It seems as though everyone is pinching their pennies a little tighter these days. So, here is a low-budget do it yourself (DIY) at home recipe for adding moisture to your skin.

You will need the following ingredients:
Yogurt and oatmeal

Place a cup of yogurt in a bowl with 1/4 cup of oatmeal. Stir well, and apply to face, and let sit for no more than 20 minutes. Remove using a warm towel, preferably one that has been steamed in the microwave.

Make certain the towel is not scalding hot. It should be a comfortable, but warm temperature. Remove the mask with the towel, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Your face should look and feel hydrated, as well as appear brighter.

If the DIY route is not for you, then try Aroma Chef Bath&Body's Pore Refining Acne Mask and follow-up with the Rosehip and Hibiscus Moisturizer.

COPY & PASTE LINK BELOW
http://www.aromachef.com/products/index.php?cPath=34

So, you woke up one morning and saw that your cheek, chin, or upper lip has sprouted a hair (or several), and you are freaking out. First, don\\\'t panic. Secondly, know that you are not alone. An estimated 20 million women live with facial hair that they are removing at least once a week based on a study conducted by Bristol Myers Squibb. Did you know that?!

So, now you know you are in \\\"good\\\" company, if one can call having facial hair good.
It is not unusual for women to have hair on their face. Prior to puberty, the hair is very fine, but once puberty kicks in, and hormones start flying this fine baby hair, also known as vellus, can become more coarse and dark. The dark, coarse hair is known as terminal hair, which is usually found under the arms and in the pubic area.

The reason women get terminal hair on their face is just as varied as the women who experience it. However, background (mediterranean, Eastern European) can have something to do with it, hereditary factors (maybe all the women in your family have upper lip hair), hormones (some birth controls can cause this), or other medical conditions such as poly-cystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. The production of terminal hair on women is known as hirisutism.

If you, and or your child are experiencing this, it is a very good idea to have your hormone levels checked out via an endocrinologist. With that being said, there are treatments available if you are a woman growing unwanted hair.

1) The obvious being shaving, which should only be done in a state of emergency. Why? Not, because it makes the hair grow back faster, that is an old wives tale. Instead, because, shaving your face will wreak havoc on your self esteem.

2) Using a depilatory cream; You must be careful with these hair removal creams, because they can cause chemical burns that leave nasty lesions until completely healed.

3) Waxing; Waxing is good for small areas such as upper lip or chin. However, you must stay on top of your waxing schedule. Also, be aware that during that time of the month, the sensation of pain may be increased due to your body holding water.

4) Threading; Threading has been around for centuries, and has been used widely in Asian and European countries. The thread acts essentially like a tweezer to pluck the hairs from the skin. I personally love the look of my eyebrows after having them threaded versus any other treatment such as waxing or tweezing. The downside is that threading can be painful.

5) Tweezing; see above

6) Electrolysis; This is when a needle is placed in the follicle of the hair, and pulses heat to deaden the hair follicle. This method is antiquated compared to what lasers can do. This method can be very time consuming, and tedious, as well as costly. It is important that the person performing these services be licensed, and not someone who took a weekend class practicing on oranges.

7) Laser treatment; I am a HUGE fan of laser hair removal. If you want to see your hair greatly decrease/disappear this is the option for you. Laser treatment does not hurt, and does not require any downtime. In addition, you can be treated in as little as 15-20 minutes. The best thing about laser treatment is that it does work, and you only go back every 4-6 weeks depending on your hair type, and body part. The downside is that this type of treatment can be costly ranging around $1200 or so for a series of 6 treatments. However, many medical offices offer payment plans, and no interest credit plans.

Also, make sure you find a place where there is a physician who is overseeing the service/and or practice. Also, ask for the experience level and to see the license of your technician. You should never, ever feel embarrassed to know the qualifications of the practitioner servicing you. They didn\\\'t go to school for nothing. So ask! Also, if you have an olive or dark complexion, make sure the office knows how to work with your skin type. Ask to see photos of people whom they\\\'ve done work on so you will know what the expectation of results should be.

