Wellicious loung wear

I do love a great yoga class and also really love lounging around at home with the children, I don't always get the time or actually have the inclination to be changing throughout the day so multi-functional comfortable clothing is a must, and to find a range that is stylish, comfortable, and school run able in, not to mention in my line of work be able to wear in treatment at the same time is a low maintenance girls dream..... .... Wellicious ticks all boxes and some, I have been aware of the range since they launched in 2007 and have seen how quickly they have grown and quite rightly so, Eco friendly fabrics and dyes, socially responsible donating 5% of their profits to charity projects in developing countries and so stylish.
The range consists of long and short sleeve T's, fitted and loose, wraps, bottoms from slim fitting leggings to uber sexy flowing palazo style pants.Vests all have built in support shelves, not to mentions beautiful yoga mats to match your outfit.
A personal favourite from their spring summer collection is the Pleat Aladdin pants

www.wellicious.com

British Skin Foundation

As much as  most of my work is in the beauty industry I obviously deal with skin on a daily basis, some flawless, some challenging and some in need of a little TLC. Occasionally I will come across troubled skin and very occasionally skin disease, illness, hereditary skin conditions, the list goes on. Any skin issue is a very visible one for most to see and the effects can go a lot further than just skin deep, not to mention in some cases life changing and even life threatening. There are over 2000 known skin diseases, including acne, psoriasis, birth marks, alopecia, eczema, and cancer to name just a few. A shocking statistic over 200 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the UK every day!

This is why charities like the British Skin foundation are so vital, The British Skin Foundation (BSF) is the only UK charity dedicated to skin disease research, their aim is to raise money for research projects that will hopefully result in cures or at the very least, a better understanding of the numerous skin conditions.
At present there are about eight million people in the UK with a serious skin condition. About 4000 of these people will die because of their disease. The fact is that skin disease does not discriminate in terms of who it affects - adults and children alike suffer on a daily basis, both physically and psychologically.
http://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk


I have chosen The British Skin foundation as one of my charities which I will be supporting and will be taking part in the British 10k run on July 8t. Now I have not done any sort of run like this before so as much support as possible would be amazing. Please follow the link for just giving to read a little more about the event and to show a touch of support, it would be great to raise some money for a much needed cause.
 http://www.justgiving.com/AbigailJames

Nutritional skin food

We would not think twice about changing out eating habits to improve those body organs we can’t see like our heart or liver and kidneys, the skin is the largest organ for all to see so why not make the same connection between diet and skin health? As a skincare specialist I find someones skin is a great indicator of their overall well being and by making a few diet changes the proof can be seen in your skin.

The skin requires exactly the same nourishment as all the other organs to maintain it’s health and vitality and what makes the skin so amazing to work with is it’s ability to absorb nutrients internally through diet and supplements being delivered through the blood stream and externally though applied products, the only human organ you can treat from the inside and out.

Each skin type has key nutrition which will aid in healing it’s specific condition, but for some general nutritional skin savers  good for all skin - Brazil nuts, pomegranates, green vegetables and lots of them,  avocado’s, hemp, flax and coconut oil, water cress, oily fish, lemon in hot water, sunflower seeds, and chocolate as long as it is raw.

And Organic and locally grown are going to be packed with more nutrients.

Working out and acne

Exercise-related acne is not uncommon, it can be the result of a combination of different factors, if you find your skin is aggravated by your regular exercise routine or your profession may require you to be physically active for long periods of time such as dance or sports you may find it helpful to consider the following common acne triggers.

Whats on my skin?
When exercising, your body temperature increases increasing blood circulation which is fantastic for over all health, with this heat and increase in body temperature the pores within the skin are likely to dilate allowing more toxins to be removed from the body through sweat but also allowing more impurities into the dermal layer especially if you have product on your skin at the time of working out, this is going to block pores and and aggravate sebum production resulting in agravated acne.

Makeup
Wear as little make-up as possible, often it’s the makeup on your face that is going to be a big acne aggravator when getting sweaty, the ideal would be to go skincare naked but this is not always possible.  Even oil-free and non-comedogenic (non-pore-clogging) makeup can black pores if worn while working out. And always cleanse thoroughly after your work out to remove sweat and sebum build up.

Sun protection
We all need sun for well being but lets be sensible, if you are exercising outside like jogging for longer than 20 minutes use sun protection of a minimum spf 15. Waterproof sunscreens are a big pore blocker and contribute to acne flair ups so choose mineral sun care which are less pore clogging and gentler to the skin. Some acne medication and products make the skin more photo sensitive, so please don’t skip the sun care if you are using these types of products just double cleanse the skin when you are done.

