Lazy Girl's Guide to Flat Tummy in One Month (No Exercise)

You know you want that flat tummy by all means and would do anything
to get it but while "the spirit is willing the flesh is weak".
You would rather sit and watch the tummy increase in size and shape than
do all the rigorous sit-ups, planks, squats, and bicycle crunch all those fitness
trainers do in their fitness video. To say the truth watching these trainers on
youtube videos manipulating their bodies to perform those back breaking exercises
freak me out, and the thought of doing that religiously everyday for the sake
of flat tummy scares the shit out of me, though I envy their 6 packs abs
and would love to have 3 or even just 2 packs is enough for me.
So I reasoned that there should be another way of getting those abs and packs
aside exercise (is it my fault that am lazy?...... naa condition make crayfish 
bend, after all many routes still lead to the market ~~~abi?). 
OK since am not a good fan of exercise and unfortunately happen to be in love
with  flat tummy, I experimented and discovered  other ways (short-cuts)
of having that flat tummy beside the compulsory 3 times a week exercise physical
trainers anchored our beliefs on. Now grab your popcorn, join me and see how to blast
those fat from your tummy effortlessly with conspicuous result in just one month

How to Look Flawless and Chic this Heat Period

Someone jokingly remarked on social media that it seems like the last person
to enter hell fire forgot to shut the gate hence the increasing rise in temperature.
Am starting to believe he/she is right in making that statement, if not what could
be the reason for the scorching sun roasting ones skin like it wants to bake it,
the sweats pouring out of ones skin like the rain heralding the start of seed sowing,
hot flushes, shiny oily face, itching scalp from sweats and hair sealed up by weavons,
darkening skin tone and seriously recently its hard to keep a flawless make-up because
the heat will not only melt out all the make-up but also give you a reason to wipe sweat
off your face at every few minutes interval and in a short while you are left wondering
about the where about of your once perfectly applied make-up.
Does this sound familiar to you?

" mmmhhhhh.....yeah I know it does describe a teeny-weeny bit of what

            you are going through right now".

Chill out and see how you can manage to still look chic and picture perfect
at every minutes of the day irrespective of the so called global warming.

Skip Oil-Based Moisturizers
You must have seen and heard enough reasons of why your skin needs moisturizer
and why you shouldn't skip its use.....ok thats righ!!! but if you are presently in
Nigeria and you have dry skin, my friend you don't need to apply moisturizer, the
sun and heat will automatically bless you with oily shiny skin free of charge and if
you have oily skin already like me, your guess is as good as mine~~~moisturizer and
oil-based products becomes your worst enemy while you silently pray for the next
harmatan season to come sooner than expected.
Applying oil-based moisturizers this heat period will cause your skin to sweat more
than usual, make your face too oily for make-up to hold on for long without fading
away.
But if you are brave enough and think your skin can take more moisture by all means
use non oil moisturizer, I would suggest water based  (mostly in gel form) because it
would keep your skin hydrated without looking too shiny and best of all water based
moisturizer can double as a foundation and base for your make-up application.

Heat Proof Make-up tips 
Make-up melts away easily in humid and high temperature, and if you are still using
fake foundations and concealers this period because you want to save some change,
you won't like your look after sun and sweat finish seperating the Mary from Kay
on your face.
~Your top most priority when applying make-up should be~~~to apply make-up
that will not melt out easily and can last all through the day- for this reason you would
need to stock up on not only quality but sweat-resistant foundation that can defy the
humidity and sweatiness that comes with the day's weather.
I was able to find out two best heat-proof foundations in the market and will put
up the brands name here just for you: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation and  Mac 
Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation.

~Avoid heavy make-up and foundations layering this heat period as this can make you
sweat easily and melt away as it would require you to wipe your face more often leaving
you with a messy face. Apply foundations and concealer thinly and make sure to blend 
blend and blend it out perfectly with your brush.

"Don't forget Lessssss make-up is Bessssst this heat period"

~Use primer on your face before foundation and on the eyes before applying eye
shadow, primer helps the skin hold make-up for long and it also prevents make up
from fading out due to humidity, sweat, and excess oil.

 ~If you are not a fan of blotting papers, Well now is the perfect time to make it your
bestiee~~~  get a pack of blotting paper, once you start perspiring or notice excess
shine on your face, resist the temptation to apply powder on your sweaty face, do this
instead~~~gently pat (don't wipe) a piece of blotting paper over your face to soak up
the sweat and oil . Applying additional powder on a sweaty made-up face will give a
caked and tired look at the same time emphasizing all the lines, acne blemishes and
wrinkles you want to keep private.

~Water resistant mascara like Maybelline collosal volume is a good choice this heat
period, it can hold for as long as you want it to, its water-proof and won't slip out no
matter how much you sweat in fact you would need to soften it with oil before removal
at night. Liquid eye liner last longer than the usual pencil liner, pencil liner is moisture
affected and can smear into your face during all the sweating and heat waves.

Clothing Choice
Wear light clothes fabrics that absorb moistures and keep you comfy all through the day
cotton clothes are light and absorbent. For the duration of this heat period (Who knows
when its going to end?) keep away from black colored clothes, dark colored clothing
have a sort of cupid love and attraction to the sun fueling more heat into your body.
The weather is already too hot for comfort and whenever I make the mistake of putting
on a black top or dress, the heat I experience operates on a higher level. For now my
black wears are relegated to night wears. Sleeveless clothes are a life saver this heat
period~~~allows your body to trap the little available fresh air still in existence

Hair Style Choice
Going the ole natural way with convenient styles like wearing your natural hair out, braids,
weavings that allows your scalp to breathe and allows regular washing is the "koko"
if you don't want to experience the itchings and scratching that follows after a hot
sweaty day with weavon on and God help you! if you have dandruff~~~ small 
madness is the only term to describe the experience that comes with it.

