Post Christmas Skin Repair

Yep, you’ve done it.

I provided a Christmas Survival kit for you going into the Christmas madness in December and now look- you’ve broken out because you over indulged. 

But that’s okay, everyone does.

As we begin a new year, it’s time to embrace positive change for the better, and it’s a great time to do so. Everyone is changing their lives in some remarkable cliché- losing weight for the third new year’s resolution in a row, starting an obscure hobby or taking up a forgotten past time like playing an instrument. It’s that time of the year when everyone is trying some sort of diet, so no one is going to bat an eyelid if you’re a little choosy about what you eat. 

The time is yours! 

Begin by getting your diet back into check. I know little or nothing about cooking and meal preparation, however there are others who know a lot. There are some great clean eating recipe ideas for clear skin. There are also some foods you should avoid in order to help prevent further acne breakouts. Of course, make sure that your Acne Control Caplets or Acne Control Extra Strength Tablets are a regular part of your diet again! 

In addition to watching what you eat, think about what you’re drinking. Alcohol can have a negative impact upon your clear skin. As I wrote in my blog last October, alcohol affects your hormone levels causing excessive production of sebum. It is also a hepatotoxic, which damages calls that act as a detox for the body. It also drains your body of nutrients. This isn’t to mention its negative impact upon both muscle building and undesirable weight gain. 

 

Take care with alcohol. Try to limit it to special occasions and social events. Don’t be embarrassed to get a water. I’ve been drinking less over the past few months, and I love reclaiming my weekends from boozy nights out that see me feeling miserable the next day. If it’s not the hangover you’re suffering, than it’s the painful acne breakout that you’ll spend the next few weeks cleansing and applying topical solutions to in order to dismiss. Is it really worth it? I’m not going to dissuade you from drinking all together, but enjoy it in moderation- one or two drinks at an event and only once or at most twice a week.

 

Get more quality sleep. For the best part of 2015 I was averaging 4, occasionally 5 hours of sleep a night. Late nights studying, copywriting and catching up on work and early mornings to commute to internships saw me denying myself sleep. Unfortunately it was a luxury I felt like I couldn’t afford. More recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to get into a regular sleep pattern. Dating a barista, they often wake up at 4:30am, which compliments my usual 5:30am start. I’ve embraced this early start and aim to get myself to bed by 9pm. Having a regular sleep pattern makes sleep come a lot easier. Yes, I sometimes will find myself in bed at 10 or 11, but if I stick to the same time to wake up my body clock is still in check. To ensure quality sleep, ensure your bed is supportive and comfortable, that the room isn’t too cold or breezy (or hot and still), and try to avoid screens such as mobiles and tablets when you’re in bed. The light stimulates your eyes and can delay sleep. Back to the topic of alcohol, it reduces the quality of your sleep, so avoid it if possible. The quality of your sleep will have a positive regenerative effect for your clear skin. 

Be positive! 

It’s a new year, with new opportunities. Making steps to clearer skin needn’t feel like yet another New Year’s resolution chore. Small choices made throughout the day can add up to a positive difference. Whilst diet changes such as less alcohol may seem tedious, if you keep your goals in mind and ensure that you aren’t too punishing should you stray from the routine, but instead put yourself back on track, you are on a pathway to something great! 

Who is Nick Bell?

Nick joins SkinB5 as a writer, contributing monthly to the blog.
A mid-twenties Melburnian cliche, the bearded student suffers wanderlust, a soft spot of his city's cafe culture and a love of cycling. He writes from experience, having suffered acne himself throughout both high school and university,  and it's something he still battles today. Nick also writes a personal blog where he is documenting his journey for clear skin with SkinB5, having previously given up after years of ineffective products and medications. 

Clear Skin From Within

Happy New Year’s, everyone!  The New Year is a perfect time for new beginnings, a great way to incorporate goals and an opportunity to take care of yourself, primarily your skin.  Being an advocate for healthy beautiful clear skin I want to encourage you to take care of your skin. It should be your healthy resolution every day of the year. After all, you'll wear your skin every day for the rest of your life, so let’s make this year about healthy and glowing skin with some of my biggest do’s for your skin as we move into the New Year! Oh and I promise that they are easy to achieve.

