read neglect!
I wish we had an awesome excuse and could say we’ve been under wraps because we just finished writing our 1000 page asilia bible, or have just come from cutting the ribbon on our new asilia spa or have……you get the drift.
Unfortunately, we’ve just neglected our baby.
We are in need of an intervention!
Ladies….
So I watch Shira on youtube…she’s great! She’s out there and all over the place but she has researched stuff going on there that makes sense. This one is on skin care – ok she talks alot about Dr. Haushka’s products yes (I don’t use them because yes they DO cost an arm and a leg), but she makes sense about alot of skin care that makes you think when you are out there buying creme’s and whatnot…so enjoy and be enlightened! Oh and you may want to watch more of this skin care series…and please do as she says and google Jocelyn Wildenstein!!!
Olive oil is great for hair, but it’s also really great for skin too. My mother always says how when we were babies, my grandmother always told her to rub us in olive oil at bath time and it did wonders to keep our skin nice and supple. Anyway, I’ve been struggling with eye make up remover. I’ve had the gel types which are just icky messy, the liquid ones which leave your eyes really dry feeling. So the other day I was reading somewhere about olive oil being a make up remover. So I figured I would give it a try. I put some on to a cotton face pad, pressed it onto my closed eye and let it sort of do it’s magic for a little bit, then wiped it off. As I swept the cotton pad over my eyes, I could feel the make up just get dissolved away by the olive oil and it all came off fairly easy. Best part is it didn’t leave the skin around my eyes feeling too dry. After this, I washed my face with neem soap which I am trying out and wow, the skin round my eyes was so soft and yummy feeling. It’s definitely an asilia prime!!!
I won’t even lie and say I wasn’t a little bit skeptical when I heard about dry brushing. If I could raise my eyebrow it would have gone higher with every mention of how it eliminates cellulite, cleans the lymphatic system and removes toxins from the skin.
I don’t know if it does any of the above but one thing I know it does do is facilitate soft smooth and did I say soft? skin. So. What you will need according to the internets is a natural bristle brush and 5 minutes of your time before you shower.
Im not sure if the brush I have has natural bristles but its what I had around so its what I used. So, starting from my feet and working my way up I used circular motions to brush the skin. Circular? Yes, this is a must. Skin is sensitive, you don’t just go rubbing it up and down with no mercy. Whether applying lotion, putting on a mask or dry brushing, a gentle circular motion is always best. No exceptions.
Dry brushing shouldn’t include the face and neck area because the skin is too sensitive for that and it already benefits from all the masks, moisturizers and exfoliation you already pamper it with. After dry brushing shower as usual and moisturize your damp* skin.
I don’t know about cleaning lymph nodes and curing cellulite (there is no such thing as a cure for cellulite. If Oprah and her billions have failed to find one – and she said she has been looking – then us regular people might just as well give up and live with it) but it does give great looking skin. I know the argument could be that skin is as a general rule, soft already but this makes it smoother and softer. Maybe it’s the removal of dead skin cells or something. It only took a couple of sessions to notice a difference to other asilia bots should try this and tell me if I am imagining my own things.
Asilia prime for sure, though don’t blame me when people look at you funny when they see you carrying a shoe brush into the bathroom … 😀
* don’t know if I have mentioned this before but moisturizer shouldn’t be applied to dry skin. After showering pat yourself dry and then apply your lotion to damp skin – it helps lock in some moisture.
Even at its most basic, the aspirin mask is something you may want to try. Easy to make, cheap and will leave your skin feeling smooth like nothing else.
The reason the aspirin mask works is because of the salicylic acid which is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid). Since BHA’s are oil soluble this makes them ideal for exfoliating skin and unclogging pores so the aspirin mask is very useful for those who are prone to acne break outs, blackheads and oily skin.
As always, do a patch test (like maybe behind your ear) before you use this mask. If you are going to have an allergic reaction you don’t want it to be all over your face. If you cant take aspirin then this isn’t ideal for you to try either.