Sun screen
Protect you skin from the sun, get a sun screen of up to 70 spf and your skin will thank
you now and in future years to come.

Water
 Don't wait until you are thirsty before drinking water, profuse sweating that comes with
this heat period cause dehydration which in turn results to dry and scaly looking skin.
Drink loads and loads of water. Start your day with water first thing in the morning and
all through the day.

Most Ridiculous and Weird Beauty Treatments

Snail slime
As a young girl I watched my mom using all the slime removing trick from
washing snail slime off with alum, garri, salt, lime to soaking in hot water
just to make sure to get out all the stickiness and mucous "draw-draw"
from the snails before she cook with it.

Who would believe that those unwanted mucous waste from snail has already
been discovered by beauty researchers as a beauty enhancing treatment, trust
all this our adventurous"oyinbo" celebrities they will not rest until they use it no
matter how much it cost. I even heard that they pay plenty money in spas to
get facials of real live snail crawling all over their faces....common snail slime
"draw draw". Did I hear you say common? snail slime is not common again
(yes snail can be found everywhere in Nigeria though its seasonal and more
abundant and cheaper during the rainy season but we can't call snail slime
common again it has upgrade) because after much research and study beauty
researchers have found out that snail slime is packed full with skin care
nutrients and anti-aging enzymes like glycoproteins enzymes, peptides
hyaluronic acids, glycolic acids, elastin proteins and natural skin filler/plumper,
no need for botox filler.

When next you are looking for natural acne treatment solution
extract some snail slime onto your face if you can't stand the
live ones crawling on your face like me- just the thought of having
snails crawling on my face gives me the jitters!!!

Snail slime is filled with glycolic acid, it is known to fade away dark spots
and fills out the creases and pits of acne scars.
Snail slime delays skin wrinkling due to aging by relaxing the
muscle fibers that bring about wrinkles.
Snail slime is a magic wand to younger and smoother looking skin,
its very effective in reversing accumulated sun damage on the skin
and improving the overall texture of the skin.


With these skin care benefits of snail slime, the next snail
I get my hands on "go hear am" (just kidding...no am serious!!!),
I must extract all the slime and mucus and this time around
no need for alum and lime....my hand can do the trick.

Tips to Looking Young in Your 30s

It is said that a woman no longer feel uncomfortable
in her skin once she is 30, at this age she accepts herself
for who she is and becomes confidence in her flaws knowing
that there is no perfect being.To keep that new found
confidence soaring-high through the next decades of your
life you need to keep that youthful look. HOW?


Invest in good age-defying products in your 30s and you
would be glad you did in your 40s.Good sunscreen of up to
50spf is a necessity for this scorching naija sun:constant skin
exposure to the sun makes the skin look old and wrinkle
before time. Now moisturizer is a must-have item,
once you are 30 your estrogen responsible for sebum(oil)
production enters the first phase of a gradual reduction.
this means your skin will have lesser supply of natural body
oil making your skin drier than when you were in your 20s.
And drier skin equals dull and wrinkled skin.A good moisturizer
mustn't be expensive, olive oil-a very affordable oil is great
as a moisturizer and wrinkle-prevention remedy.

Cultivating healthy life -styles is not just for the skin but
also for your health and entire well being.
Smoking and alcoholism are habits that overtime result into
health issues,and causes prematured skin aging.

Exercise:be more proactive about your weight when you
hit 30s and work towards consistently maintaining a healthy
BMI. Research experts proved that people who have a
regular exercise regimen and live active life are more liable
to live longer healthy lives. Ever wonder how its possible for
our energetic and active forefathers live longer than our
sedentary-style present generation.Exercise also helps the
body to eliminate oxidants and waste through sweating giving
you a naturally glowing skin.

Eat healthy:Its a pity that folks wait until they are diagnosed with
health issues before they stay-off unhealthy food. If your wish is to
carry your youthful look into your 40s, 50s and 60s.
At 30 its time to dump the junk foods and start feeding on veggies,
fruits, proteins, fibres, and good fats.
Like a good buddy of mine would say "Eat good food and live
long, enjoy your money while you are young".

Hydrate:When you are 30 there is no excuse good enough to skip
your water intake, because "water no get enemy" and at this age your
body needs water more than ever:it helps plump up your skin, prevent
sagging skin and premature wrinkling cause by dehydraton.

Minimize the use of make-up:the cosmetics industry supports
the idea that the older you gets the more make-up you need
to apply to hide the tell-tale signs of aging.But the real fact
is that the more make-up you use the more reliant and
dependent you become to make-up.The ingredient used in
the making of most make-up brands in the market are harsh
and end up damaging the skin making the skin look horrible
when bare.Make-up should be used in moderation and every
once in a while go make-up free to allow the skin breathe
even our celebrities have their break from make-up.
Make-up with minerals are skin friendly and mild on the
skin, is a good bet when you are wearing make-up for long.
example is bare minerals.

Tips to Looking Young in your 40s

With an accumulated wealth of life's experience and knowledge, life really
begins at 40 but we can't say that for the skin, the skin is the first 
organ of the body that reveals the first sign of aging at 40 due to 
a decrease and breakdown of hormones and enzymes responsible 
for maintaining younger looking skin, with four decades of existence 
to boast of the skin has probably gone through damages from 
external factors like exposure to sun UV rays, use of harsh skin 
products and unhealthy life-styles.

