Acne sucks. Everyone falls to the mercy of these little bumps at some point or another and I’m no different. Whether I get the occasional breakout or the nightmare-ish allergic reaction to a new product, I cannot escape the evil clutches of acne. Because of this, I’ve developed a sort of obsession with finding the next best thing to get rid of these little pests as quickly as possible. Check out below for some of my favorites.
Philosophy’s Help Me Retinol Night Treatment
Philosophy’s Help Me Retinol Night Treatment can work miracles overnight! Simply apply a thin layer and get your snoozes. When you wake up in the morning, your breakout will be significantly reduced or gone. I purchased this at Sephora for $27, although it is available in a variety of places online and at beauty outlets like Sephora and Ulta. Although the cost is a bit expensive, this stuff works wonders. It is one of the only retinol treatments available over the counter that works immediately. Plus, since its retinol, you’ll get added anti-wrinkle benefits from using it. Just be sure to close the tube tightly; if retinol is left in open air, it immediately oxidizes and doesn’t work effectively. In fact, it may even do harm so close that cap tightly!
Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum
At $29, Juice Beauty’s Blemish Clearing Serum is kind of an investment. The investment pays off though as this serum works great for oily and acne prone skin and doubles as a spot treatment and moisturizer. Made up over nearly 95% organic content, this serum utilizes the antioxidant power of organic juices and fruit and plant extracts to clear up your skin. Many bloggers and Youtube reviewers swear by this product as the one that cleared up their skin for good. Plus, with all the natural and organic ingredients, anti-aging benefits and brightening effects are great bonuses to using this acne serum.
Rainwater Botanicals Acne Pimple Potion
The Rainwater Botanicals Acne Pimple Potion is a great natural option for those on a budget! At $8, this acne spot treatment is totally affordable and comes in a convenient roll on applicator. Harnessing the powers of a variety of organic hydrosols and essential oils including the natural form of salicylic acid (willow bark), this pimple potion works great. Although the herbal smell may not appeal to everyone, you get the most bang for your buck with this spot treatment and it really works without any harmful chemicals or preservatives. The only downside is the applicator only comes in a 1/3 ounce size.
Swiss and/or BOSU® Ball
Both the Swiss Ball and the BOSU® Ball help improve overall balance and engage abdominals. Utilizing either of these workout tools during exercise, whether push-ups or squats, will help improve your posture, balance, and core strength. Proven to improve stability and prevent injury by building strength and balance, both the BOSU® and Swiss balls will work for a variety of exercises that assist in building muscles and burning fat in non-traditional ways. Both balls are reasonably affordable, though Swiss balls are cheaper and work basically the same with few differences.
Valslides
Valslides were created by celebrity trainer Valerie Waters as a way to improve balance and engage abs. The Valslides are basically padded foam discs that are vaguely foot shaped. Meant to be used on carpeting or a rug, the Valslides created a fluid, but unstable surface while you exercise. You simply go through your choice of exercises and complete them using the Valslides on either your feet or hand to create a wider range of motion than doing the exercise traditionally. Also, like the BOSU® and Swiss balls, they create a certain level of instability to help improve balance and engage your abdominals in every exercise to build core strength. They are also pretty small and cheaper than most other workout tools, making them travel convenient and affordable.
GAIAM Oregon Scientific PE980 Multi-Function Pedometer
The GAIAM Oregon Scientific PE980 Multi-Function Pedometer is the perfect weight loss multi-tasker. Not your typical pedometer, this gadget works in any position (in pocket, clipped to waist or purse, etc.) whereas most pedometers only function correctly if clipped to your waist. It also keeps track of your distance, time, and how many calories you’ve burned throughout the day. A great 4-in-1 workout tool, this pedometer is perfect to wear every day of the week to track your progress.
(Clarisonic Classic pictured above)
Beauty and skincare enthusiasts around swear by this ergonomic handheld electronic facial brush, but is the Clarisonic worth the money? Admittedly, if you wish to buy a Clarisonic, there are 3 options: The Clarisonic Plus (most expensive model at $225), Clarisonic Classic ($195) and the Clarisonic Mia ($150). The Plus model comes with a facial and body brush along with 4 trial size cleansers and a charging base. The Classic comes with only a facial brush, 3 trial size cleansers and charging base. And, finally, the Mia comes with an international charging cord, 1 trial size cleanser and one facial brush. The Mia is a one touch one speed brush while the Classic has 2 speeds and the Plus features 3 speeds.