Simple Aspirin Mask
3-5 aspirin pills
Few drops of water
Crushing the pills can be a lot of work, but putting a few drops of water on the pills and letting them sit for a while will dissolve them. Apply on face avoiding the skin around the lips and eyes and let sit until dry. Rinse thoroughly and then moisturize and voila! The aspirin mask in its most basic form.
The above will work because the salicylic acid will still get to exfoliating but you can tweak the recipe to your liking and add ingredients that will enhance the magical powers of the mask. For example, honey, being a humectant will go great if added to the above recipe and it’s a biding agent as well so it will make it easier for the mask to go on. A combination of aloe vera, yoghurt and aspirin works very well as does using lemon juice instead of water to soften the tablets.
Verdict? Asilia prime, though you have to be careful not to use it too often. I have seen people on the internets say that they use it 4 or 5 times a week but considering its potency I guess twice a week max is best. And after using it, use sunscreen the next couple of days to protect the layer of skin that has been brought forth.
By the by, Panadol is not the same as aspirin. Add Tylenol, Advil or any other painkiller in this category too.. The salicylic acid is key and if you are not sure, ask your friendly neighbourhood pharmacist and ask them to help you out, just make sure they don’t up sell you.
Not for the faint of heart. No, seriously. If multi step beauty treatments are not your thing and mixing random things and then wrapping your hair in saran wrap/plastic overnight don’t tickle your fancy then don’t even try this cos it takes lots of planning ahead but the way your hair feels afterwards is sooo worth it.
Henna strengthens, conditions and thickens your hair. Depending on your hair colour and the type of henna you use it will also dye it. This e-book from Henna for Hair is pretty comprehensive on different types of henna, how to choose henna and how to apply it so I’ll just add a few things I have learned from my experiences. But before that I stress, read the book. There is nothing about the basics the lady hasn’t included so get to learning.
Yes, the gloves are necessary. I know someone who thought using little plastic bags on her hands was a good idea but unless you are like a ninja when it comes to making sure it wont get on your hands and stain them just take the plunge and buy them. Its either that or orange looking hands for a few weeks.
Either get QUALITY body art henna or get a brand you trust – no inbetweens. That box of henna in your local halal store that looks dented and the lettering has faded cos its been on the shelf so long is not what you want to have on your hair. Neither is the dusty one that the dude behind the counter assures you even his wife uses. How to differentiate pure henna and those with additives is outlined in the henna book link I put up there but if in doubt, get one from a brand like LUSH. All the better if you can google the product and see what experiences people have with it. Whatever you do, don’t just use the first thing you happen to stumble upon. Research and patience with search engines are your best friends.
Protect your floors! Once you have let it sit in a warm place for the required 12 hours the mixture can be kinda hard to handle, especially if you aren’t used to using gloves. So, get those old towels you aren’t particularly attached to and line your bathroom floor with them. Either that or you will end up like me crouched over spots on your bathroom floor with an old tooth brush and toothpaste cos some creative googling told you that would get rid of the stains. If it happens to land anywhere like on the wall (I blame the gloves!) wipe it off as soon as you can to avoid looking like you are experimenting with weird colour schemes.
Rinsing may take longer than you thought. This is especially true if you 1. have long hair 2. have thick hair 3. have a combination of the afore mentioned or 4. have locs. Rule of thumb is to rinse until the water runs clear and it may take a while. Those with loose hair have the slight advantage here because their rinsing will be relatively easy but for those with locs past shoulder length be prepared to stand under the shower until you become a prune. Embrace the idea, your hair will be so fabulous after you wont even care, I promise.
The harvest hair test is important. For those who use hair brushes and combs what this means is that you get some of the hair strands caught in-between the teeth/bristles and put some of the prepared henna on them so that you can get a general idea of that the end result will look like. Very important, especially if you are trying a certain type of henna for the first time. If anything is going to go awry, let it be on the hair that isn’t on your head anymore. For those with locs the harvest hair test may be harder to do but what I did is I snipped a tiny bit off one of my locs and then combed it out to get my “hair sample.”