Its not too late to remedy the situation,by embracing the wrinkles, greying hair
and the tell-tale bits and piece that comes with growing old and also incorporating
anti-ageing regimen into skin-care, diet, life-style will serve you a good looking
skin all through your 40s.

Invest in anti-ageing skin care products like Retinoid, retinoid is a 
vitamin-A derivative in cream and gel form. Its a medication usually recommended
by dermatologist for acne treatment but its especially effective for wrinkle control,
hyperpigmented and sun-damaged skin through activation of rapid skin cell
turnover giving your face lesser wrinkle and fine lines appearance, clear,spotless
and fresher looking skin in just 2 weeks of use. Retinoid comes in brand names
as Retin-A, Tretinion. its a prescription drugs but can be bought from pharmacy
while strictly following the instruction leaflet inside.
i.Foetus are affected by vitamin A so a pregnant or lactating mother
is advised not to use.
ii.The use of retinoid also increases the skin sensitivity to the sun so a good
sunscreen is required to use alongside with it.
iii.You would experience flaking and peeling of the skin in the first
few weeks of usage, if it becomes too unpleasant to deal with reduce
application to 3 times a week until skin adjust to it you can now resume to
nightly application (apply only at night time because of sun during the day),
iv.use a moisturizer to combat dryness and flaking skin while using Retinoid.
Your skin will experience an amazing result in few weeks of use.

Moisturizer should be a woman's BFF and especially indispensable
in your 40s because at this age, there is less natural oil production
from the body due to the reduction of the estrogen hormone, making
the skin look dry and dehydrated which in turn promote the formation of
early wrinkles.
Moisturizers serve as a make-up and replacement for the lack of
natural body oil. You mustn't spend a fortune on a good moisturizers,
natural and affordable oil like extra virgin olive oil is an effective
skin moisturizer, anti-oxidant rich in omega 3, vitamin A and E perfect for
youthful skin.
Apply on skin while its still wet for easy absorption or mix it with
lotion/cream.

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that promotes and maintain youthful
skin.Omega 3 are good fats required by the body and can be obtained
from dietary sources like Salmon, sardines, extra virgin olive oil, avocado,
walnut, pumpkin seeds and in the absence of omega 3 diet you get it from
supplement in capsule form like cod-liver oil etc.
Omega 3 helps to combat dryness by keeping the skin hydrated and moisturized
in turn preventing wrinkles and fine lines formation.

After cheating on sun-screen these past years, its time to face the
reality of the importance of sun-screen and invest on a good sun-screen.
Aside hyperpimentation,sun burn,dark knuckles, red eyes,broken blood
vessels, exposing the skin to the harsh sun in this region can wreck a lot of
damage on the skin. Skin exposed to sun tends to develop wrinkles,fine lines
and age spots earlier than a sun protected skin as the sun breaks down
collagen and elastin-(these are enzymes that takes care of skin firming,
maintains skin elasticity, and keeps the skin plump.)
The good news is that its not to late, you can avoid further damage,
buy a good sun screen of up too  SPF 50 because of our hot naija sun.
Wear protective outfit if you will be staying long in the sun like
wide-brimmed hat, wear long sleeved and don't feel shy to carry
an umbrella after all your skin is more important than people's curious
stare.(In naija if you're not carrying a baby, people don't see the reason
why you should use an umbrella except its raining)

The key word for youthful skin at 40 is hydration and moisture, if
you don't want early wrinkles then you should by all means fight against
dehydration and moisture loss by getting enough good liquid from water,
smoothies,fresh fruit juice, green tea and other healthy liquid.
A good dose of water early in the morning before breakfast cleanses
the body system of radicals and oxidants giving you a clear skin and
healthy body.

When you are 40, your diet should be healthy because not only
your skin, your health is equally important, junk food, saturated fat
found in margarine, vegetable oils, heavy cream salad dressing,
high GI(glycemic index) carbs like white rice, pasta, white flour,
increase blood glucose level triggering insulin to action that result
into skin inflammation. Complex carbs like brown rice, acha, plantain
flour, wheat bread, honey, unsaturated fat contain in food rich in
omega 3 and 6 like nuts, avocadoes, pumpkin seed are great in
preventing wrinkles..

Take supplements that boost estrogen production e.g estroCare-25
The presence of estrogen in the body increases the production of natural
body oil, collagen and elastin enzymes this keeps the skin looking young as
a Sweet Sixteen even in your 40s.



Exercise and an active life-style are important principles to looking
youthful in at any age bracket. Exercise burns out the excess calories, helps
you maintain a healthy weight, cleanses your skin of toxins and waste through
sweating and elevates your mood which means a healthy body, beautiful
skin and a happy disposition in your 40s.

Get enough of your beauty sleep, minimum of 7 hours is recommended every
night. The skin cells are rejuvenated and renewed during sleep, dark circles
and eye bags will become an old story when you get enough rest.
Manage stress and if possible avoid stressful situations, stress has been link
to trigger acne.

Goat milk contains lactic acid an alpha hydroxy acid(AHA) and other
essential vitamins like A, E and C. Alpha hydroxy acid removes dead skin
cells on the skin giving your skin a fresher, smoother, younger look and an easily
absorbable skin surface for other skin care products to penetrate. Goat milk
also rejuvenate the skin and increases new cell growth which is exactly what
your skin needs at Forty.
Using goat milk on the face can also diminish the appearance of fine lines,
wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and spots on the skin because its rich in vitamin
A, it also repairs damaged skin tissue. Fresh goat milk is unrefined
and works faster but in the absence of fresh goat milk, you might want to
try out skin care products made with goat milk like soap  or bath wash

Why Your Cream Stop Working And What To Do .

