Goldenudeofficial blog: skin

blushwithoutbrush

Oils? Yes Please!

1:16 AM

There are 4 big reasons why we're obsessed with face oils:

Truth 1: You can fight oil with oil! Applying oil to already oily skin can help manage pore-clogging sebum.
Truth 2: Curb signs of aging with oil. Oils smoothly deliver powerful antioxidants and other anti aging ingredients to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Truth 3: Glow, not grease with oil! Oil deliver moisture, boost radiance, and give skin that lit-from-within warmth.
Truth 4: Cleansing with oil is awesome. Washing with cleansing oil is one of the most delicate but effective ways to remove makeup and impurities from your skin. Don’t believe this? Refer to our previous post about oil cleansing down below!

Because of its greasy nature, oil is the black sheep of the beauty world. But just as there are good oils for your diet, the right natural oils can keep your skin moisturized, smooth, and glowing — and even fight breakouts — without any slimy residue. Don’t take it from us, take it from the skincare experts. Stroll through any beauty aisle and you'll spot skin, hair, and nail products made with— or created entirely from—naturally derived essential oils. Experts love 'em for their healing powers, and we're fans of how lightweight, yet hard working they are. (Not to mention how customized they can be to help battle your biggest issues based on skin type.) Not sure where to start? These are the best ones to look for on store shelves.

Argan Oil

Best for: Fine lines, dry skin, and dry hair

Argan oil is surrounded by more hype than anything, really. Extracted from the kernels found in the fruit of Moroccan argan trees, argan oil has high levels of vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. While it first claimed fame as a savior for dry, damaged hair, the oil also works wonders on the face and body. The fatty acids help our skin cells make healthy membranes, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy collagen.

Avocado Oil

Best for: Dry, sensitive, or irritated skin

This oil is high in vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, which helps proper cell function and decrease inflammation. Because it's such a rich emollient, avocado oil is ideal for those with dry, itchy, or aging skin.

Coconut Oil

Best for: Sensitive skin, eczema, dry hair

Coconut oil is great for those with super-sensitive skin - especially as a body moisturizer. Its fatty acids make it helpful for anyone with eczema, too. Additionally, research has shown that coconut oil restores dry hair. Its 12-carbon fatty acid structure allows it to penetrate the hair cuticle and help provide flexibility and strength. Rub a small amount on dry ends, smooth a bit on your fingers to tame flyaways, or use it as a deep-conditioning treatment in the shower.

Flaxseed Oil

Best for: Irritated, sensitive skin, and conditions such as eczema and dermatitis

Packed with heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed is important for a healthy heart and complexion. You can mix the seeds in foods, or use the oil as a topical moisturizer. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and studies have shown that if taken daily, it can improve skin conditions such as eczema in almost no time at all.

There you have it GoldenBelles! 4 packed with goodness facial oils that has been proven to significantly improve the appearance of our skin. For all the beauties who’ve had tried applying oils to your face, do leave a comment down below on which works best on your skin! Happy experimenting, GoldenBelles ♡

blushwithoutbrush

The 4 Best Vitamins for Your Skin

12:28 AM

Taking care of your skin should be an essential part of your health regimen. It is, after all, your body’s largest organ.

The first thing most health professionals will tell you to do in order to keep your skin healthy is to limit your exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and wear protective sunscreen when you’re exposed to sunlight. But the sun isn’t all bad. Just 10–15 minutes of daily exposure helps manufacture vitamin D throughout the skin. Vitamin D is one of the best vitamins for your skin, along with vitamins C, E, and K.

Making sure you get enough vitamins can keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. This could translate to a reduction in: dark spots, redness, wrinkles, rough patches, excessive dryness

Essential skin vitamins are available in supplemental form, but they are also found in skin care products. Learn more about these four essential vitamins and how they can help you achieve optimum skin health.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most often made when sunlight is absorbed by your skin. Cholesterol converts to vitamin D when this happens. Vitamin D is then taken up by your liver and kidneys and transported throughout the body to help create healthy cells. This includes the skin, where vitamin D plays an important role in skin tone. It may even help treat psoriasis.

Calcitriol is a man-made version of a kind of vitamin D that humans produce naturally. Calcitriol is a topical cream that has been effective in treating people with psoriasis. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology found that applying calcitriol reduced the amount of skin inflammation and irritation in people with psoriasis and produced few adverse side effects.

The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University recommends a daily vitamin D intake of 600 IU per day. You may need more if you are pregnant or over the age of 70. You can increase your vitamin D intake by getting 10 minutes of sun exposure a day (check with your doctor first, especially if you have a history of skin cancer), eating fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, orange juice, and yogurt, eating foods that have vitamin D naturally, such as salmon, tuna, and cod

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is found at high levels in the epidermis (outer layer of skin) as well as the dermis (inner layer of skin). Its cancer-fighting (antioxidant) properties, and its role in collagen production help keep your skin healthy. This is why vitamin C is one of the key ingredients found in many antiaging skin care products.

Taking vitamin C orally can enhance the effectiveness of sunscreens applied to your skin for protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. It does this by decreasing cell damage and helping the healing process of bodily wounds. Vitamin C can also help fend off the signs of aging because of its vital role in the body’s natural collagen synthesis. It helps to heal damaged skin and, in some cases, reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Adequate vitamin C intake can also help repair and prevent dry skin.

