Power of Pomegranate Oil for Skin

Pomegranate oil is a precious, light and gentle emollient with healing anti-oxidant properties.
This nutritious oil is incredibly rich in fatty acids such as linolenic and punicic acid (very rare) and full of powerful anti-oxidants that fight free radical damage.

Pomegranate oil was used for centuries in ancient Persia and Greece as a skin protectant. Several recent scientific studies (see reference list at bottom) validate its ability to:

• Promote regeneration & strengthening of skin
  
• Add luster
  
• Stimulate keratinocyte proliferation
  
• Improve elasticity
  
• Protects against sun and other environmental damage with both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
• Protect against skin cancer.

While Pomegranate juice has been getting some press lately (see below ad for Pom Wonderful), the oil is actually more concentrated in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Not only is it great for skin, it has been demonstrated time and time again (see many references below) to also slow obesity and several types of cancer when regularly ingested.

There is no doubt that pomegranate oil is simply one of nature’s best and most precious gifts. hydrOtion's Simply Pomegranate Antioxidant Face Creme has incredibly high concentrations of this powerful oil, without being diluted by other oils and fillers. This is our lightest and perhaps most powerful natural creme yet. It soaks into skin, leaving it nourished, healthy and smooth.

We love pomegranate oil so much, we've incorporated it in several other hydrOtion products such as the Smoothing Night Creme, Firming Day Creme, Ultimate Eye Creme and Super Vitamin Lip Conditioner.

Now for a little fun:




Scientific References:

• Vroegrijk IO, van Diepen JA, van den Berg S, Westbroek I, Keizer H, Gambelli L, Hontecillas R, Bassaganya-Riera J, Zondag GC, Romijn JA, Havekes LM, Voshol
  PJ. Pomegranate seed oil, a rich source of punicic acid, prevents diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011 Mar 30. [Epub
  ahead of print] 

• Elfalleh W, Ying M, Nasri N, Sheng-Hua H, Guasmi F, Ferchichi A. Fatty acids from Tunisian and Chinese pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seeds. Int J Food Sci
  Nutr. 2011 May;62(3):200-6. Epub 2010 Dec 1.

• Caligiani A, Bonzanini F, Palla G, Cirlini M, Bruni R. Characterization of a potential nutraceutical ingredient: pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed oil
  unsaponifiable fraction. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010 Sep;65(3):277-83.

• Bouroshaki MT, Sadeghnia HR, Banihasan M, Yavari S. Protective effect of pomegranate seed oil on hexachlorobutadiene-induced nephrotoxicity in rat
  kidneys. Ren Fail. 2010 Jun;32(5):612-7. 

• Mirmiran P, Fazeli MR, Asghari G, Shafiee A, Azizi F. Effect of pomegranate seed oil on hyperlipidaemic subjects: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical
  trial. Br J Nutr. 2010 Aug;104(3):402-6. Epub 2010 Mar 25. 

• Grossmann ME, Mizuno NK, Schuster T, Cleary MP. Punicic acid is an omega-5 fatty acid capable of inhibiting breast cancer proliferation. Int J Oncol. 2010
  Feb;36(2):421-6. 

• Khan GN, Gorin MA, Rosenthal D, Pan Q, Bao LW, Wu ZF, Newman RA, Pawlus AD, Yang P, Lansky EP, Merajver SD. Pomegranate fruit extract impairs invasion and
  motility in human breast cancer. Integr Cancer Ther. 2009 Sep;8(3):242-53. 

• Boussetta T, Raad H, Lettéron P, Gougerot-Pocidalo MA, Marie JC, Driss F, El-Benna J. Punicic acid a conjugated linolenic acid inhibits TNFalpha-induced
  neutrophil hyperactivation and protects from experimental colon inflammation in rats. PLoS One. 2009 Jul 31;4(7):e6458.
  PMCID: PMC2714468.

• Baumann L, Woolery-Lloyd H, Friedman A. "Natural" ingredients in cosmetic dermatology. J Drugs Dermatol. 2009 Jun;8(6 Suppl):s5-9. 

• Afaq F, Zaid MA, Khan N, Dreher M, Mukhtar H. Protective effect of pomegranate-derived products on UVB-mediated damage in human reconstituted skin.
  Exp Dermatol. 2009 Jun;18(6):553-61. Epub 2009 Mar 6. 

