Old English Lufu means Love

Author: element lufu

  • What Is Face Mapping???

    What Is Face Mapping???

    Have you ever heard of face mapping?  Have you ever had a small little pimple break out on your face?  Maybe one that keeps coming back in the same spot?  Or, your getting a lot of breakout on a few repeat areas of your face?  Maybe a repeat or return pimple? I’m creating this post to give you tips for breakout and ideas as to what could be causing them.  I’ll explain face mapping and breakdown different areas of you face along with the organs those areas are connected to.

    What is face mapping?

    When I was studying in my esthetician course on the island of Maui we had a very thorough education.   Being we were on the island there is a huge Asian influence we were taught a few more things stemming from the Asian cultures.  There are a lot of Japanese or Japanese Hawaiians living on the island  as Japan is 5 hours away from Hawaii.  So a lot of people had migrated over from Japan and mixed with the Hawaiians and the Hawaiian culture.  That being said we actually learned that face mapping came from traditional Chinese medicine.  I wanted to point out the Japanese Hawaiians because the whole island has an Asian approach to doing things.  Basically the concept of face mapping is like this.  Your face tells a story.  There are points on your face that are connected to your internal organs or areas of the internal body. If something could be going on internally with an organ it can show up on your face as a pimple or breakout. It doesn’t just have to be pimples. You can also just be getting red patches that could be surface dryness but can be stemming from something internal.

    Example:  The nose point would be connected to your lungs, there are two spots by the mouth and they are connected to the small and large intestine.  There are the areas on the face that always break out when you are stressed and there is the hormonal area.  I will draw a map of the face with the points I learned and these have been proven time and time again in my career and when I mention an area the person can put the break out to a reason that can be affecting the internal body.

    The Map

    Would like to note here this is the map I learned from.  If you goggle face mapping or look up other articles there may be different face maps that represent the facial areas different.  I also have had that happen with reflexology of the hands and feet.  You can take into account that nothing is set in stone but this is a general guide.  I feel confident sharing this map as through the years I have seen the connection of these points on the face with myself and my clients with results for figuring out skin issues.

    As you can see on the map the different points on the face and how they relate to the internal organs.  Essentially the idea is. if you had a break out and it was around your nostrils your lungs are being exposed to something and it is coming out on your skin.    So the two spots next to the nostrils would be considered your lung points.  The two points next to the corners of your mouth would be considered your digestion.  Within the lines of digestion are your small and large intestines.  Sometimes you can get breakout along the small and large intestine lines if your eating something your intestines cannot handle.

    To the side of either of the intestine lines is your hormonal breakout.  Normally you can get a pimple in that area when you are either ovulating or getting ready to have your period.  Its just a large dose of hormones and the excess is coming out on the skin.  Anytime you get a pimple right on the jaw bone but underneath it that area represents stress. Hands down I see it on my own face if I get stressed.  The spot right under your nose that is above your lip in the little dip represents the uterus.  Now I have only learned this as the uterus.  If I had to take a guess for men it would be one of their male sexual glands.  If something is going on internally in your uterine area or reproductive organs you may get a pimple right in the middle of the upper lip.  The general area that I know from experience if something is going on in your stomach you can have break out on the forehead and also the cheeks.

    What to do about it

    Just be informed.  I am explaining this concept to bring an awareness as to why you could be breaking out.  I can say from my own experience when I was in manicure school and we were working with acrylic,  I had pimples many times next to my nostrils.  I know it was from breathing in the acrylic chemicals.  My body was not used to the strong chemical and I was being affected by it.

    I have learned that a hormonal pimple is not always a pimple and does not pop the same as a pimple.  If that’s the case it is actually better to leave the bump alone and let it heal itself. You can know you have a hormonal pimple by the location on your face and it usually is a more spread out bump. If the breakout doesn’t come to a complete head or look like a regular pustule it is best not to touch and it will go away.

    If you have little pimples on the intestinal line then that can be a food allergy.  You want to pay attention to what you ate the night before or a day before to see why you can have little breakouts on that area of your face.  I know that I am allergic to seaweed and every time after I have eaten say a sushi veggie roll the next day I will always have tiny little bumps on the intestinal line.  That is my body reacting to the food and sending it out through my pores.

    If you have a pimple in the uterus area something can be going on with your uterus and or your reproductive zones.  But also you can just have a hormonal thing going on and if your ovulating or getting ready to have your period you can get a pimple in that area.

    Also the stress pimple on the jaw line.  If you get a big pimple right around the jaw line it is in the stress area or zone of your face.  You can almost check in with yourself and see if you have a stressful event coming up or something going on that is stressful.  A pimple on the bottom of the face right around the jaw bone area usually represents stress.

    Now the area which I marked on both cheeks and the forehead, that area would mainly represent your stomach.  What ends up happening is if you are allergic to a food or you are consuming something that your digestion doesn’t handle well it can manifest on your face in the cheeks and forehead.  I know when I was consuming almonds and was allergic to them my whole forehead had a lot of breakout.  It some time before I put it together that what I was consuming  I was allergic to and my skin was definitely showing me.

    Can I just throw this out there?  Not always the case, but sometimes when people part-take in a recreational drug that gives you, let’s say the munchies it can cause a lot of break out on the cheeks and forehead.  Sometimes people do not realize they are allergic to that said drug and the body is detoxing it as best as it can and as fast as it can.  Hence why the breakout on the cheeks and forehead.  It is a larger surface area and can help to get the toxins out.  Not always the case but something to think about.  It doesn’t even have to be a drug that gives you the munchies you could also be taking prescription drugs and your body can react to it with a little break out here and there.

    Another area I want to add that is not drawn on the map is the liver.  Under your eyes on the inner corner represents the liver.  Yes you could have no sleep and have dark circles.  We all can get that.  However, if you have puffy eyes and a lot of dark color under your eyes this area represents your liver.  Ask yourself are you consuming something your body cannot handle?  If you drink a lot of wine are your eyes dark underneath the next day?  Sometimes people are allergic to pasta and they get dark circles under their eyes.  Also believe it or not burning scented candles can cause puffy eyes and dark circles.  Fragrances can be taxing on the liver and it will show on your face.  Also again prescription meds affect your liver.