All models promise to remove 6 times the amount of makeup and 2 times the amount of dirt and oil than conventional facial cleansing would. Each of the Clarisonic models work essentially the same, although with varying speed capabilities, by using patented sonic frequencies of more than 300 movements per second in only 60 seconds of cleansing. Each brush comes with a built in timer that beeps every few seconds to let you know to move onto cleaning a different part of your face, all of which is outlined in the included instructions.
All that in mind, is the Clarisonic worth the several hundred dollars you would need to shell out to get one? Many Clarisonic owners say yes. On many blogs and Youtube reviews alike, women of all ages and backgrounds claim the Clarisonic has revolutionized their skin. Acne sufferers and those with dry skin complaints say that most of their skin care concerns have disappeared in a matter of only weeks. Surprisingly enough, despite the large number of cheaper imitation facial brushes that have been released on the market, few to none seem to offer up the same results as the Clarisonic.
What do you think about the Clarisonic Facial Cleansing Systems?
Would you spend over $100 on a facial cleansing brush like this one?
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
To purchase a Clarisonic Facial Cleansing System, Check out their website here: http://www.clarisonic.com/
<
Moisturizing Mask (Dry/Mature Skin)
Ingredients:
- ½ Avocado
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Oil of Your Choice (Optional: Almond Oil, Carrot Oil, etc.)
Preparation:
Mash up the avocado and mix it together with the olive oil until it forms into a paste. Apply paste to your face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with water and apply moisturizer as usual.
Acne Breakout Fighter Mask (Oily, Dull or Acne Prone Skin)
Ingredients:
- 4 Tablets Uncoated Aspirin or 1 Tsp Natural Willow Bark Powder
- 1 Tablespoon of Water, Witch Hazel, Honey or Lemon
Preparation:
Smash uncoated aspirin tablets into your choice of water, witch hazel, honey or lemon. Tablets will dissolve after a minute or so. Ingredients should form into a thin, watery type paste. Apply thin coat to face and leave on for 10-15 minutes, concentrating layer on breakout area(s). Rinse off and moisturize as usual. This mask may also be used as a gentle facial scrub.
Soothing Inflammation Mask (Irritated/Sensitive Skin)
Ingredients:
- 1/5 Cup Oatmeal
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
Preparation:
Mix oatmeal and honey together to form a thick paste. Apply a thin layer to facial and neck. Leave on 10-15 minutes and rinse. Apply moisturizer as usual.
From lowering your overall stress and anxiety to strengthening and toning muscles, yoga is the ultimate exercise. Aside from the obvious fitness benefits that yoga can offer you, it also has a number of spiritual and mental health benefits that may convince you to start doing yoga poses throughout the day.
Yoga is good for your body in more ways than one. Yoga poses and stretches help to elongate and tone muscles for an overall slimmer and more fit appearance. Yoga, especially when done in hot rooms (Hot Yoga or Bikram Yoga), can assist with helping you sweat off calories and stress. It can also improve your overall breathing and even improve an irregular heartbeat. Yoga is the only form of exercise that is known to massage internal organs and decrease overall stress and anxiety levels by as much as half. Highly spiritual, yoga is also said to give a sense of peace to regular practitioners and impose a balanced emotional state. Great for improving flexibility, yoga can be great for joint pain and may assist in the rehabilitation of injuries. Another great bonus to practicing yoga is that it is also known to improve sex lives.
Yoga is often touted as one of the best exercises out there for you. It is praised much for its fitness benefits, but even more for its ability to cut risks for certain diseases and other ailments in half. Improving your overall quality of life and helping to cut out the stress and anxiety, yoga is quite literally a life-saver.
Spinning class and I have a love/hate relationship. If you’re unfamiliar, spinning is a form of exercise done on a special type of stationary bike that comes equipped with a mechanism that works much like the gears on a mountain bicycle: the dial may be turned up or down to increase or decrease the difficulty resistance on the pedals. This can make the workout easier or more difficult, depending on the direction. For me, spinning is extremely difficult and tiring. When I’m in a spin class, I feel like murdering the teacher outright or I simply put all efforts towards completing the class without passing out. Yes, it is difficult. Spinning is not your typical stationary bike. The mechanism used to increase the resistance in pedaling during class is often moved up and down. I sweat profusely and have no time to feel grossed out.
In a typical class, there is usually music and the instructor yells out instructions and encouragement to the spinners throughout the 45 minute duration. Instructions usually include sitting up, standing sprints, and pushing up on the resistance mechanism to increase your pedal difficulty. This is done in 1-2 minute spurts. It goes like this: normal pedaling, gear up and standing sprint for 30 seconds, gear down slightly and seated sprint 30 seconds, gear up and climb for 30 seconds, gear down slightly and recover, repeat. Yes, the music and instructor encouragement helps and yes, it still hurts.