• Baumann LS. Less-known botanical cosmeceuticals. Dermatol Ther. 2007 Sep-Oct;20(5):330-42. Review.  

• Lansky EP, Newman RA. Punica granatum (pomegranate) and its potential for prevention and treatment of inflammation and cancer. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Jan
  19;109(2):177-206. Epub 2006 Sep 10. Review. 

• Aslam MN, Lansky EP, Varani J. Pomegranate as a cosmeceutical source: pomegranate fractions promote proliferation and procollagen synthesis and inhibit
  matrix metalloproteinase-1 production in human skin cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Feb 20;103(3):311-8. 

• Mehta R, Lansky EP. Breast cancer chemopreventive properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extracts in a mouse mammary organ culture. Eur J Cancer
  Prev. 2004 Aug;13(4):345-8.

• Lansky EP, Jiang W, Mo H, Bravo L, Froom P, Yu W, Harris NM, Neeman I, Campbell MJ. Possible synergistic prostate cancer suppression by anatomically
  discrete pomegranate fractions. Invest New Drugs. 2005 Jan;23(1):11-20.
  

• Kohno H, Suzuki R, Yasui Y, Hosokawa M, Miyashita K, Tanaka T. Pomegranate seed oil rich in conjugated linolenic acid suppresses chemically induced colon
  carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer Sci. 2004 Jun;95(6):481-6. 

• Hora JJ, Maydew ER, Lansky EP, Dwivedi C. Chemopreventive effects of pomegranate seed oil on skin tumor development in CD1 mice. J Med Food. 2003
  Fall;6(3):157-61. 

• Schubert SY, Lansky EP, Neeman I. Antioxidant and eicosanoid enzyme inhibition properties of pomegranate seed oil and fermented juice flavonoids. J
  Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Jul;66(1):11-7.
  
  

Hot ideas for Mobile apps

We're partnering with Enavox Corporation to develop some mobile apps for iPod/iPhone/android, and we need your help with ideas on what you’d like to have at your fingertips. These platforms offer some amazing possibilities, really limited only by our imagination. With features like GPS, Internet connection, camera, motion detection and more really neat things are possible when you put it all together.

Some cool apps currently available include the following:

• Haircaster – Uses GPS to look up the weather forecast at your location, translate that to how your hair will react, and provides styling tips for the day.
• OPI – Lets you browse the full line of OPI nail polish colors, sort by season, save favorites, and preview the color.
• Lucky at Your Service – When you find a product you want, this app will find it locally, verify that it’s in stock, and have the store hold the item for you to pick up!
• iStylist – virtual makeovers on your iPhone. Overlay a picture of yourself with new hairstyles, accessories, and makeup.
  

Here are a few of our top ideas so far:

1. Health & Beauty log – Love to analyze data and track down cause and effect? Start logging what you eat, what the weather is like, how you feel, and how you look. You’ll be amazed at how fast patterns emerge that can help you adjust your habits to look and feel better.

2. Ingredient database – We’ve talked a lot about some great and some nasty things that people are putting into skin care products. How about an app that allows you to snap a picture of a label while shopping, and the app recognizes the ingredients automatically and pulls details out of our extensive ingredient database, rates the products. Want a product that has a healthy ingredient or one that lacks a toxic one? Just type it in or snap a picture and we will find you the top products as well as where they are sold near you (based on GPS location)

3. Product picker – Too many options out there for skin care? Answer this set of questions about your skin type and current favorites to select top products we’re sure you’ll love. How about letting the app detect your location to take climate into account automatically?

4. Beauty/Skin care/Do it yourself tips – Tips about natural DIY hair, skin and body care. Pick the category and problem (e.g. brittle hair, or cyclic acne) and get tips!

5. Beautifier – We know certain features make a face more attractive – take a picture of your face and we will show you tricks to make you more attractive (e.g. how to use make up to make your face more symmetrical, etc).

6. Beauty for each Skin tone – Trying to match foundation/eye shadow/etc? Take a picture of the product and a picture of yourself and we will show you how it will look on you! We’ll also show you other good matches for your skin tone.


Sky’s the limit. Let us know if you like any of the above ideas and please, give us your wild, crazy and practical ideas!!! What would you like to see from hydrOtion?

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

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.

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

• Select a creme or serum that provides your skin with the vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants that keep it healthy and give a youthful glow.
• Eat foods that promote skin health.
  