This may seem like a lot to take in especially after you read the book and you wonder where to begin. But, once you identify what type of henna you want to use and where to buy it all it takes is mixing and using it a couple of times before you can go through the motions without even thinking about it. Henna for me has gotten rid of dandruff, coloured my hair a bit red (you can only see it under the sunlight really) and made it so so soft. It really is the absolute best for conditioning your hair and doing it once a month or once every couple of months will go a long way to naturally making your hair feel awesome. I declare this an asilia prime and will start getting other asilia bots to join in the fun 😀
Ok, so in my quest to feed my hair some protein, I finally bit the bullet and decided to use the egg treatment…cue cringe moment! I tried looking for an alternative, really I did…but everything I read and watched sort of pointed to eggs. So hey…the worst that could happen is I spend a couple of hours picking scramblies out of my hair right!? So I got a container thing, put in an egg, a good sized dollop of ORS hair mayo treatment, a dash of conditioner (I’m not sure why, but I just did), a little olive oil, a little castor oil and mixed it all up…BY THE WINDOW. Note winter is coming and so temps are like zero degree’s in the evenings and I figured the colder the less risk of the eggs scrambling right? Yes I was paranoid like that. So as I mixed everything in, I could swear there was an egg boogey look alike and the urge to gag took me over and that led me to putting in some tea tree to completely mask anything egg about this dodgy mix. So I left it by the OPEN window while I changed (I don’t really trust room temps – threateningly warm me thinks lol). So I then sectioned my hair in 4 parts, put some music on and sang along as I put the stuff on my hair. Granted it was messy, but it wasn’t messy as say the yogurt mix which is good. I initially thought I was going to leave it on for like half an hour, but miss tried and tested scramblie here said she left hers on for two hours. So I figured, it’s on my head, I might as well right? Thing is, with my scramblies paranoia, I was worried bout my body temperature warming up the egg mix so popped my head out of the window in sub-zero temps to make sure it stayed cool…much to the amusement of the same miss scramblie. Good thing it was misty out and I don’t think people would spot serious old me sticking her eggy head out of the window in those temps.
Aaaanywhoo, so I washed out my eggy mix in yes freezing COLD water (disclaimer – hair care can result in the flu). Admittedly even after aaall those precautions I still had some eggy boogers…ok ok they were tiny and were like 3 or 4, so I guess I did relatively well. I then did a co-wash and bantu-knotted for the night.
Results? Well, I really could feel a strength to my hair and because of the oils in there it was very well moisturized, so I guess it did something. I’ve been having lots of shedding lately and looking closely at my lifestyle, my protein intake hasn’t been what it should be, so with this protein treatment, I am also planning to include more beans and protein stuff in my diet and hope the shedding stops. So yes…Asilia Prime it was…egg on asilia bots!!!
Since I started with the natural facials, I just love spontaneously whipping up something right from my kitchen in no time, with ingredients that I know without a doubt are great for my skin. Their being edible is immaterial ofcourse! I just did a cleanser, scrub and exfoliant that has left my skin feeling lush! I can’t keep my hands off of it and neither can Sookie. Here goes…
Orange Peel Cleanser
Orange peel is great for removing dirt from the face as well as a quick revitalizer. Simply take the orange peel and use the fleshy white inside to rub gently on the skin. Its really simple and works well as a start to any facial.
Olive Oil and Sugar scrub
After I was done with the orange, without rinsing off the little orange bits, I took slightly less than a teaspoon full of sugar, with a dash of olive oil, and spread it on my skin. This is great as a scrub and exfoliant. Rub the mixture on the face, and massage with small circular motions. (I also rubbed some on my lips, it removes the dead skin and is great for chaffed lips.) Olive oil is perfect because it doesn’t clog your pores, and it helps retain the natural moisture of the skin. If you don’t have olive oil on hand, you can try any other natural oils. This is actually a variation of jmmk’s castor oil face scrub.
Honey mask
Lastly, i rinsed off the olive oil and sugar, spread some raw honey on my face; got a container filled with boiled water and steamed my face for about 5 minutes. Honey is a humectant therefore is great for hydration, leaving your skin silky soft! Once this was done, I washed everything all off with warm water, did a final cold rinse and moisturized with my beloved nivea soft moisturizing cream. My goodnessssss, heavenly skin!!!
What I love most is that these treatments are short, easy to do and the results are definitely Asilia prime!
