publicly and by surprise. After all, he was fired from his own company, Apple, a fall that would be nearly impossible to recover from. I can only imagine the ridicule he must have endured. I can imagine the laughter of the crowd: "Did you hear about Steve Jobs? He messed up being CEO of Apple, got fired and is now making cartoons! ha!" But it was Jobs who came back, first winning the hearts of many adults and children with Pixar's "Toy Story", and again taking his place again as CEO of Apple to put it back on track. I guess despite his insanity and genius, Jobs just seems more human.

So what inspires me about this man? Despite his mistakes, he has never been afraid to take chances, to think outside the box, and to do things his way. Perhaps even more importantly, he never gives up! That is what inspires me. If Jobs had quit trying, he would be known as the guy who dropped out of college to make Apple, only to get fired from it (or he wouldn't be known much at all). Not to mention, we wouldn't have ipods, iphones, ipads, ietc...
Not convinced? Let Jobs inspire you himself with the short video below.

Happy Birthday Mr. Jobs.
Thanks for the inspiration, and of course, thanks for my ipod!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

5 basic skin care steps

For Healthy skin, incorporate these steps into a routine:

Step 1. Cleanse.
  • Opt for the simplest and gentlest facial cleanser.
  • If you wear make up, use a gentle make up remover every night. No exceptions!
  • Don't over-cleanse. We recommend using a cleanser only once daily, preferably at night time to remove oils and pollution. In the morning, splashing warm water on the face should be sufficient to remove excess oil.
Step 2. Exfoliate.
  • Opt for a gentle exfoliating agent or scrub (ensure the product has very small exfoliating beads as large ones can damage and tear the skin).
  • As with cleansing, make sure you don't exfoliate too often. Pay attention to the type of product you are using. A very gentle scrub can be used daily but many are too harsh and should only once a week and more abrasive methods (such as a chemical peal) should be limited to once a month.
Step 3. Moisturize.
  • Everyone should moisturize to protect and rehydrate the skin. Even if you have oily skin, you need to hydrate your skin with a light water-based moisturizer.
  • Select a cream rather than a lotion since cremes usually contain higher amounts of emollients that seal in the moisture. This is particularly true if you have dry skin.
  • Select a non-comedogenic (pore-blocking) moisturizer by staying away from petrochemical based products.
Step 4. Nourish
Step 5. Protect
  • Avoid prolonged stress as well as exposure to sun, wind and pollution.
  • Make sure to protect against sun with SPF of 15 or higher as well as topical vitamin C.

-hydrOtion Research Team

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Pamper Me Package




















Our "Pamper me Package" is here and on sale until Feb 10.


The Package contains:

One Full Size (100ml) Super Vitamin Body Butter
Organic shea, cocoa and mango butters are the primary ingredients in this rich body butter. They heal dry and tired skin and nourish it with essential fatty acids. Coconut and safflower oils complement these butters by allowing them to blend into the skin, sealing in the moisture. Vitamins B3, B5, C and E protect the skin and give it the proper nutrients for a natural healthy glow.

We have had quite a few people test this body butter and we have heard nothing but the best even from the most critical of testers.

Two Heart Shaped Cocoa-Shea Soaps (1.5 oz each)
This is a very gentle but bubbly soap that cleanses the skin without causing dryness. This soap contains large amounts of shea butter, which does not fully saponify, therefore traces of shea butter are left on the skin following cleansing, providing conditioning and preventing dryness.

Two Red Beeswax Candles (5" long x 3/4" thick)
These natural candles are drip-free and burn brightly without releasing any toxic
chemicals and with a very subtle natural sweet honey scent.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

In Defense of Valentine's Day

I caught the star packed movie Valentine's Day on HBO last night and it got me thinking about... well, Valentine's day! I'm a big fan of holidays and a huge fan of celebrating them. All of them. Because life is short and (almost) any reason to celebrate is a good one, even if it's not the most logical reason. To me, love is without a doubt the best reason to celebrate. Not just love between a couple, but also between family members and friends.

Let me start off by saying I KNOW how many people despise this holiday. My single friends hate it and my married friends dread it! So let me be the devil's advocate here. It's not valentine's day that is the problem, it's how we celebrate it. The yuppie culture of greed and envy has ruined many holidays, including this one. People have to put so much time and effort into buying the perfect gift or else be faced with "You got me a heart shaped Candy????? Kate's husband got her the latest Coach purse AND took her to a really nice restaurant! *tears*" or "Gran Turismo 5! Yes! This must mean you enjoy it when I play video games 5 hours a day!". Just like that, Valentine's day is ruined. Don't panic. Here's how to have a good Valentine's day.

Take out the money factor. If it has to be bought, it isn't love.

For couples:

Talk about it and see if you both agree that time is more important than money. Instead of buying gifts, spend the day together. Just the two of you (or, you and the kids, that can be equally/more romantic). My husband and I have been doing this for 9 years and it works great. Give the gifts money can't buy.
  • Groom each other -- Mammals groom each other all the time, somehow people think the manicurist is the right person to go to for grooming, but being groomed by a loved one is so much better. Brush her hair, rub his back, give her a bath, help him stretch, watch animal planet and learn!
  • Cook together -- Everyone loves food. Cook your favorite meals/snacks together, then put a big blanket in the middle of the living room and eat your food as a picnic.
  • Dance together -- light a couple of candles and turn off all the lights so there is very little light in the room. Put on some music and dance inside the house.
  • Cuddle in front of the TV together -- Self explanatory.

For my single friends:
  • Ignore it. Do what you do on St. Patrick's day if you're not Irish. If people ask what you're doing for Valentine's day, tell them you're not Irish!
  • Celebrate it. I'm not Irish but I always celebrate St. patty's day with a Smithwick's beer! Why not? So go grab yourself a couple of candles, some red wine, have a nice bath and then groom yourself. Or get a glass of wine and chocolate truffles and share it with someone else who isn't in a relationship. Call everyone you love and wish them a happy Valentine's day!
What are your good Non-commercial ideas for Valentine's day??