It is every woman's dream to have a skin that receives wow!!! and compliment,
soft, glowy, smooth, radiant, fair, lovely, spotless skin - name it - but finding a
cream that would give that dream skin  you've always desired can be not so easy,
after spending loads of cash on products with below expectation results, you
resign to fate that your were probably not destined to have gorgeous looking .
Finally based on a friend's or a helpful cosmetic store assistant's recommendation,
you hit gold-mine with a skin care product which worked for your skin even
beyond your expectation with a sigh of relief that the search for a lovely skin is
over, and then suddenly few years down the line your once perfect skin products
without apology stopped working  leaving you with unanswered questions of
"What went wrong"? "Was the quality of the product compromised by the
producer"? "Why is it no longer effective as before"?
Various factors could be responsible for why your once effective cream, lotion,
acne treatment product, soap, body wash, moisturizer, gel, serum, toner etc are
no longer effective as expected.

Unhealthy life-style: Aside your skin-care products and routine, your skin
outlook is also affected by life-style and daily habits like smoking, alcoholism,
unhealthy diets, stress, dehydration and exposing skin to UV rays without a
good sunscreen protection these will give you a very bad skin no matter how
expensive your skin-care products could be. It is also very necessary to shield
skin from sun and moreso when using skin toning and whitening products with
sun-sensitivity content like Retinoid, Clobetasol propionate etc

Climatic and seasonal change:Climatic change as result of relocation and
seasonal changes can change your skin type for instance a humid temperature
tends to retain more oil and moisture on the skin and is likely to make oily skin
excessively greasy leading to acne breakouts and too much oil to handle, hence
a need to change skin care products to light weight absorbable non-oil lotion or
oil-control skin care approach should be used at this particular time.

For instance my skin responds and relate better with the northern dry climate
than the southern humid climate, this is because I have very oily skin, the dry
atmosphere helps to control my acne even without my using any acne product by
drying out excess oil and acne on my face. A dry skin will become excessively
dry in the harsh drying harmattan season requiring more of moisturizer what to do?
Don't discard the lotion just yet, instead add natural oil like coconut oil or olive
oil this way the oil will keep your dry skin soft and protected in the harmattan
season while your skin enjoy the  benefits your favourite lotion has to offer.


Fake and expired products: If all of a sudden your once effective lotion
experience power-failure, check the expiry date, it must have passed its
shelf life or its probably made-in-Aba (not original). When next you are
buying check the expiry date and make sure to buy from a trusted supplier.
Fake and expired products causes more harm than good to your skin.

Aging:As one gets older especially after crossing over to the late 30s
your skin type changes at this stage, this is because there is a gradual
decrease of the estrogen hormone that is responsible for the production
of collagen and sebum (oil) two key ingredients necessary to maintain a
youthful skin.
 As from 30 years upward your skin will not respond to your usual beauty
routine because your skin tends to dry needing more of moisture restoration
cell-renewal, collagen replacement, wrinkle-control, and age-defying
products. You would benefit more from your usual skin-care by investing in
 more than one age-defying products like Tretinion, Glycolic acid chemical
peel, moisturizers and adding them to your beauty routine -this is necessary
if your product is not given you the desired result due to age factor. 

Dead skin cell: Your skin-care products will not work if it is not
penetrating deeply into the skin, dry dead skin cells can create a sort
of barrier between your skin and product, except this barrier is removed
through exfoliation which is a removal of the dead skin cells off the skin,
your cream can not find a way to get through and work on your skin.
It is recommended you have a weekly complete body and facial scrub.

Prolong use: Even our skin gets bored with monotonous using of one
brand of product for long and need you to liven up or upgrade your products
just like your anti-biotic stop working after taking for some time requiring
a higher dosage.When this happens you can go on a short-product break by
switching to a higher brand of product or to make things more simpler
enhance the efficacy of your old product with a serum, gel, natural oil,
 pure honey, Vitamin E. For instance you could try adding pure honey,
serum, vitamin E oil to activate your once plain lotion.

15 Reasons You Should Use Coconut Oil

Aside cooking healthy meals, coconut oil has proven to mean a lot more in the
life of women all over the world with numerous beauty uses at less cost and also
effective as home remedies in providing solutions to domestic challenges like
skin diseases, lice, mouth odor etc. Coconut oil is a life saver for this purposes:

Teeth whitener:baking soda is used as a home remedy to whiten the teeth but do
you know that baking soda is abrasive? and with time thins out the teeth cavity,
it also bruises the teeth enamel.
Want to whiten your teeth the safer way, soak cotton wool in coconut oil, and
brush it all over teeth,

Fight against mouth odor: by gargling two teaspoon of coconut oil
for 15 mins,coconut oil contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungi properties to kill
those pesky germs in the mouth that produces mouth odor.

Eye lash lengthener:Your eye-lash can be so long that you won't have need for
eye-extension, pour a little amount of coconut oil into a cleaned old mascara tube,
insert the mascara brush into the coconut oil  make sure to get excess oil out so
it doesn't get into your eyes now sweep it over eyelashes every night before
bedtime.

Eye-cream:Coconut oil can be used as an eye-cream to reduce wrinkles and
fine lines that comes along with age. Before retiring for the night dip a finger into
oil and massage your under eye areas to keep them moisturised, this under eye
areas are prone to excessive dryness hence wrinkling.

