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We’ve all seen celebs and models in magazine ads and TV commercials with gorgeous, shiny, voluminous locks. Whether their tresses are sleek and straight or curly and bouncy, these women have beautiful hair that makes us green with jealous envy. Fortunately, you can try some easy tricks at home – including diet, supplements and DIY hair treatments – to give you healthier hair naturally.

What’s Hair Made Of?

“Hair is made from a protein called keratin,” explains Helen Foster, author of The Beauty Book (p. 71) (1). The inner part of a hair strand is called the shaft, while the outer coating of a hair strand is called the cuticle. When hair is healthy and strong, the cuticle is smooth and reflects light. The result? Gorgeous shine. When your hair isn’t healthy – due to harsh styling, heated appliances or chemical processes – the shaft weakens and becomes brittle. Consequently, your locks become dry, dull and lackluster. (continue reading…)

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Unhealthy skin doesn’t just look bad. Unhealthy skin doesn’t do its job. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, the core of the integumentary system, and your body’s first line of defense against infection.  Working in top form, skin regulates your body temperature and generates and stores Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. You can’t cover up  poor bone density with cosmetics.

Natural skin care starts with proper body care. No amount of enriched lotion or body butter makes up for skin that, at the core, is unhealthy. Fortunately, four basic wellness habits can support naturally healthy skin. (continue reading…)

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Crooked teeth aren’t just a cosmetic problem. Bad tooth alignment can affect digestion, dental health and even your cardiovascular health. The good news is, even if you didn’t have braces as a teenager to fix dental alignment issues, it’s probably not too late to fix your smile for both your health and your looks.

Health Benefits of Getting Braces

Crooked teeth make chewing less efficient. A healthy diet, full of leafy vegetables, raw fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean proteins takes a lot of effort to chew properly for efficient digestion. Though chewing is certainly possible without perfectly straight teeth, bad alignments can cause teeth to wear unevenly. In bad cases of malocclusion, some teeth may not be used for chewing at all, leaving the burden on fewer teeth that wear faster.

Crooked teeth are also more difficult to clean. Crowding may make flossing impossible. Even if you can floss, flossing may be so difficult or painful that you don’t do it every day. Standard brushing techniques may not reach all the tooth surfaces if the tooth is torqued. All of these leave areas of your teeth ripe for bacterial growth and gum inflammation. (continue reading…)

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An action plan is vital to eliminating acne lesions on the way to clear skin. You should make the changes that will ultimately become part of your habits and lifestyle. Behavioral medicine studies show that if you keep up with the lifestyle changes for ninety days, you have better chances to make it a habit. The preventive nature of the process can take months. Therefore, time and commitment to have changed lifestyle are essential for significant progress. Record keeping is key to the success of the action plan. So you must keep a journal. Four essential elements to a clear skin action plan are sleep, relaxation, exercise and diet.

Sleep

While research in this direct effect of sleep on the on progression of acne is sparse, but there are reports that the lack of proper sleep aggravates acne. Inadequate sleep disturbs the adrenal gland function and increases the level of cortisol which elevates acne. Moreover, sleep deprivation changes how we eat, promoting the intake of excess calories, more fats, sugar and fewer healthy fruits and vegetables. Thus, one should have good sleeping habits. (continue reading…)

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Acne is on the rise globally. Acne is characterized by increased sebum production from sebaceous glands in the skin, occlusion or clogging of the follicle (pore), and within the ducts, an outgrowth of bacteria that normally reside on the skin. This process promotes inflammation and oxidative stress. The increase in rate of acne is not only because of genetic changes. Signals point to changes in our lifestyle or environment. Diet and nutrition may be a major player in acne for most of the people despite of the fact that diet and nutrition are rejected and refuted as causes.

Surveys conducted by National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys show that at least half of the US population does not meet even the minimal recommended intakes of recommendation dietary allowance (RDA) for important vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B6. Low intake of zinc in particular is worrisome because research shows that it is helpful in the treatment of acne. Recent studies have shown that the low levels of zinc are also associated with fatigue, depression and poor mental performance. Despite of all these facts, our society tends to bypass the dietary solution of whole grains, nuts and seafood. Instead we reach for a sugar-laden commercial energy food and drinks. (continue reading…)

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The numerous benefits of turmeric, the exotic yellow spice, are now well known in the world. Turmeric is an inexpensive beauty aid for cleansing skin clean and bringing a lifelong natural glow. So before you go to buy an expensive beauty product in the market, try these turmeric beauty tips.

Turmeric as Beauty Aid

Face masks containing turmeric help to cure pimples and bring natural glow to the skin. This traditional face mask is widely used for brides and bridegrooms a day before marriage in India to make the skin softer and glowing, and to eliminate blemishes. It brightens the skin tone, which makes both bride and bridegroom look nicer on their big day. This face mask can be used by all of us twice a week. (continue reading…)

These four quick videos teach you how to make, use and store a natural skin cleanser with oatmeal, milk and honey.

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