Eat clean for clear skin 

We’ve all heard the saying that beauty starts from within, so having healthy looking skin is achieved from the inside as well as the outside.  In saying that, try to integrate whole and clean foods in your diet as much as you can. Eating junk food has high levels of sugar, sodium and other toxic ingredients that are harmful to your skin. But that doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself. By all means, treat yourself to a slice of pie.  Everything in moderation is the theme I’m going for. I know it can be hard when you’re traveling this time of year, but some things I’ve learned along the way, as I travel , is to ‘’think ahead’! Write down reminders for yourself on notepads or sticky notes if you struggle with eating well. Another easy way to achieve eating healthy is to pack your own snacks, not only does it save you money but it helps you keep your hands off salty sugary snacks. For some quick and easy snack suggestions check out our Instagram page or click on the link below for my top quick and easy snack ideas. (Need to add this link in) Remember it’s not easy but the trick is to start of slowly, one day at a time and before you know it, you’ll gradually make eating clean into a habit instead of a goal. By eating good foods, you’re actually helping your body fight against acne, and in time you will notice the levels of sebum production will be less and you will experience a smaller amount inflammation. You can also then try adding a natural supplement into your daily routine such as ‘’ Acne control caplets’’ to help prevent acne, I find these have made the biggest difference in skin health for me.

Love yourself more with affirmations

Whether you have acne, mild or severe it can generally affect your self –esteem.  Don’t hide away from your appearance, learn to accept it, everybody has imperfections and nobody is perfect. You may feel like there is not one person who understands you, but trust me there are tons of people who are going through the same thing. You can still look just as beautiful, with or without spots. Make the same amount of effort as you would if you had clear skin. Make it a resolution to love yourself despite any skin condition you may have. I know it is easier said than done but trust me time heels and what really helps is staying positive and incorporating powerful affirmations into your daily life.  For instance most of us are good at putting ourselves down and we sometimes don’t even realise it. Here’s an example; ‘’I will never have clear skin’’. I find affirmations help turn around the negative thoughts into positive ones and help bring in more self-love and care.  Make it a confident year by writing out affirmations and practise them as often as you can. You will feel happier and healthier. Some of my favourite positive affirmations are ‘’I am happy with how I look’’ and ‘’ I am healthy’’! Have you used affirmations before? Share your experience with me below!  Comment or send me an email on info@skinb5.com. I would love to hear from you.

Add regular workouts into your routine

Let’s make it a commitment to exercise more this year. Now this doesn’t mean you have to beat yourself up every day.  Instead, slowly add in some movement into your daily routine and sweat it out! Exercising is great for our minds, body and skin (it also increases your endorphins- your happy hormones) and helps flush out the bacteria from your body, giving you a more natural and radiant glow. I know it can be difficult to be motivated, however I like to motivate myself by trying on cute fitness outfits. Once you find exercise clothes that are comfortable and cute for you, there’s no better time to wear them than during your next gym session—it’s okay to show off a little. To finish don’t forget to wash your face after your workout, you don’t want your pores to be clogged up after all that hard work you put in. 

Here’s to great skin care and good health in 2016. Happy New Year’s everybody! Have a wonderful year! 

Farah has been using SkinB5 for two years now. She is an advocate for natural and organic beauty products, healthy living and a self-proclaimed whole foods enthusiast.  Her passion for health and beauty stems from her personal experiences dealing with problematic skin and now she wants to help others learn her secrets to flawless skin from the inside, out. 

Why a New Year may mean new makeup if you want clear skin?

New Years is finally here and it’s that time again to choose what we want to achieve in 2016. You know what I’m talking about!  The time to adopt the ‘’ good’’ habits we’d like to tackle, thinking about ways to improve ourselves and maybe eating a little healthier this year. Whatever you decide to go for, there is one New Year’s resolution that seems to deserve our attention and can truly make a difference in your skin and that is your makeup routine. Here are a few important tips you should consider this New Year for an acne free skin in no time!

Out with the old, In with the new

So first things first, let’s make a fresh start for 2016 by cleaning out your makeup bag! Just like food, all cosmetics have expiry dates and believe me you’ll be surprised with just how much items that you have, that are expired, broken or just look off in your bag (I’m guilty of this too). Now there’s lots that can go wrong when your make ages; you risk side effects such as skin conditions like acne, skin allergies or even eye infections. Sometimes you just have to let go of that eye liner you rely on or that mascara you can’t live without, but hey at least you will reduce your chances of getting breakouts or anything worse! By now you’re probably wondering how long should keep your makeup for. Well below is a guideline on when to toss or keep your contents in your makeup bag!

PRODUCT	WHEN TO TOSS
Powders (including blushes, bronzers, and shadows)	Two years
Cream shadows and blushes	12-18 months
Oil-free foundation	One year
Cream compact foundation	18 months
Concealers	12-18 months
Lipstick and lip liner	One year
Lip gloss	18-24 months
Pencil eyeliner	Two years
Liquid or gel eyeliner	Three months
Mascara	Three months

Shelf life of makeup

I do have some good news, shelf life of makeup depends on the ingredients that it contains. Products that are mostly water based or contain plant - (these are mostly preservative free products) extracts have shorter shelf life simply because the water itself causes bacteria growth. So try to opt for products that do contain preservatives as they are one ones that help fight the growth of bacteria. One great alternative is mineral makeup! Mineral makeup contains no water or oils so there’s a lesser chance for bacteria to grow. Also don’t forget to read the labels to limit any skin irritations and try to look for makeup labeled non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free, these will let your skin breath and not clog your pores!