• Supplement with a daily multivitamin.

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

Confessions of a Fruit-aholic!

Hi. My name is B and I'm a fruit addict. It has been approximately 30 seconds since my last fruit intake. I am not here for help, but to simply share my fruit addiction with you!

Why? The answer is simple: fruits are the most delicious foods on the planet. Luckily, they are also easy to prepare (wash and eat usually suffices if you're on the go like me) and they contain vitamins and antioxidants that are great for your body (and skin). They also come in a variety of bright colors, sizes, shapes which makes them ideal for snack making!

This past weekend we had the pleasure of entertaining some guests so I thought I would share recipes (!) of some of the fruit snacks that went over well.


Chocolate covered strawberries:
The only thing better than fruit is the combination of fruit and chocolate!

Directions: Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in double boiler. Wash strawberries, dry, dip in chocolate and place on parchment paper. If desired, melt white chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries. Total prep time: 10 min.




The Porcupineapple:
I call this one the porcupinapple (It's made of pineapple and looks like a porcupine!) I learned this one from my aunt and modified it a bit and it is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser.

Directions: place chunks of any fruits and cheese on wooden kebab skewers and stick into the pineapple. Usually I do a lot of berries (blueberries, raspberries, black berries and strawberries) but it is winter and these items are not in season. Not to worry, plenty of other fruit are! Here I have used watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries as well as Colby jack and mozzarella cheese. Total Prep time: 15 minutes


Fruit hor dourves:

I love hor dourves, they are so easy to make, everyone loves them and there are NO rules! well, none that I follow anyway.

Directions:
Place a thin layer of cheese (here it is fresh mozzarella but it can be any cheese), cream cheese or chocolate spread (Nutella) on a cracker or bread slice of choice (here I used Triscuits) and put some fruit slices on top. You can get really creative and artistic with this one, which I never actually have time to do.
Total Prep time: 10 minutes.



Fruit Salad:
If you make any of the above, you'll probably have some fruit left over. Throw it in a bowl and it's a whole new snack! No rules, as far as I am concerned, all fruits go together!
Total prep time: 5 minutes








Fruit Bowl:
I think there is a certain elegance to having a bowl of fruits on the table. Most people will not eat any, because it's too much trouble to peel an orange when you're at a party! But I always have the fruit bowl out so I can munch (yes, this sits on my table every day, remember, I am an addict!)
Total prep time: 5 minutes.


Look, in 45 minutes we made 5 delightful snacks! Actually, if you make them all at once it should take less than a half hour.


Do you love other fruit snacks I didn't talk about? Share them with me!!

Dr. B of hydrOtion

Looking back on 2010

I thought this would be a good opportunity to thank all of you for your support in 2010. What an amazing year as we got the company off the ground and passed our expected revenue with just four products!

Let's have a quick look back at 2010, shall we:

Most popular product: The Ultimate Eye Creme.

Best selling lib balm flavor: Chai!! I kid you not, Pineapple coconut came very close but apparently I am not the only Chai addict!!

Product most suggested for addition in 2011: Men's lip balm.

Organizations we decided to donate to: Association for Women in Science and The Girl Effect

We were so lucky to find 1260 Productions for all of our design needs (I love our logo, thank you!).

Also would like to thank my buddy, Dr. Smith of K.E. Smith Photography for taking photos of our wonderful models Kayte and Christina.

And of course, thanks to everyone who has spread the word about hydrOtion. We couldn't have done it without you!

I think this wraps it up! I look forward to stressing over all of ambitious plans we have for 2011!

Naturally Beautiful Lips

Your lips are one of the first things that people notice when meeting you. They are also one of the most delicate parts of your body. Unlike the skin on the rest of the body which has up to 16 layers, the skin on the lips is much thinner; only three to five layers deep. Here are some tips to keep your lips healthy, smooth and kissable:

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene. When you smile, you show off your gums and teeth as well, so nothing can improve or detract from your smile more than the condition of your pearly whites. Don’t forget to add a little gloss to those lips for a natural youthful glow to your pouty pout (all the while, this vitamin rich gloss will also protect those lips)!