Now you know your options, there is no reason to suffer with the embarrassment of facial hair.

Help Me! I’m 30+ Years Old and Have Acne
Adult acne is a horrible thing to experience, especially if it is something you never really had to deal with before. But, it can be equally as troubling and traumatic, if as a teen you did, and now you see the signs of it coming back in your adult years. There are plenty of ways to treat adult acne both naturally and medicinally.
First know that adult acne occurs in 1 and 5 women between the ages of 35-40 years of age. Moreover, acne is caused by bacteria. This bacteria occurs when dead skin cells on the skin mix with oils released from the sebaceous glands, and create the bacteria because it is trapped under the skin. This type of acne is known as a blackhead.
The creation of blackheads can be exacerbated by washing your face to often (twice a day is plenty), scrubbing and or exfoliating to often, this can cause micro-tears in the skin and cause the skin to become inflamed, hormones, certain foods you eat may trigger breakouts, as well as stress. Oh, and let me not forget to mention the biggest culprit…make-up! Your make-up is a breeding ground for acne causing bacteria.
Ensure you are buying make-up that is labeled non-comedogenic. This means the make-up won’t clog your pores. Also, do not leave sponges sitting in your make-up, like the ones used in compacts. Also, just like you would wash your face every day, you should be washing your make-up sponges and brushes everyday with a cleanser.
Okay, so now that you know what is causing your adult acne, here are some options for you.
1- Get a good cleanser that has anti-bacterial properties. Aroma Chef Bath & Body offers a sulfate-free (non-drying), essential oil lavender cleanser that will soothe irritated skin. Also, lavender essential oil works as an anti-septic and anti-bacterial, which serves useful when treating your acne.
2- Make sure to use a pH balanced toner or astringent that does NOT have alcohol. Using a toner with alcohol will do nothing more than strip your skin of its natural oils, thus causing the skin to produce more bacterial clogging oils. Aroma Chef Bath & Body offers a wonderful Sea Mineral Toner with natural nutrients from the sea to help remove additional residue left behind from cleansing the skin, as well restoring proper pH balance and sealing the pores. Our men's aftershave mist works the same way.
3- Moisturize your skin!!! I know it may seem as if this step isn’t necessary if you are experiencing breakouts, but trust me it is essential. You simply need to make sure the moisturizer you are selecting is appropriate for your skin type. Without moisture, your skin will over produce oil in order to hydrate itself.
4- Exfoliate no more than twice a week. You can use a gentle exfoliant, or you can use a cotton face wash that is slightly damp and go around in small circles to exfoliate. Remember, it is when dead skin and oil mix, that you will create a breeding ground for acne causing bacteria.
5- The other option is to go see your dermatologist.
Don’t forget, Aroma Chef Bath & Body offers customization for our skin and hair care products. We can add a variety of essential oils to enhance our already wonderful products so they work specifically for your needs!

Essential oils helpful for acne are:
Lavender- anti-septic, anti-bacterial, soothing
Tea Tree- anti-bacterial, fast healing
Bergamot- anti-bacterial and drying properties, good for spot treating acne
Clove Oil- burning and purifying properties, good for existing acne
Sweet Orange Oil- ant-bacterial
Lemon- for oily skin
Note that ALL essential oils should be handled with care, and should be blended with carrier oil, such as grapeseed oil. Never apply undiluted essential oils to your skin. If you do not know what you are doing do not use. See the advice of a licensed homeopathic physician or aromatherapist.
http://www.aromachef.com/products/index.php?cPath=34&osCsid=qmhsn2optilsr0o6q1t77jcpq2