    Knowledge is Power

    I just want to bring an awareness to this topic.  The more you know the more you can try and heal your skin.  Sometimes it starts on the inside.  Once in awhile you have a lifestyle change and start breaking out and you cannot figure out what is causing it.  Instead of running to get an anti acne cover or a new cleanser maybe just think about any recent lifestyle changes and what could be causing it?

    Another note is the skin on your body.  Sometimes you may get a pimple on the back or arm or maybe even the buttocks.  Nine times out of ten that is an ingrown hair and it has developed due to friction and then causes the hair to grown into the skin and a little pus to form around where the hair is growing in.  I always suggest to pop and get the pus out.  Why?  If you don’t open the pustule and get air into it the hair follicle will keep growing internally.  Have you ever had an ingrown hair and you can take a needle to it and get it out and it is nice and tight curls and really long?  Well I have had that happen and I can honestly say it is better to pop and remove them on the body then to let them stay growing.  Just a nice poke with a sterile needle and then some alcohol after to clean the skin.  But you want to look for the hair and maybe even use a nice sharp tweezers to try and get the ingrown hair out.  I always say if you don’t get the ingrown hair out it will stay in your skin and keep growing.

    Conclusion

    Now that you have learned the concept of face mapping you have an ability to spot other issues going on in the body.  If you do have a breakout or pimple I always say first drink a lot of water.  Dehydrated skin is dry skin and tight skin.  The lymphatic system is always cleaning from behind the skin and the more water you drink the more it aids your system to flush out toxins.  So water water and more water is always the first step.  Second you now have a new awareness and maybe you cannot handle certain foods in your body.  Again water water water as that helps get things moving out that shouldn’t be in the body.  Also consider your surroundings and environment.  If your breaking out by the nostrils maybe there is mold in a work place or home or place you frequent and your body is letting you know.  Or you take a weekend trip to a city with lots of pollution and you get a pimple by the nose point?

    Face mapping is just another way to be in tune with your body and aware of what is going on.  Having this tool can help you to solve little issues you or a family member may not be aware of.  If someone says to you, “I don’t know why, but I keep breaking out in this spot.”  You now have a tool to help them or suggest to them maybe something is going on.  Leave me a comment if this has helped you or given you a new light on breakouts on your face.  Would love to know how you find this post helpful in your skincare journey.

     

  • Best Tips for a Long Lasting Natural Manicure

    Best Tips for a Long Lasting Natural Manicure

    Okay here we have it!!! Nail technician secrets for a natural manicure!  I’m going to give you tips to have a long lasting manicure for natural nails. The products recommended in this post are mainly 15 free of chemicals and we are striving for no chipping.  This is a manicure that after one week will look like a gel manicure and shine.  Disclaimer none of these products recommended in this post are sponsored.  This is my own trial and error with products throughout the years and what I have found works for me.  My main goal with this manicure is low chemicals.

    About Me

    Just starting here with the manicure information. (You can skip through this section if not interested.)  When I went to manicure school I was in Hawaii on the island of Maui.  I had a really good teacher and the school added reflexology to the nail tech program to add to our education. As with all nail tech programs we had to learn acrylic nails.  Let me just say that gluing on the tips and trying to make a thin line of acrylic was not my forte. I had decided during school that doing acrylic nails wasn’t going to be for me.  I didn’t love the technic for acrylic nails. I didn’t feel I was good at it and I wasn’t into the chemical aspect of acrylic nails.  It was at that time during my nail technician training that I decided to only work on natural nails.  From that point on,  when I finished the program  I only worked on natural nails.

    Why No Gel

    After I finished my nail program I was hired at a spa in Kaanapali.  One thing in Hawaii you have to be good at is doing French manicures.  On the islands, there can be a wedding everyday of the week and most brides choose a French manicure for the photo of the rings.  At this time and still to this day the spa brands of nail polish that were offered were Essie and OPI.  These would probably be the two main brands used around the world.  Then they came out with gel polish and the gel lights to cure the polish.  Each brand of nail polish has created their own gel line to keep up with the times.

    I’m going to be brutally honest here and explain why I do not like gel nail polish on nails and offer a manicure alternative that looks like gel. My personal opinion on gel polish and the procedure.  Note, I do love how long a gel manicure can last (usually two weeks) and how shiny it looks but here is a list of the negative effects.  Just sharing in case anyone has gone through this with their own nails and to know that you are not crazy if your nails had this symptoms.

    1. First of all the process of using a UV light to cure the product is not the healthiest for your nails or skin.  Some people are sensitive and when you do the base coat and cure the first layer of gel polish it can hurt your fingers.  You can feel almost a burning sensation because you need to put that first layer on and then it acts as a barrier.  That burning pain you can feel cannot be good for you? Also you can feel that sensitivity if you have been receiving gel manicures for awhile because the nail bed gets thin and will be sensitive to a UV light.
    2. The gel polish is great because it last two weeks but your nails get no break to breath in between.  NAIL TIP: I always suggest to people who constantly have their nails with polish on them.  You always want to give your nails a break and let actual oxygen and water touch your nail bed.  My suggestion would be if you had a manicure for example last 10 days and maybe you are going to get a new manicure.  The night before if you can remove your polish and then when you shower or wash dishes your nails are coming into contact with water.  This is good for your nails to help with staining.  Meaning, not getting a yellow stain and gives them a break with product on them so the nail can receive exposure to oxygen and sunlight.  When you get a gel manicure and you have it removed and then do a new gel color the nails never get a break from chemicals on them.
    3. I do not like the removal process one bit.  I will say there is a new removal product that you can brush on the gel and it eats the polish off and breaks it up faster but that is still chemical.  To me when you have to break the seal on the gel then put a huge amount of acetone on a cotton pad, then your wrapping foil on the finger.  Just imagine your getting all that acetone on your skin, which is a highly toxic chemical.  Your wrapping it on your finger and having it go right into the skin barrier.  Massive chemical exposure and drying to the cuticle skin and nail bed all while the acetone is getting into your system.  Then, when the foil is removed and a lot of times not all the gel comes off, your getting your nail scraped with an orange wood stick or maybe even a metal tool.  Depends who does the removal.  Basically every time you remove a gel manicure your are getting a layer of your nail scraped off.  It is making your nails thin.