Stay Hydrated! Hydration is the absolute most important factor in keeping your lips plump and healthy. To maintain those plump puckers, make sure you are drinking the recommended 8-10 cups of water each day. If your lips are dry or chapped, avoid licking or biting at them, as this will further reduce moisture and increase irritation. Use a natural and soothing lip balm or conditioner. hydrOtion lip conditioner is equipped with pomegranate and almond oils to provide essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants like vitamin E. Precious rosehip oil also provides massive amounts of vitamin C (which together with vitamin E) provide necessary protection against UV damage.

Stay Protected From the Elements. The common causes of dry, chapped lips are sunny, cold, windy, and/or dry weather conditions. Asides from being thinner, the skin of the lips also contains fewer melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin and provide the skin with its color. Due to this transparency, the color of blood vessels shows through the lips and gives them the beautiful red glow. Unfortunately melanin also protects the skin against UV damage and lack of it makes lips more vulnerable to these elements. This is why it’s essential to protect your lips from these conditions and keep them luscious and healthy through daily use of moisturizing, alcohol-free lip balms. Try hydrOtion lip conditioner or lip salve to protect your lips or repair existing damage. If you have dry or chapped lips, the organic east African shea butter in our lip salve will heal, soothe and protect against further damage.

Shed the Gunk. Because the skin of the lips is so thin, the idea of exfoliating it has been controversial. We recommend that as part of your nightly beauty routine, you (very gently) wash your lips to remove any products, dirt or dead skin. Apply facial moisturizer or a moisturizing lip balm, such as hydrOtion lip conditioner or lip salve , before bed to help heal lips and maintain moisture while you sleep.

Applying these lip healthy tips to your daily routine will protect your pout and help keep your luscious, smooth lips smiling all day long.


--The hydrOtion team

Natural Solutions for Itchy, Scaly, Psoriasis

An estimated 7 million Americans suffer from psoriasis, one of the most embarrassing and difficult to treat skin conditions. It is a chronic condition that can appear and disappear randomly, appearing as red, itchy, scaly patches of skin, known as plaques. These plaques are most often found on the scalp, elbows, knees, and knuckles. Psoriasis is caused by a quickening in the time it takes for the skin cell regeneration process. Usually, it takes about a month for your body to create new skin cells and slough off the old, dead skin cells, allowing for continuous regeneration of skin. For people with psoriasis, this process can be reduced to 3 or 4 days, resulting in a build up of dry, dead skin cells on the surface, creating plaques. The overall cause of psoriasis is still unknown, making it difficult to create very effective and targeted treatments. But, there are a lot of treatments out there, both prescription and natural, which have been shown to help relieve, reduce, or even temporarily cure the effects of psoriasis.

There are a variety of prescription and over-the-counter treatments that can help. There are several biologic and systemic prescription medications being FDA approved lately. Although they have shown to be effective, most are administered through regular injections, have severe side effect risks, and require regular check-ups and tests. They also tend to only work for a limited time frame (1-3 years) and result in severe psoriasis outbreaks after ending the medication. It’s no wonder many people search out easier and safer treatment options.

The most common treatments are salicylic acid and steroid based topical creams and ointments. While these can be effective with minimal risk of side effects, they can sometimes be harsh on your skin and many people have an aversion to regular steroid based medications. Another common treatment is coal tar, which can be found in shampoos and creams. Unfortunately, coal tar treatments are messy, have a horrible smell, and can easily stain fabrics. These also can increase sensitivity to sunlight and have been shown to lose effectiveness over time, leaving those suffering to search for other options.

Luckily, there are several natural treatments that have shown to help relieve the effects of psoriasis. Although many of these also can lose effectiveness over time and each treatment may not work for everyone, there is a wide range of healthy treatments to choose from.

The most effective treatment, natural or otherwise, is sunlight. The ultraviolet (UV) sunlight helps to reduce skin inflammation and slow down the skin cell process. Studies have shown that 60% of psoriasis sufferers have found significant improvement or even complete clearing of psoriasis through limited, daily exposure to sunlight. The downside, of course, is that sunlight also has negative effects on skin, increasing the risk of cancer and premature aging of skin. This makes it very important to use this treatment method carefully by limiting your daily exposure to short periods of time. As an alternative to natural sunlight, many dermatologists have turned to the use of UVB emitting lamps and lasers for treatment, creating a more controlled exposure to the UVB rays, while eliminating the more harmful UVA rays. This has shown to be a very effective and safe treatment, with most people finding complete relief of plaques after 10 treatments. But, this treatment can be costly and some insurance plans may not cover the costs.