A MAGIC NATURAL OIL

Make-up removal:Instead of an acohol based face cleansers you can wipe
out your make-up completely with coconut oil. Apply coconut oil all over
face with a cotton pad allow for few minutes to soften make up, wipe make up
out with cotton pad.

Palm softener:Coconut oil helps to soften skin by helping skin to retain
moisture for a long time.Its a good remedy to soften hard calluse palms.
Apply it as a hand lotion every two hours intervals.You would be amazed
how soft your palm will feel in a short while.

Body lotion:Do you want soft moisturized toned skin? pour some coconut oil
into your daily body lotion and shake up together. Not just a soft baby looking
skin your skin will receive a bit of natural sun protection.

Body scrub:make a home made body scrub from a mixture sugar coconut oil
or alternatively pour few drops of coconut oil to your favorite body scrub,
your skin will retain the oil after exfoliating dead skin cells.

Massage oil: coconut oil makes a good massage oil, you can perfume
it with vanilla scent, your favorite scent or use it as plain coconut oil after
all it smells heavenly too.

Cuticle and nail oil: coconut oil can replace your cuticle cream during
a manicure and pedicure.
Coconut oil nourishes the cuticle and strengthens the nail from breaking easily.
coconut oil can also be use as nail cleaner to wipe out stains around nails
massage nails and cuticle with coconut oil for beautiful looking nails.

Dandruff treatment: After trying out virtually every dandruff remedies
available with no relief, only coconut oil could give me the needed cure
for my dry flaky scalp. Severe dry itchy flaky scalp do not just go away
simply by moisturizing scalp with any type of oil
I can't tell how but coconut oil performed the magic for me probably
because of its anti-fungi properties and its noted to be good scalp
conditioner.


Deep hair conditioning treatment: what better oil to add into your
prepared hair conditioning treatment than coconut oil. you can likewise
use as hot oil treatment for the hair by warming in the microwave and then
apply to hair cover up hair for a while to allow deep penetration into the
hair folicles. Coconut oil is rich in Vitamin E, Lauric acid and good fats
which helps to strengthen your hair from breakage, it also gives your hair
full body and shine.You won't have to worry about the cost of hair products
because coconut oil will give you all the lovely hair benefits of any hair
products in the market.

Pink pouty lips: want to have smooth, soft naturally pink pouty lips,
gently scrub lips with a combo of sugar and coconut oil daily, and use
coconut oil to combat  flaky dry lips all through the day.

Hair shine: restore shine and silky glow to your hair with a little amount
of coconut oil. Coconut oil can mask and hide the fact that you skip your
weekly shampoo that no one can tell because your hair still looks shiny.

Glowing skin: aside weight loss and other health benefit, taking 2-3
tablespoonful of virgin coconut oil as a dietary supplement gives added
advantage to your skin, hair and nails.
Your skin will glow naturally from the inside out, with healthy stronger
hair, with beautiful and longer nails.                                                                                              
  

See What Sugar Does To Your Skin

It would be sweet to consume SUGAR without consequence, from an early age
we have acquired sweet tooth which we can get away with at infancy but when the
years starts tickling the cost of eating sugar can be more than what you bargained for.

Based on a recent study by Tufts University it has been proven that sugary drinks kills
over 184,000 people yearly. The complications and health risk link  to consumption of
sugar, sugary drinks(carbonated drinks, soda) are among others cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, obesity the direct cause of a number of death annually.
Dermatological research findings has also proven that sugar offers no significant benefit
to the skin as well rather it's responsible for a lot of skin disorder.

Worsen Acne Condition:Sugar on its own will not give you acne but can worsen
already not-so-bright situation for acne-prone skin by fortifying  the conditions that
cause  acne.  How?
Hormones is one factor known to cause acne, food high in sugar increases the
insulin level which in turn spikes up the hormones (androgens) stimulating it to
produces excess sebum and skin cells normally shed by the skin becomes sticky
as a result of excess sebum on the skin this clog the pores of the skin giving P.acne
bacteria a suitable environment to inflame the pores of the skin, this is what come
out of your skin as acne, pimples, whitehead, blackheads.

Makes you look older than your age:Collagen and elastin are essential skin protein
enzymes responsible for firm, supple, elastic (ability to stretch and return back to its
normal position) and youthful looking skin which can be destroyed by a high content of
sugar in the body.
Its known as Glycation a process whereby excess sugar in the blood  weakens the
performance of these wonderful enzymes resulting in dry wrinkled, sagging and loss
ofskin elasticity.
Although its normal for the skin to age as one advance into the big 40s  because at this
stage, hormones that helps in producing natural oil which keeps the skin moisturised
begins to detoriate causing the skin to become dry and wrinkling. But when the skin of
a 30 year old begins to show signs of aging there is a problem, your diet might just be
too high on sugar after isolating other external factors like exposure to sunlight, smoking,
use of harsh skin products. The idea is not to completely eliminate sugar from your diet
but to consume it in moderation because to say the fact 80% of local Nigeria diet
contains sugar, talk about a  mound of pounded yam with delicious egusi soup to go
with it, how about hot amala with ewedu stew, semolina, fufu, eba, the good old tasty
 rice and stew, too irresistible you would say!!! well the key is eating food with high
sugar content in moderation follow-up with a healthy lifestyles and
good skin-care regime you will be closer to earning youthful looking skin for a long time

Hyperpigmentation: is a condition whereby the skin color becomes darkened and
discolored while in some random cases it appears as dark spots and patches on the
skin.
This can create a dent on a lady's self esteem particularly when the dark spots is very
visible on the legs and arms, she becomes very self conscious on mini skirt, armless
outfit or skin barring clothes.
After a sumptious meal of white rice and stew, your blood sugar level is elevated causing
your body organs including the skin - (Skin inflammation manifest with  swelling, 
I observed my double chin becomes more visible add it up with a puffy face in 
the morning after a previous supper of white rice, this reaction to rice has also 
been experience by other people) - to become inflamed triggering the immune system
to response mode of a call to action.The immune system while responding to fight the
inflammation affects the skin badly resulting in hyperpigimentation.
The idea here is to avoid elevated blood sugar level that would triggered this chain
reaction by consuming less of food with high glycemic sugar or simple sugar.

