Easily Fade Dark Spots At Home

DISCLAIMER: I am not a dermatologist, this is simply what has worked for me for years and I thought it would be fun to share with you all.

If you've ever popped a pimple or a zit, you know what it is to have a dark spot show up on your face as a reminder that you've been naughty by popping it. There are a lot of products out there that claim to fade dark spots but most of the ones I encounter use some sort of bleaching agent. This can lead to stripping, flaking, redness, ashy-ness and/or dryness which is just adding to the problem of the dark spot and to uneven skin tone.

I thought I would share some tips about what I do to fade dark spots from acne naturally. These are the products I use:

L-R: Witch Hazel; Aveeno Daily Moisturizer; Tea Tree OIl; Vitamin E Oil; Vitamin E capsules

I picked up most of these items from Earth Elements which is an excellent place to get natural beauty and health products at affordable prices. See my post on their store and contact information by clicking here. These are the steps:

1. Calm The Skin: Zits and Pimples are really irritated skin. You need to apply something that will cool and calm the skin by getting rid of irritation. I like Witch Hazel for this because it doesn't dry out the area and works really quickly.
2. Get rid of Bacteria : Any bacteria will prolong the life of the pimple/zit. To make sure that it's the end of the nasty beast on your skin apply Tea Tree Oil to it. The good thing about this oil is that it's a dry oil (meaning it evaporates and doesn't make you look oily) and will not clog your pores.
3. Moisturize: The former zit/pimple is still skin and it still needs love so to encourage it regenerate/produce fresh skin you need to make sure it is moisturized, supple and healthy. I like this Aveeno Moisturizer because it doesn't have anything in it to irritate your skin and is specially formulated to help produce collagen
4. Supplement: Because we live in a very polluted world, the vitamins and nutrients we get from regular meals have a lot of work to do. If we want to take care of a specific problem with our skin usually we need to supplement our diets. I find that Vitamin E Oil or Vitamin E capsules give me a healthier complexion when I use/take them. Another great vitamin for skin is Vitamin C which helps to brighten your skin and Vitamin A which is great for collagen production and makes your skin look fresh and plump.

And that's it! I find that if I do this maybe two/three days in a row, the dark mark fades drastically and in its place instead of dealing with a dry patch I have healthy skin. 

What has worked for you in the past? Will you be trying this out? Leave me a comment and let me know

Til later,

*Jane

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Take It Off! (Lazy Girl's Guide to Good Skin Part 1)

I've been guilty of being too lazy tired to wash my make up off when I come in from a night out, and that smear of cream blush on my pillow case always mocks me the next morning promising that I will almost certainly be seeing a new pimple by the end of the day. Without a doubt, putting on makeup is more fun than taking it off. BUT like, all other good hygienic habits, it must be done. So, of course I had to devise the laziest way to take it all off at the end of any kind of day. *Disclaimer - I'm not a dermatologist, skin specialist or medical professional. This is just what I think from my own experience*

Here we go:

Work Day :

Whether you're a super busy run-around person or you sit behind a desk all day, the optimum time to take off your makeup is as soon as you get home. Why? The longer your skin has to breathe with absolutely nothing on it, is the longer it has to recover on its own. Remember how it feels to take your shoes off and wiggle your toes? That's what you're doing for your face.

Make it easy by putting a pack of makeup remover wipes close to where you put down your bag or take off your jewellery when you get in, and you're less likely to forget to do it. After you've wiped it all off, on your next trip to the bathroom splash your face with some water.

Gym/Workout:

Always always always sweat make-up free. Makeup and sweat is a horrible combination for your pores and will leave you super clogged. Yes, I know you still need to look presentable at the gym, but for the sake of your skin, please wipe off your face make up (foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter) at least. If you don't want to go completely bare leave on your eye makeup, make sure you're wearing waterproof mascara and that your eyeliner is on your top lid only, otherwise you will end up with raccoon eyes. Plus, foundation on your gym towel just looks like dirt, or worse...skid marks.

Make it easy by slipping a pack of makeup remover wipes into your gym bag. Reduce smears by wiping off your foundation and blush before you change your clothes. Never mind if you look like you're missing a little colour. Working up a good sweat will make you flushed and glowing naturally.

Night out on the Town:

You're finally home and your feet ache and you can barely stand but you slathered on the makeup earlier and you need to wipe it off. Typically, we go heavier with the makeup at night and are even more lackadaisical about taking it off when we get in.But this is exactly why we need to do it. Heavier makeup requires a two-step process especially if you're gonna be too lazy tired to wash your face.

Take a makeup remover wipe or two and wipe everything off as best as you can. Wipes can end up leaving your face slightly sticky so you can always substitute the second wipe for witch hazel on a cotton pad. The second step is a face oil. Didn't see that coming did you? An oil, in its virgin form like tea tree oil or argan oil will do alot for your skin. The moisturizing properties will help to combat the dehydration from any alcohol you consumed or any smoke that was in the air while the anti-bacterial properties will nix any remaining dirt that could be clogging your pores. Get your oils here if you live in Kingston, Jamaica.