There are also a variety of safe, effective, budget friendly, natural treatments that can be found around the average house. One of the most effective at-home treatments is sea salt, by taking regular sea-water baths or applying sea-water to affected areas on a daily basis. It is often recommended to follow up sea salt treatments by applying olive oil to the affected areas. Other recommended involve applying compresses onto the plaques made from warm, de-veined cabbage leaves, fresh banana leaves, warm green tea bags, jasmine flower paste, or apple cider vinegar. These will help moisturize the skin, reduce inflammation, and help loosen and remove plaques. Using mild soaps and applying a daily, unscented moisturizer is also an important part of treatment. Also, regular application of aloe, vitamin D, oat extracts, and tea tree oil, either directly or included in a daily lotion, can also be helpful.

These are just a few of the many treatments that have been helpful to people suffering from psoriasis, but no treatment has shown to be reliable for every person and there are no miracle cure for this condition. But, there are many options out there to test and find which treatment works best for your situation. The important aspect of any psoriasis treatment should include an approach toward overall healthy and hydrated skin. In addition to the topical treatments, it is also important to incorporate exercise and a healthy diet, including one rich in omega fatty acids, as many have found that a general healthy lifestyle can also help relieve the effects of psoriasis. So, while psoriasis can be a difficult skin disorder, a healthy lifestyle, maintaining skin moisture, and use of some natural treatments can help reduce outbreaks and make this condition a lot more manageable.

-- The hydrOtion team

Mama knows best: keeping your baby's skin soft and healthy

We all smile at the touch of that soft, smooth skin of a tiny baby… and frown when their super-sensitive skin gets dried out, flaky, and sometimes even painful. Well, I’ve scoured the world (okay, maybe just the World Wide Web and a couple of local stores) to find the best lotions available to keep that baby soft skin, without the harsh chemicals found in many lotions. These will also work well to keep Mom’s skin soft and smooth and are highly recommended for anyone with sensitive skin or skin conditions, such as eczema.

The most important thing I found, when searching for a good baby lotion, is to find one that is free from irritants, coloring, and fragrance, although very few products meet all of these factors. I came up with two great choices, both of which are healthy for the skin, pleasant to use, affordable, and safe for the most sensitive skin.

1. Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion (Approx. $15 for 8 oz.)
Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion another good choice for baby lotion, especially for those looking for a more organic option. It is all-natural, paraben-free (a highly controversial preservative), made with 95.2% organic ingredients, and certified vegan. It is also free from any artificial fragrances or dyes. Containing aloe, rooibos, and shea butter this lotion is a great choice for extremely sensitive skin or eczema. Angel Baby absorbs quickly, gives off a pleasant, natural scent of oranges and vanilla, and leaves the skin smooth and radiant. On the downside, although I found no claims of irritation regarding this product, the citrus that gives this lotion its wonderful scent, is known as a potential skin irritant. Overall, Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion is a great, all natural option for maintaining that soft baby skin.

2. Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion (Approx. $8 for 8 oz.)
Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion is a more economical but highly recommended baby lotion I found. It is hypoallergenic, non-irritating, surfactant-free (no detergent cleaning agents), and paraben-free. It is also fragrance-free, while still maintaining a very pleasant smell. Furthermore, it contains natural oatmeal powder, which could provide some healing properties, making it a great choice for irritated or broken skin. Now, on the downside, I did find some reviews claiming that it can have a slightly sticky texture at times, although, most of those reviews found it minor and still highly recommended it, and several other reviews claim a smooth, non-sticky application. Overall, Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion seems to be an excellent choice for any sensitive skin.

We hope this is helpful to mom's who are always looking to care for and protect their little ones. If you have used any of these lotions or have other lotions you recommend please let us know.

--The hydrOtion team

Food Tips for Healthy Skin

We live in a society where everyone seems to be on a diet, but make sure you continue to eat foods that are essential for skin, hair and whole body health. For healthy skin and hair, eat foods that are high in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and don’t forget to hydrate! Here are some tips.

Anti-Oxidants:
Anti-oxidants prevent collagen breakdown and premature aging by fighting free-radicals that can damage your skin. What foods are high in anti-oxidants?