Sweat
Sweating is good for the skin, the removal of toxins from the body is great and salt is a great skin purifier, actually washing with salt water is a great natural acne treatment, but make sure you wash soon after working out to remove all those impurities and help prevent the pores from becoming blocked, but don't forget to apply moisturiser, too much cleansing is going to leave your skin feeling dry.

Reduce bacterial contact, cover equipment with a clean towel and wash your hands after working out, we all regularly touch our face with our hands.

Other key acne and exercise triggers
High levels of protein in your diet
Workout drinks, high sugar energy drinks and bars, 
Hormonal levels can be altered through regular intensive exercise which is one of the biggest factors when it comes to acne.
Go natural with your products all those synthetics blocking pores is only going to agravate

Turmeric for skin health

There is a long standing knowledge that the brightly coloured spice Turmeric, part of the ginger family

has many hidden health benefits and has been utilised as a key ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine and has a long list of skin care benefits including the treatment of burns, bruises and cuts. It is known to help restor moisture to the skin and prevent dry skin, slowing the signes of ageing by keeping skin supple and nourished. Fantastic for the treatment of acne and out of balance skin and also the treatment of eczema and psoriasis. With it's inherent antiseptic and antibacterial properties and ability to reduce redness, inflammation, aiding in evening out skin tone, it is good for the healing of skin scaring and helps regulate sebum production, making this a key ingredient for over oily skins.
Recently, curcurmin, which are active components found in turmeric has shown to have the ability to fight and prevent disease and in research has shown promising results in the treatment of cancer, so an ingredient to watch as research continues.

Home made healing turmeric mask
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp tomato paste
1 table spoon rice flour, semolina or ground almonds
1 tsp green tea
1 tsp oil (olive, flax, hemp, almond) 

Mix all ingredients together to make a paste, tie your hair back and cover your clothing and make sure you are not using white towels because this will stain, I like to prepare this mask then apply in the bath to avoid any dyed fabric mishaps. Apply to face and leave for up to 20 minutes. Great to apply 2 damp green tea bags to eyes for a complete face treat.

Green Juice for health and radiance

Over the past year I have become a regular Green juicer, which has now become part of my weekly routine and I actually find myself looking forward to my juice. Most people presume they are going to hate it as it is green and therefore must be far too healthy and not taste nice, you would be surprised as to how pleasant it is and actually something you begin to really enjoy. The health benefits of regular green juicing are not limited to one aspect of health but a whole health benefit, from improved energy levels, the great radiant skin.

So why green juice? The vegetables used in juicing are raw so all of their vital nutrients are kept, cooking and processing vegies can destroys some micro nutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition, it a great way of making sure you and your family are definitely getting your recommended 5 a day and much more. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables, many of us have impaired digestion so the juicing will help to pre-digest them for you making the most of the vital nutrients found in the vegetables.
Many people presume juicing involves a lot of fruit which obviously taste great but with this amount of fruit sugars is not the best way to go as this can have a detrimental effect on your blood sugar levels. The exception would be lemons and limes which have virtually no fructose that causes most of the metabolic complications.
Green juice is not a meal replacement, there is very little protein and virtually no fat so it is not a complete food. It should be used in addition  not in place of it. Ideally drink your juice straight away as the nutrients will deteriorate, they can be kept in the fridge in a glass or aluminium airtight container but best to drink at it’s freshest.
Green juice is also alkaline which is fantastic for the skin and body.
A basic green juice of cucumber with the skin removed, celery, lemon or lime, ginger and parsley is perfect. You can add to this whatever greens you like, such as spinach, kale, fennel, lettuce, dandelion leaves, carrot tops, and for a slight sweeter option that I find works with my children add an apple or pear.Don't forget to wash your vegetables thoroughly and organic is definitely best.
There are many juicers on the market but investing in a good one is well worth the extra spend and don’t forget to clean it well and easiest straight after using to prevent any vegetable pulp sticking and making the clean-up job a whole lot more difficult,

So don’t leave the green juice just to a one off detox but rather make it part of your daily or weekly routine. Your skin and general radiance will be testament to embracing the green juice way of thinking.

Earth day 22nd April

The idea for Earth Day came from Gaylord Nelson in 1970, who was aware of huge environmental damage including the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California 1969 as a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

 The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the clean air, clean water and endangered species Acts. In 1990 Earth day went global and has continued to do amazing work world wide in so many different aspects of life.

For more info on the work they do or to get involved have a look at  www.earthday.org