So why do it at all? I feel incredible after a spin class. Not only do I feel lighter and literally like I’m walking on a cloud (endorphin overload!), but the cardio workout is unmatched by any other I’ve done. It is difficult, but not impossible and the results will show. Serious exercise that combines intense cardio with resistance training, spinning offers the fastest results I have yet to see come from any other form of exercise. Not only that, but completing an exercise style of this difficulty makes me feel extremely accomplished and proud which I love. If you stick to it consistently, spinning can definitely help you lose a ton of weight and feel great. I didn’t give up and neither should you.
Although there are many factors that play into helping your weight loss goals come to fruition, what you eat can be what makes or breaks your efforts. In fact, what you put into your body can greatly help (or hinder) your system to burn more calories, balance blood sugar and other levels in your body, and also assist with helping you sleep better (which also helps burn calories!). Here is a list of my top 10 foods to help you lose 10 or more.
- Almonds: Almonds are known for helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. This prevents imbalanced or erratic rising and falling levels which may prevent overeating and also help prevent abdominal fat. They are also filled with good fats that help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Plus, they help you stay full!
- Bananas: Bananas are also a known blood sugar stabilizer. They also contain a number of beneficial vitamins including potassium and help you stay full. Bananas are also known to help you sleep better.
- Apples: Apples have a large amount of fiber which helps you stay full and prevents overeating. Consuming an apple or two before meals may help you eat less. Antioxidants in apples will also help you burn more calories and fight aging.
- Green Tea: Green tea packs a great amount of antioxidants which help fight against a number of ailments including heart disease, but it also helps stave off weight gain. Drinking a cup or more daily offers up enough caffeine to help burn more calories for you. A cup a day may also help prevent high cholesterol, diabetes, and deliver great anti-aging benefits to your skin, hair and nails.
- Black Beans: Containing a great amount of proteins, fiber, and fat-burning resistance starch, black beans are the ultimate fat fighter. They help you stay full and burn fat.
- Garlic: Studies have shown that those who chose to cook with garlic lost more pounds than those who didn’t. A calorie free spice, garlic is great for heart heath, helps balance sugar levels, and improves cholesterol. It has great flavor without some of the negative side effects sometimes caused by excess salt.
- Oatmeal: Oatmeal is full of fiber to help you stay full. An insulin stabilizer, oatmeal also helps keep your sugar levels balanced to prevent overeating.
- Tomatoes: Research has shown that tomatoes include a type of fiber that helps you stay fuller for longer and directly prevents stomach weight gain. Also containing the powerful antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes help prevent premature aging and protect against various types of cancer.
- Yogurt: Containing a good amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat, yogurt is perfect for helping you stay full. Balancing sugar levels, yogurt also helps prevent overeating.
- Salmon, Tuna & Other Fish: Fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which can assist you in shrinking your waistline. As the fish protein helps you build muscle and burn fat, omega-3’s help increase insulin sensitivity which builds muscle and burns fat while balancing out sugar levels and helping to utilize energy in your body more efficiently.
With summer just around the corner, the release of many a summer blockbuster are abound in the following months. This year actually has some pretty exciting titles that may just make your visit to your nearest movie theater worth the $10 (or $20) you will have to shell out to see and enjoy the latest box office release. Below are 3 great films to check out this summer that anyone and everyone can enjoy.
The Hangover Part II
Release Date: May 26, 2011
Okay, okay. So, I know I said movies anyone can enjoy, but this cannot be left off the list! Sorry, under 17-ers, you’ll just have to wait until the DVD release to see this epic sequel (Or you can sneak in or even brave it with your parents. The latter might be super awkward). In this second bro-mance comedy, the whole main cast is back from the first Hangover and this time Stu’s getting married. This one takes place in Bangkok, Thailand for some reason? Scarred by their previous bachelor party in Vegas, Stu decides to play things safe and hold a pre-wedding brunch, but it seems not everything goes according to plan. The trailer doesn’t reveal the entire plot though, but does garner some laughter with the appearance of a random monkey in their hotel room, a Tyson-like tattoo on Stu’s face, and a few other hilarious plot twists. Look forward to the release of the Hangover Part II in theaters May 26, 2011.