    Chemicals

    I’m going to explain a little here about chemicals in polish.  As stated above you can visualize how acetone seeps into your system through your skin and thin cuticles and nail bed.  Nail polish can have just as strong of an effect on your system but mainly is not entering your system through the skin just the nail bed. So one strong ingredient that can be found in nail polish is formaldehyde. When dissolved in water it is called formalin, which is commonly used as an industrial disinfectant and as a preservative in funeral homes and labs. Formaldehyde can also be used as a preservative in some products, such as antiseptics, medicines, and cosmetics. Sometimes, even when formaldehyde is not an ingredient in a product, substances that release formaldehyde are. These have been found in cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, lotions and sunscreens, and cleaning products. In a nutshell formaldehyde is a gas at room temperature and used as a preservative.  This can be cancer causing to the body in high concentrations as the odorless gas is not good to breath.

    That is one main ingredient in nail polish that people have been starting to avoid.  Some other ingredients that are not good for the body are toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor,  acetone, xylene, phthalates (including DBP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP), parabens, bisphenol A (BPA), sulfates, e-series glycol ethers, benzophenone 1, 2, nonylphenol ethoxylate. I am putting this quick list of ingredients here so that you understand the newer nail polish brands that say 10 free or 15 free are starting to omit these ingredients from their nail polish.  It is a much more health conscious awareness of chemicals in the products.  So I have found a 4 step process for a lasting natural manicure.  I will share here.

    Steps for a Natural Manicure

    1. Clip and shape the nails.  You also want to buff the nail surface a little to dehydrate the nail.
    2. Make sure all nail polish and products are removed from nail.  You can use a nail brush and either pass alcohol or acetone remover over the nail. The less oil on the nails the better the polish will stay.
    3. First step is to use base coat.  You always want to use base coat on your nails to protect them so that the nail polish does not stain your nail bed.
    4. Once you have your color picked out you will want to do two coats of nail polish.  The first coat you will paint on thin and the second a little thicker.
    5. Top coat.  You always want to add a top coat you protect the polish that you just painted on.

    These are the basic tips for a lasting manicure next step I will give you the EXACT polish top and base coat that I use for a lasting natural manicure.

     

    If you follow the steps to the manicure prep and then use these 3 products your manicure should last chip free for 10 days.  Here is a secret tip to last longer.  After you do your manicure and wait two days.  Make sure you haven’t bumped any nails and there are no chips.  You want to take a paper towel and wipe your nails very good so there is no oils or cream on the polish.  Then use the  Wet and Wild top coat and add another coat of top coat.  Your nails will look a little thicker and shine and will be protected from chipping.  It should take about ten minutes for the top coat to fully dry.  You can also put your hands in the freezer by the fan for polish to harden or run your nails under cold water to harden the polish. I have had my manicures last more than two weeks with this tip. One other tip when you are painting your nails, if you have time I wait 5 minutes in between coats before I paint the next coat.  By the time you finish waiting 5 minutes between each coat your nails are almost dry and ready to go.  Again you can finish running under cold water to harden the polish.

    These are some tips for a natural polish manicure to last two weeks.  If you have any other tips or questions feel free let me know in the comments or the contact form.

     

  • Best Natural Fibers For Skin & Body(How Fibers Affect Your Health)

    Best Natural Fibers For Skin & Body(How Fibers Affect Your Health)

    What are fibers?  Fibers are in our life everyday?  Fibers are what we wear on our bodies.  Fibers are what we use in a coffee filter, a tea bag or toilet paper.  Unless your running free and naked on a nude beach the human body is in constant contact with fibers. Fibers are being used for your everyday needs either on your body or being used for everyday items like writing on a paper notebook.  I am going to try and break down and bring an awareness as to why what types of fibers or materials we use on the daily and how it can affect our physical health.  Hopefully this post will inspire you to make healthy choices in the clothes you purchase and the linens you use for your home.

    My First Experience With Fibers

    About ten years ago I was booked a job at a trade show.  Normally when I work in trade shows we are usually a crew of about 3 girls and or guys minimum.  In this show I was booked alone and the client wanted to meet me and train me the day before the show started.  I did not know what I was getting into. So I proceeded to find the booth location at the Miami Beach Convention Center and met with the client.  The client was a man around 50 years old and he was from the United States.  The company was from Germany the this client was a manager from North Carolina.  So this man proceeds to explain to me about the company and he has a little hesitation as he is saying what the company does.  Finally he just says the awkward, we are the largest manufacturer of tampons in Germany. We are at capacity in sales and we have our booth here at this show to visit our existing clients. We need you to stay at the booth when we have our meetings.  We want to train you a little on fibers so that you can answer questions and look knowledgeable.

    Well that was it a fast crash course in fibers and now I am representing the company.  I met the next day with their lead scientist and he explained to me how fibers work and what different types there were and the scientific names of these fibers.  I learned a lot about working this convention such as a water soluble fiber like a tea bag or coffee filter is called Poseidon in science terms. Also the US had two companies that made fire retardants for mattresses and right after the companies merge the federal government made it mandatory to place fire retardants in all mattresses being manufactured.  The tampons that this company manufactured were made from Eucalyptus trees.  Basically they trim down the branches and make a pulp and then break that down more and spin into a fiber which created the material to make the tampon. (Never knew the brand of these tampons but I worked for them)

    Learning to Sew

    Fast forwad a few years later and I relocated to Los Angeles California.  When I first moved to the new city I enrolled in a sewing class at Mood Fabrics.  I started to learn to design patterns and sew and I loved it.  My sewing teacher https://linda-tidwell.square.site/  linked here for reference made a comment that once you learn how to sew you never will look at material the same again.  She was right.  You can see quality fibers and material and quality stitching and design in clothing and anything sewn.  So at this time I became invested in working only with natural materials.  Meaning for me the fibers that come from nature which are: silk, cotton, wool, linen, bamboo, hemp and some forms of rayon.  Here is a list of the derivatives of these fibers if you are interested:

    • SILK – SILK WORM
    • COTTON- GROWN IN FIELD
    • WOOL-SHAVED FROM LAMBS FUR
    • LINEN-SPUN FROM FLAX SEEDS
    • BAMBOO-BAMBOO
    • HEMP-HEMP
    • RAYON-EUCALYPTUS TREES
    • ALSO PERSONALLY I LOVE WORKING WITH LEATHER MAINLY COWHIDE