Remove all makeup before sleeping

My next tip I would recommend is to always remove your makeup at night before you sleep. I know we’ve all experienced that one late night when you just can’t be bothered going to the bathroom and removing your makeup. But here’s what my mother always told me ‘’a naked skin is a happy skin’’, and I haven’t forgotten it since. Sleeping in makeup can cause dead skin cells to build up, clog your pores, causing breakouts or other skin irritations. If you’re like me and you just want to use one product that removes all your makeup without having to use tons of wipes, then boy, do I have a treat for you! Try SkinB5’s gentle cleansing mousse, it effectively works deep down to remove all makeup and excess oil. Don’t forget to follow by your regular moisturizer. Lastly cleansing your skin properly every day is the best weapon for unwanted skin conditions and not to mention your skin needs time to breathe and rejuvenate leaving your skin clear and bright for the next morning.

Wash your brushes

Show of hands of how many people actually wash there makeup brushes? If you did not raise your hand, you need to start soon. Now as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, makeup brushes and applicators are bacteria magnets! Bacteria cause’s infections and breakouts, and this can be passed back and forth from the product to the brush to your face, so wash all makeup brushes with  soap a few times each week, and thoroughly spray them with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol after every application. You can also use disposable ones (consider the environment!).

 To sum up here are some extra key pointers to safeguard your skin this New Year:

• Go bare whenever possible. Allow your skin to heal and breath and remember and you can feel confident with or without your makeup.
• If you find you don’t have time to wash your brushes, consider makeup sponges, they are disposal and cost less than a cup of coffee.
• Using mineral makeup that contains zinc-oxide will help to fight acne as you cover it, instead of other makeup that will simply clog pores
• Taking a SkinB5 Acne control caplets, they will help your body regenerate skin cells faster, so your skin will be clearer faster. Added bonus: it also helps with hair and nail growth.
• Wash your hands before you wash your face. Going straight into washing your face with dirt and oil on your hands will defeat the purpose of cleaning your face.

Hope this helps and if you have anything to add, then please leave a comment!

Farah has been using SkinB5 for two years now. She is an advocate for natural and organic beauty products, healthy living and a self-proclaimed whole foods enthusiast.  Her passion for health and beauty stems from her personal experiences dealing with problematic skin and now she wants to help others learn her secrets to flawless skin from the inside, out. 

5 Quick ways to stress less

Who hasn't got some stress in their life these days?

And who (like me) finds that stress affects their skin?

Very few people have no stress, but only a few know how to manage or reduce stress to continue living a happy, healthy lifestyle as well as having clear glowing skin.

Some of these methods to reduce stress (and therefore help acne) are so simple it's unbelievable, but you just have to put them into practice daily, which is sometimes harder than it seems.

Here are just 5 of them:

1. Be Mindful - Practising mindfulness is a mind-body approach to life that helps us to relate differently to experiences. By paying attention to our thoughts and feelings we increase our ability to manage difficult situations and make wise choices.  

A great studio that teaches mindfulness is:  http://happymelon.com.au/classes/meditation

2. Prioritise - we've all got a million things to do, but to avoid a meltdown, jot them down in a list.  

Most urgent at the top, winding down to the less important things that can wait. A bit embarrassing to admit but I love to put a line through the jobs I've completed with a colourful (sparkly actually) pen. Makes me feel like someone is giving me a pat on the back to say "good job" Kikki.K do great "to do lists" and sparkly pens ;)

3. Eat & Drink - Do you eat less when you're stressed? Or are you like me and have the tendency to eat too much or the wrong things when stress is knocking on you're door? Turning to fast food, chocolate, coffee or wine is a fast fix...and not really a great fix :( Eating fresh unprocessed foods is the trick.

I always take my SkinB5 tablets www.skinb5.com which not only help keep the pimples at bay but B vitamins help with energy too so you don't need that extra coffee. 

4.  Exercise - I know when you're stressed it can be the last thing you want to do, but you will 100% feel better for it - Yoga is the best for me as. So put some exercise in your calendar/diary, book a class or make an arrangement with a friend so you stick to it. It doesn't have to be hard-core. A 30min walk could do the trick and build up from there. 