My favourite make-up removers are:

  

Neutrogena                                        Simple                                                   Ponds

                                                                                                                     (Keep this in the fridge)

DIY- Makeup Removers I like:

- Witch Hazel & Rose Water

- Olive Oil and Witch Hazel

Fave Eye Make-up Remover:

Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover

Remember ladies, just washing your face doesn't remove your makeup. Your best bet is to use a make-up remover (store bought or DIY) and then to wash your face. I don't recommend using an exfoliating scrub after you've used a makeup remover. A cream cleanser or other regular cleanser will do the job without irritating your skin.

If you want a step-by-step breakdown on how to make your own makeup remover leave me a comment and I'll get right on it. 

Till later,

**Jane

PS - Can we take a minute to just swoon at the loveliness of cream blush at night? Especially in candlelit areas? Swoooooon!

P PS - Yes, I'm starting a new series of posts, and aren't you a smarty pants for noticing.

  

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Tips for Growing Out Short Relaxed Hair

I chopped my hair off and regretted it almost instantly. I am now bent on getting it back to a length below my shoulders and along the way I've picked up some tricks that have given me hope that by the end of this year I will be able to get back most of my length. 

Here are are my tips:

• Supplements: More than ever, what you eat plays a role in how fast your hair grows. I hear that Biotin is good for skin and hair, so is vitamin E (I personally take this). I can't tell you which supplement will work best for you, but be sure to add one to your diet, whether in capsule form or in actual chew and swallow food
• Moisturize: moisturize your scalp at least every other day and your ends on the days in between. Dry hair becomes brittle and breaks easily. 
• Stay away from the scissors: You may think that cutting your hair every six weeks is a good idea, but until you've grown your hair a considerable length stay away from the scissors. Your hair dresser may be tempted to get as close to your original style as possible - so refuse the trim. IF things are really bad then go for not more than an inch every six weeks. Seriously. Unless you're physically splitting your split ends, your hair will be just fine
• Leave the heat alone - try to only use heat as necessary. Quit blowdrying your hair, put down the curling iron or flat iron. Truth is, hot tools flatten and singe your hair and make it brittle and dry which is basically a disaster for growing hair. 
• Set your hair, don't wrap it: setting your hair encourages it to retain moisture, it allows for air to pass through the scalp and properly ventilate it, and it protects the ends of your hair. Though wrapping may prevent frizz, it can encourage dryness on the ends of your hair and flatness. Plus your hair keeps its style longer when it is set, than when wrapped
• Skip the alcohol - check your hair products, anything that lists alcohol in the first five ingredients give it away or throw it out. The alcohol will dry out your hair. Pronto
• Deep condition the natural way - use natural products to do your deep conditioning treatments. Shea butter, coconut oil and argan oil are great natural products. You can pick these up at Earth Elements in Savannah Plaza
• Stretch out your relaxer - every month wait an extra week to relax your hair, building up to ten weeks.  If you make sure to set your hair, and deep treat it your hair will look a lot better than you think. Stretching out the relaxer helps your hair to grow back stronger. If you don't think you can do a week at a time then try waiting an extra day.

Everyone's hair grows at different speeds but you can encourage growth if you take care of your hair. You just need to be consistent. I chopped my hair in September, then again in October and I have grown about 2 inches since then. Happy happy joy joy!

Let me know what works for you in the comments below.

Till later,

*Jane

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Shop Talk : Earth Elements in Savannah Plaza

Bush tea, aloe vera wash out and garlic remedies are all familiar to you if you live in the Islands. Now that the world seems more focused on the benefits of going natural, the natural/organic industry is hurriedly harnessing the wave to sell us all kind of natural/organic labelled items. Amidst all of this jabber, I was directed by a fellow blogger and youtuber Michelle,  to Earth Elements, a store specializing in natural products.

Earth Elements is located at Shop #3A in Savannah Plaza on Constant Spring Road in Kingston Jamaica. This is the plaza across from popeyes. I visited there last week and picked up a bottle of Argan Oil and an all-natural Blackberry Soap because my skin is irritated and is still suffering from the wicked sunburn I got the other day. (Rave Review coming soon!).

The store is small but the two workers who were there were very pleasant and everything was clearly labelled with the ingredients listed on each label. Happily, all the products I examined were bottled in Jamaica and I did not see one sulfate of any kind on any labels, nothing with added fragrance and nothing with added mineral oil. Their products are varied - from natural soaps like the one I picked up, to raw shea butter and cocoa butter in tubs, to bath salts, various body oils and scented oils and loads of candles.

The prices ranged from $100 up to $800 (JMD) which, I thought was pretty affordable. The ladies were eager to help and they were knowledgeable about each of the products that were there (gasp!) which is a special treat for me as a Jamaican consumer. Remind me to tell you about my experience trying to shop for a wedding dress here.

The Argan Oil I picked up was $360 and a little goes a long way. The blackberry soap was $200 and best believe I will be visiting that store again very soon. If you are looking for a product and want to make sure they have it in stock then you can give them a call at 926-4428.

I am not associated with Earth Elements or the persons who work there or own it. I just really like what I saw and I think they deserve some support. So if you check them out let me know how your experience was. :) Also, if you are a hair product nerd they have a wide array of natural products. I am currently on a ban until I finish the products I am using.

I will be doing a post/video on my hair routine or my top hair products pretty soon but I have a couple more shops to recommend to you guys so look out for that!

Till later,
Jane

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