    So these are the natural fibers that I started shopping for and paying attention to.  A couple of years later I got into home decor and had now relocated to Miami Florida.  I had heard about linen sheets and how good they were for you but at the time I couldn’t exactly explain why?  I invested in a queen size sheet set of linen top and bottom and two pillow cases.  The day after I first slept on my sheets I found a video that explained materials and fibers and there frequencies.  To sum it up an Israeli scientist measured the frequencies of fibers and it is broken down as this:

    • HUMAN BODIES FREQUENCY IN A HEALTHY STATE IS 100
    • ORGANIC COTTON AND HEMP FREQUENCY IS 100
    • REGULAR COTTON FREQUENCY IS 70
    • HUMAN BODIES FREQUENCY IN A DISEASE (NEAR DEATH STATE) IS 15
    • SILK, POLYESTER, ACRYLIC AND RAYON HAVE A FREQUENCY OF 20 (NEAR DEATH FREQUENCY)
    • FREQUENCY OF LINEN IS 5000
    • FREQUENCY OF WOOL 5000

    Notes:

    1) If you wear linen and wool together they cancel each other out and the frequency becomes 0.  The scientist believe this is because the frequency of linen spins one way say, to the right and wool to the left.

    2) Hospitals back in the 50’s used to have linen sheets.  Linen is very healing to the body giving the high frequency of the material that helps your body to heal and restore as you sleep.

    3) Polyester, Nylon and Acrylic are synthetic fibers.  Low frequency  of around 20 and you can notice when doing laundry that static shock you get when pulling these items out of the dryer?  That is because this material is very electrically charged which is harmful to the body as it can disrupt the bodies natural electrical field.

    4) Fire retardants are an unnatural chemical very harmful to the body.  Why it is required in mattresses while you sleep and restore?  Also a lot of manufacturers use in children’s clothing.  In a landfill in San Francisco where mattresses were dumped a lot of the women who lived close by they found fire retardants in the women’s breast milk.  (Double note:  If you were wearing fire retardant pajamas or sleeping on a fire retardant mattress you would more than likely die of smoke inhalation if you can make it that far into a fire without burning on your mattress or in your pajamas. Maybe quick question, why is this a required ingredient in all mattresses?

    5)  I’ve know that polyester comes from crude oil.  Imagine rubbing crude oil on your body and walking around all day.  That is what these fibers essentially do and many manufacturing of woman’s bras, the main material used is polyester.

    Fibers Effects on Physical Body

    Just a quick example here from studies that have been done.  A lot of the dry fit materials or work out wear is made from synthetic fabrics like Spandex, nylon and polyester, all of which are essentially plastics. These materials are made from petrochemicals and are often formulated with harmful chemical additives like phthalates and bisphenols. Now, research has been shown that sweat leaches chemical additives from plastics and those chemicals are then available to be absorbed through our skin.

    So imagine we have been taught that when you sweat it is a great way to detox and get toxins out of your body. So know were wearing mainly polyester and plastic fibers in our workout clothes.  So what is happening is those fibers have chemicals in them.  So you go out and have a great sweat session.  The moisture from your sweat causes these chemicals to release from the clothing onto your skin.  What do you think will happen?  Your skin will absorb these chemicals.  Reintroducing new toxins right back into your body.

    This is why for over 10 years I am always looking for cotton workout clothes and especially leggings.  They may fade in color or not last as long but I am happier wearing something not made of a synthetic fiber.  Not easy to find we definitely have a ways to go on this topic but its a start to bring the awareness.

    I also want to point out about the bras.  I have been looking for cotton bras for many years.  I am not sure if anyone noticed but they brought back cotton bras but if you look in the cup it is a polyester material?  Really doesn’t make sense as that is the part that is touching your skin.  I have been on a mission to wear cotton bras for more than 10 years pretty much cotton everything.  Why?  Because the materials that touch our skin really actually go into our pores. In the last year I have been looking for organic cotton and linen more so as fabrics to be wearing.  I have found some companies that make organic cotton bras and also a women who sews linen bras.  Let me find some links here for you.  I will keep this post open and ad links as I find more alternatives.

    Note, Third Love is an affiliate link and there is no added cost to you but a commission to me if purchased.  Very amazing bras that add half cup sizes so if you are looking for a good fitting bra, this company definitely can help you.

    Also note, when you first buy clothing I would suggest always washing it before you wear.  I’ll probably have to do a major post on laundry detergent too.  But a lot of clothing has formaldehyde and chemicals on it from the boxing and shipping process so again you will be wearing those chemicals until you wash the item.

    Conclusion

    We use fibers in our clothing and our everyday usage,  including sheets and towels.  Basically anything that is touching or comes into contact with your skin is affecting your health.  I wanted to create this post because this is how I have been living my life for well over ten years.  I am not just a food ingredients reader I am a label reader.  You will find me in any clothing store looking for the tag, normally found on bottom right side of item on the inside.  I will read the label and if it says polyester or any derivative I will pass.  Does it take longer to shop?  Yes, but I am willing to take that time.  If this subject is all new to you but your feeling motivated feel free to search my suggestions and I will be adding more.  Clothing manufacturers need to be held accountable but also companies too.  Especially when it comes to work uniforms or kids school uniforms.  Were literally getting exposed to chemicals.  Lets put our dollars to work to let people know what we want more of and what companies you are choosing to support.

    I am going to put some reference links here and you can learn more about fibers and natural materials and your health.  As always any questions or comments feel free to leave a comment or use the contact form.

    References

    https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2023/nov/02/workout-clothes-sweat-chemicals-cancer

    https://gaiaconceptions.com/pages/the-frequencies-of-natural-fabrics

    Check out the podcast on Spotify The Hannah Dunning Project.  She talks about all things materials.

     

  • Benefits of Natural Vitamin C for Your Skin and Body

    Benefits of Natural Vitamin C for Your Skin and Body

    Are you an orange juice drinker or a grapefruit juice drinker?  Do you prefer concentrate or fresh squeezed?  Do you avoid the pulp or are you good to drink the pulp too?  In this post I am going to touch on vitamin C both internally and topically and try and help you to understand how vitamin C can help your skin produce collagen both internally and on the surface and why natural vitamin C from nature is best.

