How To Look Better in Photos

I had planned to post this last week, but when Blogger decided to go retarded and remove GLAM as SPAM, I couldn't. This one is more angled towards the guys -- hence the "MANSOME" video :P All the better to get your pics taken properly and spammed. ;)

Natural Remedies: Apple Cider Vinegar

This is one of many natural remedies that I suggest everyone to try out. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of the most simplest and cheapest ingredients, and guess what? It's amazingly effective. What do I use it for? Well, it's the best toner I've used yet. I mix about two-three tablespoons of it in a Mason jar and fill it up with water. Swiping with a cotton pad daily renders a clear, soft and flawless skin. :D

Similarly, it's really good for hair and scalp. If you've got dry scalp, dandruff then this does a good job of fixing it, and ACV for a rinse in the hair makes your hair so shiny.

15 Reasons To Use Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product. It is made from apple juice and is fermented to hard apple cider. It is then fermented a second time to apple cider vinegar. When using natural apple cider vinegar, we instantly decrease the consumption of unnatural chemicals in our homes and daily lives.


2. Apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse for your hair after shampooing, and will aid in increased body and shine. I recommend recycling an old shampoo bottle, then filling it with 1/2 a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a cup of cold water. Pour the solution through your hair after shampooing several times a week for dramatic results.


3. Natural apple cider vinegar regulates the pH of your skin. Dilute apple cider vinegar with two parts water, and spread the concoction over your face with a cotton ball to replace your current toner. You can do this at night after washing, and in the morning before you apply your moisturizer. A dab of apple cider vinegar can also be left on the skin overnight to fade age spots or acne scars.


It is also a recommended agent for warts. For warts, soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar, then fasten the cotton ball over the wart with a Band-Aid overnight. The skin may swell some as it reacts with the solution. However, the wart will fall off. Once it falls off, the treatment should be continued for a few more days, to make sure the wart doesn't return.


4. Apple cider vinegar can help remove stains from teeth. Rub teeth directly with apple cider vinegar, and rinse out with water.


5. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath, and soak for 10 minutes to eliminate discomfort from sunburn.


6. Apple Cider vinegar can be used as a natural aftershave. Fill a bottle with equal parts apple cider vinegar and water, and shake before applying to the face.


7. Rubbing apple cider vinegar on your hands and feet will give massage-like benefits and relief to tired hands and feet.


8. Apple cider vinegar can aid in weight loss. For daily weight management, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to 16 ounces of water. This concoction can be sipped throughout the day. Data shows some limited, yet significant, weight loss benefits from sustained daily intake of acetic acid (which is a main ingredient in apple cider vinegar).


In a 2009 study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, it was found that subjects that consumed acetic acid for 12 weeks experienced significant declines in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference and triglycerides. Triglycerides contribute to the bad cholesterol that we want to avoid.


9. Apple cider Vinegar will balance your entire inner body system. The body constantly strives to achieve a state of equilibrium. Apple cider vinegar helps the body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level. Research shows that higher acid levels (lower pH level) leads to a lack of energy and higher incidences of infection. Hence, my desire to sip some a few times a day for a natural boost of energy.


10. As part of balancing the body's pH, apple cider vinegar creates an overall detoxification of the body. Research shows that it can help stimulate cardiovascular circulation and help detoxify the liver.


11. This miracle vinegar helps to break up mucous throughout the body and cleanse the lymph nodes. Believe it or not, research suggests that apple cider vinegar can help with allergies because of its ability to reduce mucous and sinus congestion. When reducing the effects of allergies, it can also help stave off sinus infections and their related symptoms (sore throats and headaches).


12. This vinegar is rich in natural enzymes that can help rid your body of candida -- yeasts that are attributed to thrush in humans. Candida also is blamed for creating symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, sugar cravings, and yeast infections.


13. Though it might seem like an oxymoron to treat stomach acid with an acid-containing vinegar, there is research suggesting that apple cider vinegar works by correcting low acid, hence reducing heartburn. Natural remedy experts say you should begin to feel relief very shortly after taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar followed by a glass of water. Note that apple cider vinegar will not give relief if you have an ulcer.