Is it possible to cosume less Sugar? 
Yes

How?
Its not going to an easy ride to limit or cut out sugar entirely, but you have to train
your mind to adapt to the new change of diet at first and with time you are going to lose
that sweet tooth faster than you think.
It was a serious battle for me to do away with sugar, coke, ice-cream, my sweet tooth
was beyond rivalry, no amount of sugar was ever enough for my pap and tea and I had
this mindset of "sugar must be the one best thing to have happened to this 
world before toasted bread". 
 My next step after knowing the part sugar was playing in making my acne worse by the
day, was to train my mindset to see any food with sugar content as a poison that would
never allow me have a smooth face like every other girl, I lived at that time with sweet
teeth family members who still think the world of sugar and never ceases to stock up on
every brand of carbonated drinks, ice-creams, pastries, sweets and chocolates are
never in short supply around the house, a changed mindset was a big leap for me in
overcoming my sugar addiction, and did my acne heal? yes it sure did!!!

5 Ways To Have Fun This Weekend With Less Cash

Weekend is that time we all look forward to and can't hold ourself from
rushing out of the office even before the clock ticks on the closing time....TGIF.
Its been a long week, now its time to refresh and relax both the body and mind.
Well you don't have to pay visit to the cinema,shopping mall,spa,salon,garden to
have a great refreshing weekend. Here are fun things you can do without spending
 a dime.

       1.Exercise-first activity on a saturday to-do list after waking up from 
         the long saturday induced sleep to observing your morning devotion. 
        There can never be a better time than this to burn out the accumulated 
        calories packed from restaurant eating during the week. 
       Early work resumption time and late home coming due to the unavoidable 
        traffic does not give one enough time to exercise before and after work.
        Exercise can be fun and relaxing when accompanied with music, and
        de-stresses both your body and mind while giving you a trim and shapely 
        look for the new week.

        -Dance the salsa, kukere, etighi, makkosa whatever rocks your boat for
          5 minutes this is to stretch and prep up the muscle for what comes after.

        -Follow with 15 mins of cardio exercise like jogging on a spot, skipping
          imaginary rope, this burns out fat, keeps the blood flowing, and eliminate
          waste products thru sweating.

        -Tone and trim your body with 15 mins of muscle building and weight training -
            squats, planks, press up, push up, lunges firms up targeted parts of the body

        -Flatten and tighten up your stomach muscle with 15 mins of abs work-out,
          spread out your mat or blanket now ready do the side crunches, leg raise,
           squat side twist, sit-up.

          -Stretch out your muscle for 5 mins,you will feel exhausted in a good way at
            this point and really sweating, refill on water...not cold water if
             possible have a warm cup of green tea perfect for fat blasting and don't
             forget to feed on a protein diet to build up muscle.

     2.Organise all the week's clutters - shoes, clothes and make-up items 
        littering your space, clean up the room...spread your favorite clean
       bed sheet...spray room with your favorite air freshner
       (vanilla smell takes me to cloud 9).... hang up your window drape to 
       let in natural lighting into the room....soften the atmosphere with a 
       cool music playing softly (my fav is KennyGee).

       Pick up a really funny novel....relax.... read and laugh out to your 
       heart's content after all its Saturday, you won't realize how
      fast the time is running while you are having a good time

     3.Weekend is the best time to cheat-diet if you are dieting.
        Indulge your craving appetite with those food you've been
        avoiding to eat all through the week due to the calorie pack
       (sharwama, noodles, ice-cream,chocolate, junk food). 
        Yours truly never misses her weekend noodle veggie soup.....
        a plus to look forward to another weekend with grand expectation 
        right?

      4.Do an at-home-facial  and resume Monday with a glowing and 
         fresher look, Your friends and coleagues won't need to ask if you 
        had a great weekend,your radiant face will tell!!!

       5.Feeling bored with staying at home this weekend, 
          grab your manicure and pedicure tools, give your hands and 
          feet a nice warm massage to relieve out the week's tension. 
         Experiment with your nail polish, create artsy nail designs 
         on your nails. You could make it more interesting by inviting 
         your girlfriend over and paint each others toes while catching
        up on the latest gist in town...it would be Fun Reloaded!!!

5 Ways to Treat Acne Spots and Scars at Home.

The acne- stage of life is one experience you wish never happened
because long after the acne clear out you are left with annoying spots 
and scars always a reminder of that ugly and awkward episode one's
of life. But the good news is that moderate and mild spots and scars left 
behind by acne and other skin conditions can be treated from home
using edible staples from the kitchen.

Lemon belongs to the citrus family rich in vitamin C (asorbic acid) its a
natural bleacher that lightens out spots and also fades out scars brought
on by acne and pimples. When using lemon for acne treatment its important
to apply on the spot and scar areas only because lemon is astringent and can
dry out the skin excessively, but the good news is that if you have acne scars
brought on by acne you probably have oily skin and will cope with lemon
combined with honey, honey will serve as a moisturizer and hydration for the skin.
If you have very sensitive skin or allergic to lemon acidic nature you might want
to try out other suitable acne spot and scar treatment below.
Lemon and honey both contains natural anti-microbial and antioxidants properties
that can also help against future acne rebound by .