    Different types of Citrus

    Okay so lets start with the basics.  What do we have for citrus fruits?  We have lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins, tangerines and grapefruit.  Now note that limes have more vitamin C than oranges.  (Just a side mention)  What I want to emphasize here is grapefruits and oranges.  Lets start with fruit juice basics and I’ll try and tie this into skin as best as I can.  Were going to start with the healthiest orange juice is pure oranges that are freshly squeezed or juiced.  The same with grapefruit.  Why do you want it freshly squeezed?  When the fruit is freshly squeezed it has the most nutrients. Also the white of the peel is full of nutrition and one thing I do is peel the whole orange and put it in my Vitamix blender.  I will make sure to keep as much white pulp on as possible and I sometimes cheat and add a little bit of skin as I blend it up.

    I noticed a trend in Miami when I was going to get fresh squeezed orange juice.  Have you seen those orange squeezing machines that the base is yellow and you put the oranges in and then they turn the machine on as you order and the oranges start to get squeezed and there is your fresh juice?  Well I’ve noticed lately I will go to order the fresh juice and they just hand me an orange juice in a plastic cup in the refrigerator made earlier in the day and say here you go it was made fresh this morning.  Do you know how annoyed I get? I want to have Fresh Fresh orange juice and I ordered it and paid more because I see the machine and then they hand me orange juice that is 5 hours old? Probably absorbing all the plastic from the cup that I will now be consuming.  Anyways the point is the freshest most nutrient rich juice is fresh squeezed.  Otherwise it is better if you just eat the fruit directly.

    Next we have grapefruit.  Grapefruit is a little more on the bitter side.  One way I like to sweeten grapefruit juice up is with honey.  If you ever cut a grapefruit in half and cut out the little triangles and eat with a spoon its nice to add honey.  Eat the little grapefruit wedges and then squeeze out the rest of the juice and get as many nutrients as possible.  Note in all citrus fruits you want seeds.  We do not want to buy seedless as that is basically GMO.  That means the fruit has been altered and with that alteration your body does not read the nutrient codes the same.  Its like your eating a whole orange and getting half the nutrients. So embrace those seeds let them be in your glass.  Have fun with them.  I let them get blended up in the Vitamix blender too. Seeds are our friends and seeds are life.

    Citrus and Collagen

    Citrus fruit has a lot of great health benefits but I am going to emphasize here grapefruit first.  Why because grapefruit is in first place of the citrus family for the most nutrients for skin and oranges come in second.  So grapefruit contains flavones and flavonoids.  This helps with phytonutrients.  Phyto attracts the sun hence why they say citrus can give you sun spots.  In small doses though the sun is very healing for you.  Grapefruit can also have drug interactions.  Note if your taking any prescription or vitamins not on an empty stomach and not going from straight grapefruit consumption to vitamin/medicine consumption.  Your stomach will more than likely have a reaction.  The vitamin C content in grapefruit juice plays a role in collagen formation of the skin.  This is important for the skin cells to keep there strength and structure.  This is why I am trying to emphasize fresh juice not concentrate.  With concentrate there is usually added sugars.

    If you have to buy fresh orange or grapefruit juice you also would want to look for unpasteurized juice.  Pasteurization heats up the juice to remove any bacteria but the heating process takes away the nutrients. Lets be honest how much bacteria is in citrus fruits?  Little to none is my guess that is why I am always on the hunt for unpasteurized juices. So again lets imagine your drinking a full 12 ounce bottle of juice that you just spent about $5 on but your getting about 3o percent of the nutrients from the actual fruit.  I can tell you that Trader Joes sells unpasteurized orange juice and I know in the state of Florida WaWa the gas station and minimart offers unpasteurized orange juice.  I cannot speak for Wawa in other states as I haven’t seen if the unpasteurized juice is offered.

    Vitamin C in Skincare

    So moving on we’ve covered the bases of vitamin C internally and how important and good for you it is to have the purest form of citrus juice.  Now lets talk about vitamin C in skincare products.  I’m going to share a short facial room story here to give you an idea of how important is it to have real ingredients in your skincare products.

    So I was working at a spa in Hollywood Ca and this particular spa carried two product lines.  I was new to both product brands and I was in my training phase.  (basically giving free facials) Can learn about that more from this post. https://elementlufu.com/confessions-of-a-licensed-esthetician/

    I had done the one training with the first brand lets just say it was a French line and they offered a vitamin C facial.  So previously my new coworker, we were both training and new, had given me the vitamin C facial from the French line.  On this day we were meeting with the trainer from the second brand of skincare products that were more natural and made right there in Santa Monica.  Now before we started training my coworker asked me, “Oh I want to know how did your skin feel after the facial I gave you?”  I had received the facial and everything was fine but about 3 hours later my face felt so dry and was itching and tight.  I explained to her what had happened and then the trainer from the other skincare brand made the comment that the product probably wasn’t natural and a lot of times brands use ascorbic acid as vitamin C which is lab made or the vitamin form almost imagine a powder.

    We then proceeded to learn about this new skincare brand and had our training from an all natural version of vitamin C that is literally extracted from the citrus fruit.  I learned a lot that day about lab made and actual nature derived ingredients in skincare products.  My visual for this one is imagine an orange cut open and rubbed on one side of your face and then imagine a chewable vitamin C vitamin either rubbed on your other cheek or diluted in water and then rubbed on your face.  Which side do you think is going to feel better?  Its hands down that nature wins.  Not lab created products.

    Another experience I had was with another well know skincare brand that lets just say they promote themselves as medical grade.  Aka lab made ingredients or medical ingredients.  I had moved to Florida by now and was working in a higher end spa and they offered a lot of different product lines.  I was training with the different lines and I gave two different facials to two different estheticians that worked in the spa.  So one of the training expectations is to give the person feedback on their skin.  Can I tell you both of these women’s skin felt DRY like sandpaper almost.  This is two separate women and two separate facials within weeks of each other.

    The first one I had commented oh your skin feels a little on the dry side.  She claimed that her skin wasn’t dry and that she was using the vitamin C serum from said product line.  I couldn’t argue with her because 1) I’m not there to make her feel bad and 2) she is an esthetician as well and she knows what she knows.  I can personally say I had never felt such dry skin but I left it alone.  The second facial and second esthetician same thing. Dry dry skin.  I made the comment, oh your skin feels a little dry what products are you using?  She replied with the same vitamin C serum that the previous esthetician was using.  Both of them had the tightest driest skin I had ever felt.  So I know that I would not recommend that product to anyone.  But again medical grade doesn’t mean its good.  If anything your skin wont absorb the product the same.  (I can explain how that works in another post).