14. The use of apple cider vinegar is effective in repelling fleas on your pets. One part vinegar and one part water can be sprayed on your pets fur and rubbed in generously to the skin. Saturate the entire coat, and continue every day for a few days to a week. Any flea infestation will surely be gone.


15. Apple cider vinegar will clean your toilets and have your bathroom smelling like apples! Just pour apple cider vinegar into the toilet, and allow it to sit overnight. It can also be used in dishwashers as a substitute for dish detergent. Mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup water, and you can use this solution to clean microwaves, kitchen surfaces, windows, glasses and mirrors, too.

List courtesy of http://www.mindbodygreen.com

Soap

So this started from a notification on Facebook, one of those omnipresent status updates; this time about Dove. This especially caught my eye, because earlier today I was having a discussion about Dove itself with someone, and it's 'moisturizing' properties.

"Dove ain't all that :P'Dove is not actually soap, that's why they have to call it a "bath bar". I used Dove for years until I realized it was actually a detergent, that's why they brag about adding "1/4" moisturizing cream". '"

So -- after all this time, it's BAD? I decided to do some digging.

First stop, Wikipedia:

Dove is primarily made from synthetic surfactants, soaps (derived from vegetable oils such as palm kernel) and salts of animal fats (tallow). In some countries, but not UK, Dove is derived from tallow (like many soaps) and for this reason it is not considered vegan, unlike vegetable oil based soaps. Dove is formulated to be pH neutral, a pH that is usually between 6.5 and 7.5.

Um. Okay then. So I don't know about you, but this word "surfactant" is blinking at me like a neon sign. I click the link to find out more....

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants.

I do some fast skimming of the very in-depth chemistry write up on surfactants, then I slow down when I find this:

Prolonged exposure of skin to surfactants can cause chaffing because surfactants (e.g., soap) disrupts the lipid coating that protects skin (and other) cells.

Hmmm.

So, basically, Dove soap is a detergent, a surfactant that may cause chaffing by disrupting the skin surface.

Then, why all these years, has Dove been lauded for it's awesome moisturizing qualities, among others? Think, think, think...

Well, going back to the original Facebook notification, it links to an Etsy page where homemade soap makers discuss Dove. The thread is called "Is the DOVE commercial correct when it implies that you don't want any of that 'soapy residue' left on your skin?"

The person who opens this thread remarks that most of the soaps she uses have awesome natural butters that she would actually hope remain on her skin. Makes sense.

Further discussion highlights the distinction of soap vs. detergent (i.e. real soap vs. dove soap):

Dove's 1/4 moisturizing cream is doing exactly what the soap is doing; leaving a film on your skin (that's what moisturizer is).

There's a difference between soap and detergent and how they react with water. A detergent washes away with water, while a soap reacts with water in such a way that not all of it can be rinsed off, hence the film (this is because of the fatty acids that comprise soap, and how they react with water). Detergents are often considered better cleansers than soaps because they don't leave a film. They are organic acids rather than fatty acids and they bind differently with water.
But the Dove commercial, they're trying to weasel word you. They want you to think that a film of moisturizer is better than a film of fatty acid. Maybe it is, but it's still all filmy.

I've gone through most of the comments there, and it would be an interesting read for those of you who have sensitive or dry skin. I'm now considering doing some investing and experimentation regarding 'homemade soap' or the like.

What I believe might be the breakaway from the "Dove is bad" credo is the actual soap bar vs. body wash.

Because I use the body wash (Jasmine+Vanilla Cream Oil Body Wash ♥). I used to use the soap when I wasn't the one buying my own soap, and I will admit in retrospect, yes, Dove soap bars did leave my skin feeling tight and dry. I did once buy the special scented Dove GoFresh bars, both cucumber and lemon, and I don't remember how they reacted with my skin, but I DO remember that they smelled awesome, and actually left the bars in my clothes drawers just for the scent.

For soap bar, I use Olay Moisture Bar, and it always leave me feeling soft and sexy. (er) :P