Ok, so I’ve always used Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar as a part of my salad dressing, but I had NO IDEA as to how versatile and beneficial Apple Cider Vinegar is. Apart from being an ancient remedy for just about everything; I read a few blogs and articles where people used it to aid in digestion, boost the immune system, as a detox, after facials, as a toner, in the hair, among many other unmentionables (Yeast infection anyone? 😀 ).
It was just too much for me not to try it! As I mentioned, I already had the Heinz stuff in my house but all the sites recommend using organic, non processed/ pasteurized ACV and so I went and bought some Bragg ACV. It is made from organically grown apples that are not heated or pasteurized. It is left raw and unfiltered and as a result it is cloudy and has a brownish color, reminiscent of oxidizing apples. Although Bragg seems to be the most popular organic ACV on the net, there are lots of other brands to choose from. The important thing is to make sure it is organic and still has ‘the mother’ in it. (When I first heard this it sounded like crazy cult talk! THE MOTHER!? 😀 ) Apparently ‘the mother has’ numerous health benefits. More about ‘the mother’ here.
So I got my bragg on started using it as a ‘daily detox’ first thing in the morning. One table spoon of ACV to a large glass of water. I was surprised to actually notice a difference! It leaves you feeling nicely flushed out, and doesn’t taste as bad as I expected. Highly recommended!
ACV drink recipe
1 Tablespoon of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
600ml Drinking Water
3 teaspoons of honey
(If you really can’t stand the taste you can add it to juice instead.)
Yesterday night after my moisturizing deep conditioner I decided to try final ACV rinse in my hair. I was skeptical because really, who puts vinegar in their hair?! I washed out my DC, used my herbal essences conditioner and rinsed that out and used the ACV mix as a final rinse, followed by a dash of water. I was so pleasantly surprised! My hair was softer and felt stronger too!
ACV hair rinse recipe
2 Tablespoons of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Litre of (preferably distilled) tepid Water
I loved the effects and will try it again, to make sure it wasn’t a fluke! I’ll also try after a facial as a toner and see what happens. All in all, Organic full-of-goodness Apple Cider Vinegar – Asilia Prime!
Me procrastinating = not blogging about the various things I have tried. On with the revelations!
Mango Face Mask
This probably will make me start an “Asilia Meh” tag cos I noticed no difference. I took the skin of a mango and rubbed the inside of it all over my face, neck chest and waited 15 minutes as I did my best to not lick it off myself. After I washed it off … nothing. No extra glowing or smoothness or anything. I’m guessing this is one of the things that I have to try more than once to see results or I have to mix it with something else. I would have given it another go the next day but all the mangoes had been had for breakfast so I guess it will wait until the next time I go grocery shopping.
Pineapple and Honey Mask
Love! A little bit of pineapple juice and honey spread all over the skin left it feeling gloooorious. Most definitely an asilia prime. It may have something to do with the fact that I left it on for ages – I got distracted and before I knew it it had been around 40 minutes. Someone else I have wrangled to experiment things with me tried it with the juice from canned pineapples and she was impressed by the results so I’m guessing the awesome properties of the honey and pineapples shine through even with a little bit of processing. Most definitely something I would do again. Sunscreen is recommended after using pineapples on the face as the enzymes make the skin a bit sensitive so protection is required.
Oil Cleansing Method
Heres the thing – I now have a bond with castor oil that I doubt will be severed for a while. So I am absolutely behind the idea of using it on a daily basis. Problem is, the whole process is sooo labour intensive – mix the oils. Massage massage massage onto the face and other areas. Steam with warm washcloth, wipe gently then repeat that process a couple of times. Then moisturize. Doesn’t seem like a lot but sometimes its like … is there a way to shorten this process? Its too long to be done during the morning rush and at night I am so out of it the last thing I want to do is massage oils onto my face for 5 minutes and then steam a couple of times. Sometimes I just forget and other times … you get the idea On the upside? My skin always feels great after, which is why I try to do it a few times a week. Very labour intensive in my opinion but most definitely worth it.
Next time, henna! What to buy, why it’s awesome for your hair and what to watch out for when you buy it.
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