    Conclusion

    So in conclusion what have we learned?  Nature works best, YES???  Both on the internal intake of fruit juices and the purity of the juice or the fruit and on the topical skin level.  I can tell you as your reading a skincare label it can be very hard to determine if the vitamin C in the product is ascorbic acid or vitamin C extracted from citrus fruit.  One way to know is if the ingredient label flat out says ascorbic acid I would give that a no.  You can sometimes know if a brand has an emphasis on natural products from nature and or has ingredients organically grown or from the farm.  If I had to guess I’d say its 50/50 these days of which skincare lines carry natural vitamin C.  The said brands that I was working with in this post were Arcona, Dr. Dennis Gross, and Guinot.  You can plug in on your own which one was which in the story.

    If you are interested in fresh citrus fruit grown on a farm in central Florida and shipped directly to your door year round then I have a link for you.  Hale Groves even has a citrus club where you can have citrus shipped to you on a monthly basis.  Also great they offer gift boxes you can surprise your friends and family.  (Incoming affiliate link.) By clicking on the link I gain a little commission but does not affect your cost.  Click on the link below and check out the many citrus options available to you.  Please leave any questions or comments in the contact form and remember natural is always better for the body internally and externally.

    http://www.halegroves.com/?utm_source=AFF&utm_medium=AFF&utm_campaign=AFF

     

  • Dry Heat and Cold (Tips to Winter Proof Your Skin)

    Dry Heat and Cold (Tips to Winter Proof Your Skin)

    Can you see a sunny winter day without a cloud in the sky, temperature below 50 degrees?  Not a drop of moisture?  This would be considered a dry cold winter day.  This type of climate will cause the skin to be really dry as the body may feel the cold from the temperatures and so does the skin.  Normally if it is cold outside what happens indoors?  The heater gets turned on.  Again the sensation is super drying for the skin both indoors and outdoors. These factors, the heater indoors and the dry cold air outdoors, create dry winter skin.  In this post I will discuss winter weather and tips for you to winterize your skin and suggest products you can use that aid in comfort in the cold temperatures.

    Climate/Location

    You may live in either a cold climate or a dry climate or both.  Some places to consider that can make you really feel that dry cold climate is anywhere with desert or anywhere where it snows in the winter. No matter which one it is I will say it, the winter cold causes your skin to hurt.  It pulls tight on the hands and face and you can experience pain.

    Some of  the dry climate criteria to look out for:

    • When the temperatures go below 50 degrees F.
    • Clear blue skies (no clouds)
    • A desert climate
    • A snowy cold climate

    What tends to happen to the skin in winter is when the temperature drops the skin pulls tight.  The main areas that feel it on the skin is in the face area that is exposed to the cold air and the hands. It can be a very uncomfortable feeling. You always want to make sure to moisturize your hands.  I’ve been in climates where it doesn’t matter how much hand cream I use my hands still hurt.  Just remember to use a moisturizing hand cream and I always suggest with some type of shea butter. My two go to hand creams would be my Unscented Body Balm that is 2.5 ounces, light weight packaging to carry in the purse and the first ingredient is shea butter.  Another brand I love to use is from Bubble & Bee there organic body butter.  This body butter comes in various natural scents but I love how it hydrates and is a little more creamy than my body balm. They also sell a travel size which can be good for the purse. Here is a link here you can check it out. https://bubbleandbee.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=368&feed=124

     

    Speaking of your hands another thing you may want to consider is your dish soap if you are washing your dishes.  I would suggest to use a more natural or gentle soap. One thing I learned the hard way is check if your dish soap says concentrated.  What that means is that the dish soap is super strong and you can dilute it with water into a new container.  Otherwise you will end up using to much of the product and loose your money down the drain. That super concentrated dish soap will wreck havoc on your hands unless you are wearing dish washing gloves. A dish soap brand I recommend is https://www.ecos.com/dishwashing/dish-soap-lavender/  If your hands feel really sensitive you can always consider using dish gloves while you wash the dishes too. Once thing I like to do is use vinyl gloves to clean the house and wash dishes and they last about 10 washes and then switch them out.  These can usually be found in an 8 pack at Dollar Tree and I prefer the vinyl as they do not make your hands smell.  Note this can also protect your manicure if you want the polish to last longer on your fingernails.

    Boosting up your face cream to a more hydrating cream can help the skin on your face to not feel so tight.  I always recommend my tallow cream as tallow is amazing for balancing the skin and giving the skin nutrients.  Tallow is great for the skin year round as it comes from cows but if your not comfortable with that option then another product that I recommend for the winter skin is from Bloom Effects.  This product is designed for those who have eczema.  I personally do not have eczema but I do have very dry skin.  The consistency of this product is almost comparable to honey. Originally when I tried the product out I didn’t care for it and was going to stop using it after about a month.  Then one day I said what am I doing this product gives my skin a nice glow and fills in all the “cracks” or wrinkles so why would I not use it?  You can check out the Royal Tulip Nectar with this link (not sponsored) https://bloomeffects.com/products/royal-tulip-nectar

    A common issue that happens with winter weather is indoors you have a heater going.  How drying does that feel to the skin and also your hair? Most heaters are either electric or gas powered.  Although a heater is necessary to make you feel warm and toasty pay attention if you notice your skin may feel tight.  One thing you can do is invest in a humidifier.  This is always nice to bring a little moisture into the indoor climate.  If you don’t have a humidifier or do not want to invest for the short winter months I can suggest boiling water on a stove with the lid off.  If you want to add something to the water such as cinnamon sticks or essential oils that can work as a natural room scent. Again just be aware that you want to still hydrate the hands with a hand cream and use a stronger face cream in the winter months. Also pay attention to your cleanser in the mornings.  With the cold crispy mornings you don’t want your skin to feel tight when you cleanse in the mornings. I can reference my article here https://elementlufu.com/what-your-acid-mantle-is-and-how-your-cleanser-affects-your-skin-pt-1/    on the acid mantle and balancing the skin.