How to use
i.Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a saucer about two tablespoon mix with 1
tablespoonful of raw unrefined honey and mix.
ii.Wash face and dry with a clean towel.
iii.Soak cotonpad in lemon-honey juice and apply to spots and scars areas only.
iv.Leave for 30 minutes or for as long as you can endure the stinging feeling.
v.Wash off with cool water and moisturize face immediately.
vi.When using lemon skin tends to be sun-sensitive, so use sunscreen when out
in the day.
vii.Because lemon is highly acidic its recommended not to do this every day,
three times every week is enough to clear out that troublesome spot and scar.

Goat milk contains alpha hydroxy acid is great for skin peeling, it
completely removes dead skin cell from the skin, and its also rich in Vitamin A
which helps to repair the damaged tissue of skin and it also boost cell
renewal promoting the healing of acne scar skin and improves complexion
tone by gradually fading out spot and blemishes.
Goat milk is mild and suitable for oily, dry, combination, sensitive skin.
How to use
 i.Get fresh goat milk not yet pasteurized from the farm.
ii.Wash face and dry with a towel
iii.Using a cotton pad apply milk on face and leave overnight on face
iv.Wash face the next morning and apply your usual skin products
Because goat milk is all skin type friendly and moisturizing, it won't strip
your skin of its natural oil so can be use daily.

Papaya combined with honey is one amazing home remedies in clearing
out spots and mild scars. Papaya contains an enzyme known as  papain a
natural skin exfoliator that promotes the shedding of dead skin cell revealing
a smoother and brighter skin tone.
Papaya is packed with vitamin A which lightens out spot and blemishes
and heals damaged scarred tissue.Honey is also another natural agents
that fades out blemishes and spots, it also gently exfoliates dead skin cell while
retaining skin moisture by forming a protective barrier against moisture loss
leaving skin hydrated with a glowing skin texture.Because papaya dries
out the skin, honey will serve as a moisturizer to this mask.
How to use
i.Blend or mash papaya to a paste of half cup and mix with three tablespoon of
honey.
ii.Apply paste on a cleaned face and leave on for 30 minutes or for as long as
your face can endure.
iii. Before washing off, massage face in a scrubbing motion for 5 minutes
and rinse off.
iv.Repeat this three times every week but discontinue if irritation occurs.
Papaya can make your skin sun-sensitive so its important to use a sun protection
during the day.

Tea tree oil is a natural oil is effective in the treatment of acne and those
pitted scars left behind. Tea tree oil contains terpinen an agent that fight
bacterials that leads to acne and pimples.Tea tree oil also lightens dark spot
left behind acne improving the skin complexion.
Castor oil is another healing oil for acne scars that stimulates lymphocytes
(cells in the body that promotes the healing of scars) into rapid action in
healing acne scars. Castor oil is also anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial
preventing future breakout.Tea tree oil combined with castor oil can be
very effective overtime in reducing acne scars.
How to use
i.Heat a teaspoon of castor oil and tea tree oil.
ii.Steam your face lightly to open and unclog pores for oil to penetrate into
skin.
iii.With a clean hands massage the warm oil into face for five minutes
with gentle circular strokes.
iv.You can leave oil on overnight and wash off in the morning
v.To avoid an oil stain pillow  dab off excess with a face wipe.

Retinoid is a vitamin A derivative used in the treatment of acne, acne spot
and acne scars. It is a prescription topical cream or gel medication, very
effective in the treatment of spots and scars at home. It works on the spots and
scars by excessive peeling of the scar skin, exfoliates the peeled skin while
promoting the growth of new and fresh skin cells to replace the scar spot
already removed scar skin forming a more smoother skin surface and improving
the overall texture appearance of the skin. Its ability to exfoliate and increase
new skin cell turnover at the same time is why Retinoid is especially suitable and
effective for acne scar and spot removal.Although Retinoid is mostly prescribed
by dermatologist and usage monitored because of its possible side effect but
you could buy it off-the-counter and make sure to follow the instructions on the
leaflet inside. It comes in various brand but Retin-A is the brand most commonly
found in Naija pharmacy is in a white creamy base with a dosage ratio of 0.05%
and 0.1%.

How to use
i.If you just started using Retin- A, it is safer to start with a lower dosage
of 0.05%, and use just a tiny bit of it at once as less is better when using
Retin-A, more application does not guarantee faster action rather it will
lead to excessive flaking of the skin which can be embarrassing.
ii.Don't use Retin-A with other skin drying products like salicylic acid,
alpha hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, they don't relate well together and
could irritate the skin.
iii. Moisturizer is your best friend (bff) when using Retin-A
because Retin-A tends to strip the skin of oil leaving it dry and flaky.
iv. Use sunscreen when out in the sun as Retin-A makes the
treated area sensitive to to UV rays.
v.When treating skin with Retin-A, your skin will get worse in the first few
weeks of treatment before it gets better and best.

The Beauty Magic Of Black Soap

  Do you wonder how our great grand mothers and grand mothers
get smooth and glowing ebony looking skin long before industrial
cosmetics came into the scene and how do they manage to keep skin
diseases such as pimples under control?
Local remedies like black soap was the solution for them at that time.
Black soap is an age long soap spanning centuries with origin from
the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria where it is locally called Ose Dudu before
regional trade and marketing brought it to Ghana and from there black soap
recieve recognition in other West Africa countries and became popular in the
world of skin care.