Due to the prevalence of vitamin C in over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, and foods we eat, deficiency of this nutrient is rare. The recommendation is 1,000 mg per day. If you find that you don’t get enough vitamin C in your diet, you can eat for more citrus foods, such as oranges, eat other plant-based sources of vitamin C, such as strawberries, broccoli, and spinach, drink orange juice, take supplements, as recommended by a doctor, look for anti aging skin treatments with vitamin C for treating dryness, redness, wrinkles, and age spots

Vitamin E

Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant. Its main function in skin care is to protect against sun damage. Vitamin E absorbs the harmful UV light from the sun when applied to the skin. Photoprotection refers to the body’s ability to minimize the damage caused by UV rays. This can help prevent dark spots and wrinkles.

Normally, the body produces vitamin E through sebum, an oily substance emitted though the skin’s pores. In the right balance, sebum helps keep the skin conditioned and prevents dryness. If you have particularly dry skin, vitamin E can possibly help counteract a lack of sebum. Vitamin E also helps in the treatment of skin inflammation.

While vitamin E is available in many skin care products, the problem is that any effects could be minimized upon sun exposure. Getting enough vitamin E in your diet is preferable. Most adults need about 15 mg of vitamin E per day. You can increase your intake by eating more nuts and seeds, such as almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds, taking a multivitamin or separate vitamin E supplement, using topical products that contain both vitamin E and vitamin C (this can be more effective in photoprotection than those that contain only one of the two)

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential in aiding the body’s process of blood clotting, which helps the body heal wounds, bruises, and areas affected by surgery. The basic functions of vitamin K are also thought to help certain skin conditions, such as: stretch marks, spider veins, scars, dark spots, stubborn circles under your eyes

Vitamin K can be found in many different topical creams for the skin, and it can help treat a variety of skin conditions. Doctors frequently use creams that contain vitamin K on patients who have just undergone surgery to help reduce swelling and bruising. This may help speed up skin healing. However, research on vitamin K’s effects on the skin is more limited than that for vitamins E and C.

According to the University of Florida, vitamin K deficiencies are rare in the United States. Adults need between 90 and 120 ug per day. You can increase your intake by eating kale, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, green beans

acne

5 Foods That Your Skin Hates

7:42 PM

Welcome back Goldenbelles! A few weeks back we covered the topic of eating healthy foods that your skin absolutely love (if you haven’t, check it out here). Since now you know your important do’s, today we will show you ladies on the critical dont’s. Here’s our top picks on foods (and drinks) you should avoid for better skin, with their alternatives:

Alcohol

Wines, especially reds, may be touted as a good source of antioxidants, but alcohol is actually worse for your skin when it comes to acne and anti-aging. Alcohol is jam-packed with sugar, which drives blood sugar levels to the roof and contributes to aging by depleting collagen. Not to mention that it is dehydrating - preventing your skin from retaining moisture and may cause dark circles to appear around your eyes (unless you want to be a panda), and your skin will start to resemble a leather bag.

Once a while is fine, but if you really have to go out for a night’s drink with your friends, try sticking with clear spirits, which are lower in sugar, mixed with hydrating coconut water (or just drink enough water).

Milk

Milk or other dairies are pro-inflammatory foods that can aggravate or worsen existing inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne, rashes, and eczema. To add with that, milk may contain growth hormones and antibiotics that tips off your body’s natural hormonal balance. In particular, excess estrogen (the female growth hormone) in your system is suspected to contribute to hormonal cystic acne, although this is yet to be fully confirmed.

Replace dairy with unsweetened nut milk, such as coconut milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. These alternatives are hormone, antibiotic and lactose-free, and have less of a negative impact on your liver and digestion.

Coffee

It’s not actually the coffee, but the caffeine instead. Studies have shown regular caffeine consumption can increase your cortisol levels, which can impact your skin by causing inflammation, and throwing the rest of your hormones a bit cray-cray. A better solution to you coffee-lovers would be decaf, or better yet, herbal teas like dandelion or burdock root which also promotes detoxification.

Fast Food

Most fast food items are deep-fried in refined vegetable oils, such as canola oil and peanut oil, and loaded with trans-fats. While vegetable oils may sound healthy (they do contain the word “vegetable” after all) they can worsen skin conditions because they’re extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids. Before we go further, it is important to note that omega-6 is essential for your growth and brain function, but being a pro-inflammatory agent, too much of it can cause unwanted skin conditions. Not to mention that omega-6 acids when exposed to high temperature (like deep-frying) can form free radicals which destroy our cells and accelerating premature aging.

Avoid deep fried foods altogether by eating healthy protein bars, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables instead. Or just grab a healthy smoothie or a bowl of salad when in a rush.

Salt

Salt is capable of retaining a lot of water (as well as other nasty fluids). We know, salt tastes darn good, there’s no debate about that, but having too much in your diet is bad for both your skin and heart.

An overabundance of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, and with a lack of adequate blood flow on top of fluid retention, your skin will look dried out. If you know someone who always has bags under their eyes, it’s likely because of too much sodium in their diet in addition to fluid retention. You can top off your foods with a hint of salt, but processed foods should be avoided at all costs.