    Product Suggestions

    If your hair is feeling dry?  I always suggest a shampoo with the first ingredient being aloe vera.  Any shampoo that is stripping or has the sodium laurel or laureth sulfate would be a no.  A few brand suggestions for shampoos that are non drying to the hair and are moisturizing are:

    Next on the winter proofing we do not want to leave out the lips. We always want a good lip balm when going outdoors.  A lip balm that is natural and can protect the lips. Its good to have a lip protector on the lips.  Remember the first signs of aging are shown on the hands and the lips.  One of my favorite lip balms I like to use both when going outdoors and every night when sleeping is linked here. https://bubbleandbee.com/raspberry-vanilla-lip-balm/

    Another suggestion for the dry heat and cold climates is to stay hydrated.  You definitely want to stay up on your 64 suggested ounces of water a day.  One suggestion is also herbal tea.  Drinking a warm herbal tea can warm you up on the inside and the herbs can aid in internal hydration for the skin cells.  I would suggest using a filtered water to make the tea.  Here is a suggested link (sponsored)  https://clearlyfiltered.com/?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=45f8c2c7dc6311ef83c513490a1cb827

    Most the time if you consume a warming beverage or soup you can warm up internally.  Another warming practice could be to consume a heated bone broth.  I like to have mine with sea salt and black pepper.  You want to try and warm on the stove in a teflon free pan as that is the more natural way to heat bone broth and maybe not ad microwaves to it. Also a quick recipe for your pulmonary function is Thyme water.  You want to take the natural herb thyme and put into a tea strainer.  You need a lot as in a bunch that you can purchase at the grocer.  Place the herb in the tea strainer and then you want to boil your filtered water.  Use a glass pitcher with a small enough opening to place the tea strainer.  You can poor the boiling water over the tea strainer with the herb thyme in it.  Let the tea strainer sit and the water will turn a light green color.  You can drink this beverage warm or place in the refrigerator and drink cold.  This is a great winter drink to help open up the pulmonary or (lungs).

    Another way to warm up and condition the skin in the cold winter months is with a warm shower or a bath soak.  Most important thing to remember when you shower is that you have a shower filter.  You want one that filters out chlorine.  Chlorine is very drying to the skin and since the skin is already feeling dry in a cold climate it would be better to use a filter so the skin does not feel more dry after the shower.  Or you can always add the body butter immediately after.  If you like to take baths in the cold weather a bath can really warm the body right up.  If you have bentonite clay and you can add 1 cup to a normal size bath that should cancel out the chlorine in the bath water.  If you want to use a natural bath soak for your warming bath here is a link here to find the bath salts that are homeopathic and mood enhancing. If you click the link and type in the search bar bath you can find the salt soak that is all natural and healing both physically and mentally.   https://www.directlyfromnature.com/?Click=95171

    Conclusion

    Winter weather or cold weather is no fun on the skin.  If you are aware and prepare yourself then your skin and your body will endure less pain and that “tight” feeling.  Definitely you want cream cream and more cream on the face and hands.  You would need your lip protector for outdoors and you want to stay hydrated with enough water intake.  Fill up on warm soups and beverages and remember a nice hot bath or shower can always warm the body if you feel really cold.  Just try to hydrate right after the bath or shower so that your skin doesn’t get more dry from the chlorine.  I always like to mention to my clients when I’m giving a facial that if you do need to switch your facial hydration or cream due to cold winter weather it is okay.  Sometimes people don’t think about switching up the cream when the weather gets cold. It is definitely something to consider as the skin cells are feeling a cooler element and it can switch up your ph balance. Hopefully these tips can help you to “Winter Proof” your skin and not have so much winter weather discomfort.

  • Importance of Water for Your Skin and Lymphatic System

    Importance of Water for Your Skin and Lymphatic System

    In this post I am going to explain the lymphatic system pertaining to your skin and the effects of water hydration on your internal skin. I will also explain certain key ingredients found in water such as fluoride and why it is not so good for the physical body. I have some suggestions for your water and how to store it and  I will be recommending some products and brands for filtering your water systems and why it is so important to have clean water.  Note I have partnered with a great water filtration brand that filters fluoride and there will be some affiliate links in this post.

    Hydration

    Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate!!!  That is what we always hear but not everyone wants to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Why?  Because we do not want to have to use the restroom how many times a day?  For me personally I have gotten my water consumption down to a science for my body meaning I know how much to drink and around what times I will be close to a restroom. Even if I have to work I will get my water consumption in because my physical health and skin are way more important than a job that may not want me using the restroom.  I always try to drink the most water for my day when I am at home or earlier in the day so I do not have to wake at night to go to the bathroom all night.  I also noticed a water bottle or glass that is around 24 ounces makes it easier to do your 64 ounces a day.  Its just 3 water bottles to consume a day. Suggested bottle with a filter built in https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/24oz-tritan-bottle?variant=2129349214297

    The Visuals

    As far as the lymphatic system and how water works as a filter for the body I will explain in a facial type of way.  When I am giving a facial to  someone a visual of lymph I always explain,  you know if you pop a pimple and you get the pus out and then there is a little bleeding and you can see a clear fluid?  That clear fluid is your lymph.  It acts as a filter for the whole body and is constantly flowing through the body getting out all the toxins.  Your lymph travels through your lymph nodes which you mainly can find anywhere in the body that bends or moves.  Examples would be your neck, armpits, elbows, wrist, hip or groin area, knees and ankles.  All the movement and motion of these parts of the body are helping stagnant lymph to move throughout the body.  (Hence why I stress exercise and especially stretching such as yoga or pilates to keep lymph moving.)  Drinking water also helps to get this lymph moving as well.

    Another visual for your lymph nourishing your skin from the inside out.  I have given different types of facials and my favorite machine facial is the Hydrafacial.  If you ever get a chance to experience a Hydrafacial I would strongly recommend it.  The Hydrafacial machine includes a lymphatic stimulation and also finishes with LED lights.  I am always explaining how lymph is flowing behind your skin and if you can imagine that clear fluid right behind the skin on your face and if you stimulate it your face will look more plump.  It is the same if you do a European facial with a manual massage.  Sometimes I would be asked, “what does the facial massage do?”  Essentially wake up the lymph fluid right behind the facial skin and give you a nice plump look while also draining any stagnant lymph down into your neck nodes and filtering throughout the body to release any toxins.  When you use an LED light designed for the face or skin it does the same thing as the light is penetrating a few layers deep and that lymph fluid is getting stimulated again.