X-Men: First Class
Release Date: June 3, 2011
Although I think the X-Men saga was previously over-played and cheesy, I actually think this reboot may be worth the $10 it will cost me to see it. With an entirely new cast, this X-Men film centers on the beginning of X-Men before they were revealed to the world. It shows some much younger versions of very familiar characters and also seems to showcase some less familiar ones as well. Professor X and Magneto are not yet archenemies, but friends, and are not yet known by those names. Instead, this X-Men focuses on the friendship between the two young men and what leads up to their eventual fallout. The cast features such A-list names as James McAvoy, Ellen Page, and January Jones.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
Release Date: July 15, 2011
This is the final film in the epic Harry Potter film series and the last of over a decade long series that inspired children and adults worldwide. Not only does this film look to be of epic proportions, it also looks completely action-packed and encompasses the same beloved cast from all past films. Find out what happens to the “Boy Who Lived” in the last of the Harry Potter films. Will the war be won against Voldemort and the infamous death eaters or will all hope be lost?
This summer is filled with many epic releases, action films, and sequels, some of which look terrible while others instill excitement and even giddiness. Some others also just look okay, but on a whole, this summer looks very promising. Here are some titles to look forward to in the coming months: Scream 4, Thor, Priest, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Kung Fu Panda 2, Bad Teacher, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and much more. Stay tuned in the coming months for some great films.
Fighting the inevitable signs of aging can seem like a losing battle, but there are some sure fire ways to stave off the fine lines and wrinkles for as long as possible. Sure, we can’t look twenty years old forever, but we can try to look our best by employing some of these simple habits.
- Protect Your Skin. The first thing you should do is protect your skin with some kind of sunscreen or sun block that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Be careful to check that as some sunscreens only protect against UVB. It is also recommended that you clean your face well daily, twice a day, in order to keep your skin in top condition. Dirt, debris and makeup will seep into pores and clog them or create age lines on your face over time. Another important step is to use a daily moisturizer. For anyone who wants to save themselves from premature aging, hydration is a must. Aside from sun damage, dry skin is one of the quickest ways to give yourself wrinkles and fine lines, especially if you already have a drier skin type. Lastly, if you are in your mid-20’s or older, you might want to employ the use of an anti-aging cream or serum to correct any premature aging issues that you might have before they get too out of hand or as a preventative method to guard against future fine lines.
- Sweat It Out. Exercise is definitely one of the best crusaders against age that there is. Have you ever noticed that more fit people tend to look younger? This is no accident. Exercising promotes a healthy body overall, which means better cell turnover (wound healing, including acne and sun damage), tighter and firmer skin, and a more youthful look overall. Exercise will also prevent your body from degeneration in all ways, not just the beauty department, so you are guaranteed to feel better too!
- Keep Your Cool. Try not to stress! I know, with the hustle and bustle of daily life, who doesn’t get stressed every now and again? Even so, it’s important to find some time to relax and enjoy life in order to prevent stress-induced aging. Whether this means getting a monthly spa treatment (DIY or local spas) or simply going to see a good movie or reading your favorite book, do it! Your skin will thank you.
- Get Some Shut Eye. I’m the worst at getting my full eight hours of sleep, but I never give up and I do overtime (in sleep, that is!) on weekends! Getting enough sleep for your body, which is different for everyone, is something that may not always be possible, but staying conscious about it and making an effort to get those few extra hours of sleep can really make a big difference over time.
- Laugh It Off. At the end of the day, try not to take life too seriously. Sure, life can be stressful and downright frustrating at times, but try to laugh it off. Watch a comedy or some stand up, have a girls’ (or boys’) night out, or do whatever it is to help you let loose and enjoy life. After all, laughter is the best medicine.
Although some of these habits may take some time to integrate fully into your daily life, it is worth it in the long run. Not only will you look great, but you will also feel great and be able to get more out of life. Now who doesn’t want that?
Good Luck!
The Tracy Anderson Method is one of many celebrity trainer methods to go mainstream with a series of workout DVD’s and supplemental books on diet and exercise. Invented by the famed celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, this method claims to burn fat and build muscle more efficiently than traditional exercise by working out the body’s smaller accessory muscles instead of the larger traditional muscle groups in order to tighten these muscles around the main muscle groups for an overall toned physique. Made popular by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Richie, and Shakira, the Tracy Anderson Method is praised for having a well-rounded fitness approach in its workout regimen. There are a variety of workout DVDs available, most of which include dance cardio and various strength training workouts, all created by Tracy Anderson herself. Trained formally as a dancer, Tracy began studying muscle structure and various training techniques in order to stay in shape while working as a professional dancer in New York. The creator of many different fitness systems today, Tracy has created her own bands, bars and cubes in order to develop a creative approach to fitness. The Tracy Anderson method has gyms in New York and Los Angeles and also offers several DVDs for those in other areas including the Perfect Design Series I-III, Beginner Dance Cardio, Dance Cardio II and the newly released Metamorphosis DVD series, which focuses on fitness for your body specific body type. They range in price from $15 to $90 and are available on Amazon, Ebay, and her website: http://www.TheTracyAndersonMethod.com.