Turmeric

Long used in sacred wedding rites in India, turmeric contains curcumin, a potent anti-inflammatory. Chronic inflammation ages your body and your skin, and turmeric can help to calm that down.

It’s also a very strong antioxidant, fighting against aging free radicals, and even stimulating your body’s own antioxidant mechanisms.

When cooking with turmeric, make sure to add a little black pepper. Pepper contains a substance called piperene, which can increase your absorption of turmeric’s wonderful curcumin by 2000%. Meanwhile curcumin is fat-soluble, so it mixes well with a little oil or other rich ingredients.

The earthy flavour of tumeric is tasty in aromatic curries, grated into salads, or in vivid yogic Golden Milk – simmer a grated inch of fresh turmeric and a pinch of black pepper in a cup of milk (dairy or almond) for five minutes, strain, sweeten with honey, and enjoy.

Chili Peppers

Chili peppers are rich in antioxidant compounds including capsaicin and carotenoids.

Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation of other molecules, which is one of the key bodily processes of aging. Consumed in moderation, the bioactive plant compounds in chillis help slow these processes, and keep bodily tissues, including your skin, healthy and youthful.

And they add such a delicious punch to so many dishes!

Cinnamon

The woody, sweet taste of cinnamon is driven by its cinnamaldehyde oils. Cinnamon too is packed with powerful antioxidants, and it has an anti-inflammatory effect. For good measure, it’s anti bacterial and anti fungal, as recognised traditionally in its capacity to preserve other foods.

Cinammon complements apples and pastries and other sweet treats so beautifully, but is also wonderful in Moroccan tagines or gently spiced curries.

Three delicious ways to look good, as well as feeling good.

It’s very tricky when people ask you how old you think they are. I learned the hard way.

SO EASY TO GET IT WRONG!

A few years ago, after a speaking engagement, a lovely woman came up to me, and asked that loaded question, “How old do you think I am?” I told her I don’t like to guess people’s ages, but she insisted upon an answer.

“I would say you’re in your early forties,” I offered.

She looked stricken. “I’m twenty-seven.”

I wanted to backtrack, but there was nowhere to go. Fortunately, I was able to give her some good news. I told her the premature aging of her skin was totally reversible.

“You’re using the wrong products on your dry skin. They are causing your skin to age prematurely.”

She told me about the skincare brand she was using. “It smells and feels so good. A friend uses it, she told me how great it is.”

I asked if she had ever read their ingredients and if she knew what their effects were on the skin, starting with  alcohol and perfume

This lady was of Irish descent, and people with that heritage often have some of the very driest complexions. Her skin needed a natural, deeply nourishing moisturizer, and plenty of it.

These days, I avoid guessing anyone’s age, knowing that even some young people sadly have dry, prematurely lined skin.

HOW OLD DOES YOUR SKIN LOOK?

My mission is to let you know that beautiful skin is possible for every single one of us. I want to broadcast as widely as possible the good news that natural and richly supportive skincare is what promotes long-term radiant and beautiful skin.

That’s why I started my own organic skincare line, using the finest ingredients that work to create beautiful skin.

FINDING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS FOR YOUR SKIN

Good skincare will restore the beauty and lustre to your complexion in days, not weeks. If that is not happening with the products you are using, the problem is the products, not you!

The main thing in choosing products is to make sure to read the list of ingredients. And research anything you don’t recognize. After that, you can judge by the results. If you are seeing the improvements you want, all is well.

Here’s to growing more beautiful with time and entering into the realm of timeless beauty.

As well as the famed luxury of bathing in milk, Cleopatra was wise to the ‘Plant of Immortality,’ the ‘Wand of Heaven’: aloe vera.

Part of the beauty routine of the ancient Egyptians, Native Americans and us modern women, Alexander the Great is said to have even conquered a whole island to gain access to this glorious balm.

It’s good for all skin types, and it is particularly beneficial for mature dryness, as it encourages the skin to retain moisture. Meanwhile its enzymes promote regeneration and firm up facial tissues. It’s packed with amino acids and other nutrients, and, for good measure, it has anti-inflammatory benefits and may even stimulate the immune system.

We use this wonderful botanical in nearly everything we make. Gorgeous. And just one of the reasons why our products feel so good on the skin.

Learn more about the beauty benefits of aloe vera.

Skin should have a slightly acidic balance, known as its acid mantle, that protects against infections, reduces breakouts and delays the formation of lines and other signs of aging.

Anything you put onto your skin that is more alkaline than the acid mantle, even water, can disrupt its pH balance and leave skin vulnerable, resulting in redness, agitation and premature aging.

These problems are compounded when the skin tends towards dryness. Fortunately, the  acid mantle can be easily maintained with three simple steps:

1. do not over-cleanse: a morning and evening rinse in warm water with a moisturizing cleanser like Soap Supérieure is all that is needed
2. avoid highly alkaline cleansers: pH of soaps and cleansers varies widely; if your skin is acting up, changing your cleanser can make all the difference
3. after cleansing, use a pH-balanced toner such as Toner Supérieure to restore the healthy pH of your skin; you can read more about the benefits of facial toners by clicking here

These daily routines, along with exfoliating and moisturizing, are basic to  cultivating beautiful skin. It’s easy when you know how!

Don’t you wish you could go to the spa every day? How perfect would life be if you could build it into your daily routine? Let’s say you get up in the morning and go for a run or to the gym.

Then you head to work and have an exhausting but rewarding day as you lead a team through meetings designed to plan out your next projects. Then you head home and help your children with their homework while preparing an easy and nutritious meal for dinner.

Then, right before heading to bed to spend time with your partner, you just walk to a spa that’s attached to your home! You get a facial, a back rub, and a fresh pedicure as your treat for being an amazing woman.

That would be the dream! Even if you couldn’t have a magical spa that relaxes you every day, that doesn’t mean that you can enjoy a little spa luxury every day as your reward for hard work.

If you are looking for a great way to treat yourself every day, read this article to learn the best way to enjoy a little spa every day!

Read the full article: How to Enjoy a Little Spa Luxury Every Day.