    Now I’m going to give you another visual. This time lets visualize the pores on your skin.  The easiest way to explain it is to compare your skin to the tight cellulose sponge you would find in your kitchen.  What happens if you do not wash dishes and you do not use your sponge for a day?  The sponge will be dry and tight.  What happens immediately when you ad water to the sponge to wash the dishes?  The sponge will plump up and look like a real sponge again.  The same idea is with your skin when it is dehydrated and when you have water.  Also use this visual of the tight little pores or holes on the sponge to think of absorption.  If you rub a lotion on your body and it is full of chemicals?  All those chemicals are going into your skin and into your body within minutes.  Now if the product is not natural or full of filler than a lot of times the body cannot fully absorb unnatural ingredients and that cream can sit on your skin.  Imagine a sponge with soap goop on it that will not rinse off.  The texture and quality of the sponge ages fast.  I’m just trying to explain this visual so that you can see how important it is to realize that your skin literally absorbs everything that touches it.  (Even your clothing materials, which I’ll touch in another post)

     

    The Chemicals

    There are two things I wanted to touch on in this post.  First water with your skin externally and internally and how it affects your skin and second what chemicals are in water and the effect those chemicals have on the skin and hair. I think I covered the first part with my visuals so lets move on to the second part, the chemicals in the water.  I had already wrote about how water affects your skin and so many municipalities put chlorine and fluoride in water not to mention other chemicals.

    Lets first talk about absorption of these chemicals and how it can affect your skin.  There are two main chemicals put into the water system that are not good for the body.  The two main culprits are fluoride and chlorine.  Fluoride as we have been taught is supposed to strengthen your teeth. Maybe in your toothpaste as that is “supposed” to be medical grade but in the public water supply their using an untreated industrial waste product.  In a nutshell the history of how fluoride came into our water systems was back in the Industrial Revolution.  The cows around the factories were developing cancer.  A Belgium scientist discovered the cause was fluoride gases and phosphates which were a by product of fertilizer.  Once this was discovered said companies would be hit with a hefty bill to properly dispose of fluorosilicic acid.  They figured out how to reuse said by product into the water supply by claiming the fluoride strengthened teeth.  To be allowed they had to do independent studies to prove how good fluoride was for your teeth.  They did the studies on children’s teeth.  Meaning baby teeth that will eventually come out so explain how effective that study was?  That is my nutshell definition on the history of fluoridating the water supply.  If you want more info here is an article link https://origins.osu.edu/article/toxic-treatment-fluorides-transformation-industrial-waste-public-health-miracle

    Another chemical in the water supply that I’m not a fan of is chlorine.  Yes it is put into the water to remove diseases and bacteria but there is a more natural alternative that can be used called chloramine.  Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and creates a more natural molecule used in the water distribution systems and is less likely to cause physical harm to the human body. Chlorine on the skin to me is so drying.  I have stopped going into chlorinated swimming pools as I can imagine all the pores of my skin absorbing these heavy amounts of chlorine and my skin is always so dry when I get out of the pool.  Its not worth it I would rather be in nature or a saltwater pool.

    Bathing

    Lets talk about bathing.  Can be a shower or a bath.  I have learned through the years because I have lived in some heavily chlorinated areas that a shower filter is necessary.  What happens if there are heavy amounts of chlorine in your water?  The main symptom you will see is that your skin is more ashen or dry and your hair will usually be more dry.  No amount of product or hydrating shampoo can help that hair. Take note when you shower and your using hot water that, vapor in the water contains the chemicals of chlorine and fluoride.  Both of the chemicals are strong enough for the body to cause asthma or chest and lung issues.  The best is a shower filter or if you have a filter system in your kitchen sink, I would recommend at least washing your hair and face in the kitchen sink to have filtered water for your hair and face.  Also I’m not sure on the ratio but I’ve read that 1 cup of bentonite clay in the bath tub can cut the harmful effects of chlorine that you would be soaking in. Here is a link from a company that sells good showerhead filters https://aquaspace.com/collections/shower

    So I hope that you are seeing the visual of water on the skin and hydration internally for your skin.  This is why it is so important the water you consume both internally and externally.  Remember your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs everything around you.  Just to give you some tips for clean water consumption:

    • Invest in a good water filtration system
    • Use a shower filter as much as possible
    • You want your water to be in glass (plastics cause chemicals in the water)
    • Try to consume up to 64 ounces of water a day

     

    Recommendations

    I am very happy to recommend this water filtration system as I have been using it personally and the taste of the water is great.  If you start with the water pitcher and the filter system you will need about 3 filters a year. https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/clean-water-pitcher-filter-3-pack?variant=8904616145 Three filters a year is $139.50 divided by 365 equals .38 cents a day.  In one month it is about $11.00 you will spend on your water consumption.

    If your interested in an under the sink filter system I will say with Clearly Filtered it is a very easy installation. https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/3-stage-under-the-sink-filter-unit?variant=7927127112 I have been a renter for many years and since you are able to install this yourself you can take it with you if you move to a new location.  It is highly worth it as the math breaks down to about $40 a month the first year and with a refill goes to $32.00 a month from then on.  This system last for about 12 months in most households.  The initial purchase is $495 for the first year and a refill from the second year is $396.00.  Again $495.00 divided by 365 is  $1.35 a day or $40.00 a month and this is used for your cooking water and you can wash your hair.  I will say this is designed solely for cold water but at least do a cold hair rinse with your conditioner at the end of washing.

    As I mentioned earlier Clearly Filtered also make a portable water bottle with a filter system in the bottle that filters out fluoride.  A great value if you just want to start there it averages about $.30 cents a day if you change the filter every 3 months.  Note that filter replacement will depend on your area and how many chemicals are in the water.  Also have not  included the initial price of the bottle or container in the breakdown.

    Conclusion

    I hope this post has given you some insight into the water systems and how their are some not so, human body friendly chemicals, lurking in our water supply systems.  Hopefully you  have a good visual of your skin and lymphatic system and have a better understanding of how these systems work for your body.  Bringing it all together I would say it is very important the water that we consume both on our skin and what we are drinking.  Not all filters are created the same.  Also if you are traveling you can pass an empty water bottle through security and then fill it up.  If you don’t have a water bottle I always suggest buying spring water or local water brands as much as possible as the filtered water from Big Brands are not always the cleanest for the body to consume.  If you have any questions or if you know of any water showerhead brands you love feel free to send me a message through the contact form or comment below.

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