If you need a hand contact me for some health coaching advice: stress reduction, mindfulness, Yoga/ Pilates and nutrition will be covered to name just a few: venessanickless@gmail.com

Venessa Nickless Yoga, Health Coaching & Pilates Practitioner in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her adrenal exhaustion, terrible skin problems and digestion issues led her to taking steps to revitalise her health & energy by changing diet; which includes daily use of SkinB5 supplements and skin products to this day.

She changed her fitness regime; focusing on Yoga and Meditation to increase energy and changed career so that she could help people to achieve the clear skin and confidence that they deserve.

Top 5 myths on Diet and Acne

The food we eat can have more of an impact on the way we look, than just fitting into that "little black dress" or “skinny jeans”.

What we eat can have a massive impact on how fresh faced we look and therefore how confident we feel. 

To make it easier for you I’ve debunked 5 common myths on the diet and acne connection. Once you know what foods can affect your skin, you can avoid them or eat in moderation, keeping that gorgeous, glowing look and confidence everywhere you go.

1. MYTH:  Food doesn’t affect Acne.

Loads of scientific studies have been conducted but the verdict is still out on whether diet and acne are linked. However many of the chocolates, fried food and pizzas that are readily available to us are so highly processed we can't even tell what's in them. All these preservatives and additives can affect our hormonal systems, which are a major determiner on our skin health.  While occasionally eating chocolate or pizza will not directly cause acne, an overall diet high in fatty foods can stimulate androgens (hormones) and cause on breakouts for some of us.

Suggestion: Everything in moderation. If you do really fancy something naughty try a "healthier" version. E.g. air fried fries or a homemade burger so you can control how and, what it's made with.

Bottom line, taking care of your body by eating a healthy, nutritious diet will result in better looking skin. But even a healthy diet and lifestyle may need the help of supplements from time to time. SkinB5 really helps my skin and even though I do eat really well and exercise regularly my skin benefits from a daily SkinB5 caplet to maintain its zit free appearance.  

2. MYTH:  Fatty foods = Acne and angry red complexion

We all know that not all fats are created equal.  Salmon, nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocado are loaded with skin-beneficial oils and antioxidants like Vitamin E. However fast food and foods prepared in low quality hydrogenated oils and saturated fats - not so clever.  

Suggestion: Try plant-based oils in their fresh form and remember different oils have different smoke points (the point they start burning) so can be better used in salads etc. than for cooking. Coconut oil is a great oil to cook with due to its' high smoke point - just ditch the processed hydrogenated stuff. 

3. MYTH:  Dairy ALWAYS does our body the world of good

Milk and dairy contains calcium, protein and Vitamin D - Yay!  But dairy may also play havoc with your skin – Boo!

Some skincare experts say that components in milk that are related to                     testosterone hormones can cause oil glands to go into overdrive, setting the stage for skin upset.

Suggestion:  Try switching to non-dairy options such as almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. Have you tried coconut yoghurt CoYo; www.coyo.com.au is yummy and Sheep’s Yoghurt; www.meredithdairy.com

I'm not a cheese eater myself but I've been told goat and sheep’s cheeses can have less of an effect on skin. You'll have to try them and let me know.

4. MYTH: If you have acne you should never eat chocolate

Why is chocolate always thrown under the bus? Well usually because we the majority of chocolate eaten is mass-produced and has lower cocoa and higher sugar and dairy content, which can raise Glycemic, index of that particular chocolate. Chocolate (or any food) with a high Glycemic index can increase blood cortisol and insulin levels, which can lead to increased sebum production and your dreaded blocked pores.  

Suggestion: You can still have chocolate - Yippee 

Dark chocolate with a cocoa content 70% or higher has a lower Glycemic index and so will not spike cortisol and insulin in the same way. 

5. MYTH: Caffeine causes pimples

Some experts say Caffeine doesn’t directly cause acne, but if you have acne caffeine may aggravate it. Caffeine has its benefits too; coffee, black and green teas are loaded with anti oxidants, which can help skin damage from the sun for example.

Suggestion: Maybe cut your Caffeine consumption down; try a long black rather than latte or milky tea to avoid the dairy, which could be affecting your skin more than the caffeine.  Green tea is also great to give you a much milder more stable energy rather than the "jitters" of coffee. 

I always take my SkinB5 tablets www.skinb5.com which not only help keep the pimples at bay but B vitamins help with energy too so you don't need that extra coffee. 

Venessa Nickless Yoga, Health Coaching & Pilates Practitioner in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her adrenal exhaustion, terrible skin problems and digestion issues led her to taking steps to revitalise her health & energy by changing diet; which includes daily use of SkinB5 supplements and skin products to this day.

She changed her fitness regime; focusing on Yoga and Meditation to increase energy and changed career so that she could help people to achieve the clear skin and confidence that they deserve.