  Black soap is an organic soap 100% natural, made in the traditional way from the
ash of dried plantain bark,cocoa pod ash, palm kernel oil, camwood (osun),
lemon, honey and shea butter.
Each ingredient used in making black soap plays individual and important roles
for the benefit of the skin and combined together they help to achieve a whole lot
in skin care. Black soap contains plantain which is rich in iron, vitamin A and E,
lemon is rich in vitamin C . Honey has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties,
shea butter is a natural sun UV protector and palm kernel oil is a natural skin
moisturizer, camwood is a skin brightener.

Benefits of using black soap
1.Black soap deep cleanse the skin of make-up, dirt, impurities and unclog pores.
The skin feels fresh and clean after wash,and the good thing about is that it doesn't
leave the skin tight and dry, its also suitable for oily, dry, normal and any other skin
type even the most sensitive skin can used it under observation.

2.A well mixed black soap is rough in texture with particles which exfoliate dead skin cell
 off your skin revealing smooth, soft and fresh skin at every wash.

3.With regular use black soap helps to lighten and  fade out dark spot, blemishes,
reduces the appearance of wrinkles and is effective in treating acne,eczema, and skin rash.
For acne and other skin issues you would rub soap on affected areas then leave it for
how long your skin can bear the stinging feeling, massage skin gently with the foamy
lather and rinse off. 

4.Black soap contains lime known for its natural skin bleaching, it lightens the skin
complexion and combined with camwood which is sourced from sandalwood plant
another amazing natural lightening agent they clear out uneven tone,
hyperpigmentation and skin discolouration giving you a uniform and glowing skin tone.

5. It is even said that shea butter in black soap can protect the skin from
the Ultra Violet rays of the sun but this alone should not be your only means of
sun protection.

6.For natural, dreadlock and texturized hair, black soap is not just good for
your skin, its good for your hair as a shampoo because its organic and
contain no hair damaging chemical in the off-the-counter shampoo.
It washes the hair squeaky clean leaving no residue on the scalp and do you
know that honey and shea butter used in making black soap are natural hair
conditioning ingredient that moisturize the hair....so black soap doesn't dry out
the hair. Black soap contains lime commonly used as a local remedy for dandruff
and flaky scalp treatment.
Don't forget that black soap is very cheap and lathers very well...a little goes a
long way. After trying out black soap on my hair there was no going back, now
I have replace my shampoo with black soap....my hair love it, skin love it and I love it too.

Note
To get the best from Black soap its important you buy from a good
black soap mixer and if possible get an experienced local black soap maker
who can mixed the ingredient well. The effectiveness of black soap is determined
by the mixing and combination of ingredients.

Easy Home Manicure

Weekly home manicure shouldn't be a boring daunting task like doing dishes,

cleaning and cooking , spice things up and make it" fun and interesante"

I always look forward to my next manicure session as another opportunity
 
to relax and to release accumulated stress from my tensed fingers

after all the week"s wahala (naija wahalla can drive someone crazy a times).

This is what i do:
-I do my manicure and pedicure on sunday evenings this is the time am most
likely free from the hustle and bustle of unendless activities.

-I  use a  quiet and secluded spot which is usually my bedroom

-I control and condition my mind to a relaxation mood and try to cut out
anxious and worrisome thought (that can wait till when am done with manicure).

-I create a relaxing mood with a good comedy movie or a relaxing music
depending on what my mood crave for at that particular time.

-I keep a bottle of massage oil by my side to give my hands and feet
a dose of tender loving care(TLC) massage(they do deserve it)
Now am set for a good manicure time.

Basic essential need for manicure session:
Cotton wool
Nail polish removal
Warm water
Bowl
Body scrub/sugar scrub
Pumice stone/hand brush(solely meant for for the palm only)
Shea butter
Castor oil
Nail file
Nail buffer
Nail cutter
Base coat
Nail polish
Black soap/body wash
Cuticle stick/pusher

Procedure:
-Wipe out old nail polish coat with a nail polish removal, avoid using blade to scrape
out nail polish this does more harm than good, it thins out the nail overtime causing
nail breakage.

-Soak hands in a bowl of warm soapy water to soften cuticles, palms and dry dead skin cells

-Exfoliate dead skin cell off the skin by gently scrubbing the skin with a scrub or
home made sugar scrub, rinse off afterward .


-Scrub pumice stone/hand brush firmly but gently over palms to soften, this step is necessary if palm feels
dry and hard to the touch. you can
skip if you have soft palms already

-apply  shea butter on palm and rub both palms together applying friction until shea butter is
completely absorbed, shea butter
helps to soften the palms.

-Massage hands tenderly with massage oil (in the absence of one make a
massage oil from equal ratio of shea butter and castor oil)
a good hand massage is neccessary to reduce swellings from water retention, it relieves stress, tension and arthritic pain from the hand (fingers).
It also helps to promote blood circulation.

-Trim nails with a nail cutter, file to desired shape,smoothen nail surface with a
nail buffer, push in cuticle with a cuticle stick and massage nails and cuticle with
castor oil/shea butter. For every manicure session I love massaging my cuticles and
nails with castor oil. It helps to strengthen nail from breaking and speeds up nail growth.

-Now nails are ready for nail polishing and don't forget to start off with a base coat,
 it keeps nails from polish stain and prolongs nail polish.Apply nail polish on two
coatings drying at intervals. get a perfect glossy manicure finish with a transparent
nail polish.Voila  manicure se fini....Pretty easy.