1. Fruits. Some delicious examples are Berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and cranberry), pomegranate, grape, orange, pineapple, avocado, date and plum.
2. Nuts. For example pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and my personal favorite: almonds!
3. Vegetables. Artichokes, beans, spinach, broccoli, arugula, Radicchio, peppers and asparagus are high in anti-oxidant power.
4. Other. Cinnamon, oregano, clove, green or black tea, rice bran and last but not least, red wine.

Essential Fatty Acids:
These essential fatty acids are required (hence the word “essential” in the name) for proper health and must be ingested since the body does not have the capability to synthesize them. There are two types of essential fatty acids: omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid ) fatty acids which can be obtained from a variety of foods and help skin retain moisture while strengthening skin cell membranes.

Essential fatty acids can be found in Flaxseed oil (very high), flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, chestnut oil, sunflower seeds (raw), cold-processsed, unrefined canola oil, soybean oil, wheat germ oil, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, purslane, mustard greens, collards, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and albacore tuna.

Hydrate:
Water, water and more water! It plumps your skin cells giving it a healthy and youthful look. It also flushes the toxins out of your body and is the major component of your body. The average person loses about 2 liters of water (or eight cups [8 ounce]) each day through urination, sweating, etc. You need to replace this amount daily. Soda, coffee, beer, wine and even tea do not take the place of water; in fact these are diuretics that dehydrate you. For more information about water intake, you can visit the Mayo Clinic website.

What goes in your (and your baby's) body?

I know reading the labels of cosmetics products including lotions and cremes can be excruciatingly painful, but you really should know what you're putting on your body! Not to worry. The environmental working Group (EWG) has a fantastic cosmetics database where you can search for brands or particular ingredients to assess safety. It's easy to use, give it a try at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Also use common sense, the FDA dictates that all cosmetic ingredients must be written on the label in order of concentration. That means you can also have a general idea of how much exposure you are getting to each ingredient. This goes for both good and bad ingredients. For example, Shea butter is a great plant extract. Not only is it an excellent moisturizer, it is full of vitamins A and E and can have healing (particularly for chapped lips or wrinkled skin) as well as anti-inflammatory properties. You may see a lot of lotions and cremes that claim to have shea butter in them, but where is it on the ingredients list? Is it below 15 other petroleum based chemicals?

Avoid cosmetics that contain dangerous chemicals (even in small concentrations) such as phthalates and parabens. All hydrOtion products are free of phthalates, parabens, BHA and other toxins. www.hydrotion.com

Perhaps even more disturbing is a new study showing 300 contaminants in the umbilical cord blood of new born babies. This video is an eye opener (just under 2.5 minutes).

Determining your skin type

Skin is the largest organ and most the visible part of our body. Healthy skin is associated with beauty and youth while acne, discoloration and wrinkled skin are found unattractive. For thousands of years the human race has obsessed over covering and concealing imperfections, particularly in the face, for a coveted young healthy glow. Traditional medicine and modern science alike have spent incredible amounts of time and resources on repairing and restoring damaged skin. The best solution, of course, is not to conceal these flaws, but to prevent them in the first place! Before we get started on how you can improve the health of your skin (and the rest of your body along with it), let’s help you determine what skin type you have. This is very easy.

When you go to bed at night, wash your face with lukewarm water (and a gentle cleanser if you are wearing makeup or lotion). Do not wear a night crème or lotion. In the morning, when you first wake up, grab a clean piece of absorbent tissue (use tissue rather than a towel so you can see how much oil comes off of your skin). Oil generally comes out of the pores on your nose, forehead and cheek areas. Gently blot or wipe these areas separately, observe your skin in the mirror and look at the tissue after each wipe.

If you have Normal skin, the oil is not visible on the tissue and your skin is left feeling elastic and soft.

On the other hand, if you see oil blotches on the tissue from all three areas, you have Oily skin.

You have Combination skin, if the oil comes off of the nose and forehead (areas around the center of your face) compared with the cheeks and outer areas.

If there is no oil residue on the tissue but your skin is left feeling dry, stretched or parched, you have Dry skin.

If your skin becomes easily irritated, red or blotchy, particularly when you apply products to your face, then you have Sensitive skin.

Different types of skin care products are designed to cater to your specific skin type. In fact, using the wrong type of skin care product can do more harm than good. Just like you step on the scale every once in a while, you should perform the above skin test at least once every few months to keep up with how your skin is changing.

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