Abes Market for spring naturally

Spring is a time we get motivated to clean out our homes, get rid of things to start fresh. But spring cleaning isn’t just about purging physical items from our lives, but after a long winter, it’s also a great time to think about purging toxins from our bodies. Believe it or not, your skin deserves a spring clean, too, in order to keep everything fresh, glowing and gorgeous.

There are various ways to clean your skin from the outside and internally. You could use lotions, moisturizers, toners, juices and even just drinking water. HollyBeth Anderson, the founder of USDA-certified luxe skin care brand HollyBeth Organics, knows a thing or two about healthy skin, and offers up five easy ways — and the reasons behind them — to clean your skin for spring … and the rest of the year.

Eat Well
The old adage “you are what you eat” applies not only to our body, but also to our skin. What is lovely about spring and summer is that nature’s skin detoxifiers abound in red and blue, in the form of berries. Try eating what is in local, in season and fresh. Not only will you feel better but you will look better.

Exfoliate
Get rid of winter skin with a gentle exfoliator and stay away from harsh scrubs and chemicals that can damage your skin. Remember your skin sheds cells every minute, think of it as spring cleaning, sweeping away winter. When I was a child my mother would exfoliate with cornmeal which is the reason I created our award winning grits & honey scrub. What customers love about it is that it is not only an exfoliator but a moisturizer as the honey leaves your skin soft and supple. To this day her skin glows and I know it is from her routine of exfoliating and moisturizing.

Cleanse
This is so important. When I lived throughout Europe and Latin America doing international business development, people would always tell me to never use soap to cleanse my face, but to use cold cream or lotions instead. I eventually created, and now swear by, our gentle foaming cleansers that are castile (a.k.a. olive oil) based infused with essential oils. Every country where I have lived, people swear by rinsing with cold water. Notice the people’s skin who you admire, apart from genetics I wonder if you will be amazed at how many use cool/cold water instead of hot water and how that affects their skin’s condition.

Hydrate
When the temperature heats up and perspiration abounds doesn’t mean your skin is getting oily, quite the contrary; it can become dryer and your skin can start to look dull once the sweat evaporates. You always want to drink plenty of water. Also, I mist throughout the day with a non-alcohol based mister/toner.

While we are on the subject of hydration I want to dispel a persistent myth that oils are bad for oily skin. Not true! Case in point: dry oils: Other countries know the secret of dry oils. While living in France, I learned that dry oils are the best moisturizer for both dry and oily skin. In Spain it is the coveted olive oil used on hair and the body. Why? A dry oil is non-comedogenic (read: non-pore clogging). One of my favorites that you will find it almost all of our products is camellia oil – it sinks right into the skin and has been treasured by Japanese geisha for years. Camellia oil also has uv protection properties

Moisturize
The area around our eyes starts showing ages first because the skin there is thinner. And squinting in the sun doesn’t help. It’s best to always use a moisturizing eye cream and apply it with your ring finger from the outside in. Beyond that, summer can cause our skin to become dry. Even if you have oily skin, you still need to replenish the moisture; misters or dry oils work well. Another moisturizing trick is to let your skin breathe by going without make up, just use your moisturizer, sunscreen and don’t forget your hat and sunglasses.

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Small, Natural Changes To Your Home That Increase ...

You might be about to sell your home or you may just want to give it a classier look.  Either way, it takes a lot of money to make noticeable changes, right?  Not necessarily.  There are many smaller and less expensive changes that you can do right now that will increase your home’s value for resale or just make it a nicer place to live in.

Before you make any changes, though, grab a clipboard, paper, and pen and walk around both the outside and inside of your house.  Try to look at it from a prospective buyer’s point of view.  What do you see that could be fixed?

Exterior

* Replace shutters if any slats are broken or missing.

* Replace gutters if they’re really banged up or parts are missing.  Clean out the existing gutters while you’re up there.

* Usually the most obvious things that need painting are the trim and shutters.  Painting them can make your house look significantly better. Think about painting the front door in a complimentary color that pops.

* For the price of elbow grease – pull weeds, trim bushes and trees, and throw away trash and debris around the outside of the house.  Totally remove bushes or trees that have overgrown their space.

* Add flowers along the walk and/or in pots by the door.  Do not space them out so there’s one flower every 6 inches, but group in bunches close together for maximum color impact. Add a thin layer of new mulch to the beds.

* If the porch light outside your front door is really outdated, consider purchasing a new one.  You don’t have to go top of the line as there’s a good chance any new inexpensive light will look better than what you currently have.

Interior

* Clean, clean, clean.  Don’t forget the lights, the cobwebby corners, the doors, the trim work, cabinets, and the windows.

* Throw out the clutter and giveaway everything else you no longer want or use.  Your rooms will look bigger and potential buyers will be able to see what the room is intended to be.

* A little paint goes a long way in freshening up your rooms, especially the high traffic hallways.

* Many kitchen cabinets can be painted. If they are in good shape but boring or outdated, you can add contemporary knobs for a new look.

* Rent a steam cleaner at the grocery store and clean the carpets.  Purchase rugs to place in the high traffic areas to keep the carpets cleaner for a longer period.

* Consider changing out your chandelier and/or kitchen light. If you can’t afford to purchase them new, then frequent some garage sales in nicer neighborhoods where people have remodeled and will sell their fixtures cheap.

* Is it time for new doorknobs?  You don’t have to do them all at once.  Pick a model and brand that are in abundant supply and replace a couple doorknobs each payday.

If some real work needs to be done and you are not able to do it, see if you can talk a handyman friend into doing the work and in exchange you can cook him some meals or give his kid piano lessons.  Bartering works well for this.

Take some time to evaluate your home and write down what you see that needs fixing or changing.  Come up with a plan of action, picking out the inexpensive changes, and doing them as your finances allow.

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Eat Natural for Beauty

You are what you eat? Well maybe mom was right because what you put into your body plays an extremely big role in what you look like on the outside. Dryness, puffiness, and discoloration of skin can all be a sign of a poor diet. The good news is, the effects of a poor diet can be changed. You really can eat natural for beauty.

Some of the best natural ways to eat for beauty are:

.. with water – This is the most essential part of any diet, and a skin care diet is no different. Your skin is made up of cells and all cells work better when you’re properly hydrated. Water helps get rid of toxins and actually leaves your skin less puffy! This is because if there’s not enough water to go around, cells tend to hoard what they can get. By getting enough water, your cells stay clean and don’t swell up as much.

.. with a balanced diet – A healthy person has skin that reflects this. Though there’s no one single secret “miracle food” to make your skin perfect. A good diet for skin is pretty much the same as a good diet for staying healthy in general. Eat a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, and whole grains for beautiful healthy skin and health.

.. with antioxidants – These are chemicals like vitamins C, E, and A that help counteract free radicals. Free radicals damage and age skin, so it’s important to eat plenty of antioxidants to keep them at bay. Eat a variety of rainbow colored fruits and vegetables, the more color the better. The color in your fruit and veg basically represents the amount of antioxidants it contains.

.. with avoiding – fast food, processed foods, alcohol and smoking.

A healthy body and healthy skin go hand-in-hand. Fuel yourself with nature and your body will thank you by looking it’s most beautiful. Generally, just remember that you can eat natural for beauty simply by eating a rainbow diet abundant with fresh health-giving foods in their most natural, purest state possible. Cheers to your natural beauty!

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