The Best Cure for Damaged Hair
I get a lot of questions emailed to me about what to do for damaged hair. Unfortunately, there are no quick easy fixes to repairing damaged hair, except for cutting the damaged portion off, and making sure you protect the healthy existing hair. I understand that cutting your hair may not be a realistic option for you. So, with that said I suggest that you do the following:
1- Have your hair trimmed a half inch to a 1 inch every 6-10 weeks. I know you will hear most stylist say come in to see them every 4-6 weeks, and you can do that too. However, the difference will not be detrimental if you are doing what is necessary to prevent further damage. Furthermore, hair grows on average of a half inch (0.5) per month. So, by using this schedule, you will allow the half inch that was cut to grow out, and not have a noticeable difference in your hair length. Also, by following this schedule you will also save yourself a little cash along the way.

2- Keep your "SCALP" clean as well as your hair. If you workout often, or are doing work that creates an unhealthy environment for your hair, then you should wash it more than the recommended 1-2 times per week. If your scalp and hair are under "normal" conditions i.e. not getting dirty regularly, oil/product build up, and sweat, then 1-2 times per week will be fine. Your hair type will depend how often per week you should be washing your scalp and hair.

3- Use hair products that are sulfate free and mineral oil/petrolatum free. Sulfates are found in most foaming or sudsy cleansers. Sulfates can dry the scalp and hair, requiring you to add moisture. However, when your skin is dry it overreacts, and will put out more oil than it would have originally to compensate for the lack of hydration.

4- Make sure your hair care products are pH balanced. The natural pH balance of hair and skin is between 4.5 and 5.5. If your hair and skin care products fall to far from this range, then you may find yourself with products that are too alkaline or too acidic. As a side note, a woman's pH balance should hover generally around 6.5, but no greater than 7.5.

**Did you know that your shampoo will not suds up if you have too much product in your hair? This is especially the case when using natural sulfate free cleansers, because they don't have the help of the sulfates working to create a foaming action.

Aroma Chef Bath & Body offers a variety of pH Balanced, sulfate and petro-chemical free hair products for all hair types.
http://www.aromachef.com/products/index.php?cPath=33&osCsid=2ih6abkhrp6mp584ehelm072c4

You ever get the feeling you are the only one with an idea, but you tell yourself it will never work? Or, better yet, you know your idea is a true winner, but you need that extra something to get you in motion? Well, I attended a launch party of a fellow entrepreneur, Sheila Brown, last weekend. She created a relationship game, which was absolutely phenomenal. As I was speaking with Sheila about how she came up with the idea to create a board game, she said it was born out of her personal experiences of dating, and how she could have saved herself time by asking the right questions when she was single.

As I listened to her share more about her motivation behind creating the game, I thought to myself had she not had those "bad" dating experiences she may or may not have come up with the idea for her game at all. I thought about myself for a moment as well, because had it not been for my own experiences, I may or may not have started Aroma Chef Bath & Body.

My point in sharing this, is to simply say that you may feel like you are the only one with an idea, but your idea is only as good as the effort you put behind it, not the obstacles you see in front of it. More importantly, whatever you may be going through presently has no bearing on the possibilities of your future. Sometimes, it takes unexpected happenings in life to act as the catalyst to get us moving, or to bring us to something that may have never been imagined otherwise. Other times, it's simply knowing that you are not by yourself, and that your goals no matter how lofty, are very possible.

Now, go grab an Aroma Chef FizzTini, toss it in a tub of warm water, and relax your mind and spirit, as you ponder the possibilities of what you've just read! =)

By the way, since I told you about this amazing game, I might as well tell you where you can go check it out. www.playauthenticity.com

Scentfully Yours,
Kristy

I have been natural for nearly seven years, and as many of you know this is how I got started in the natural bodycare business. I get a lot of questions regarding natural hair care, from how to transition to natural hair to what to use on natural hair.

Going natural is truly a personal decision, and really does take some introspection. What I mean by that, is that you really have to be comfortable in your own skin. The expectation of having straight hair when it is humid outdoors, or not having your hair become unruly after a hard workout is pretty much gone out the window, which of course is why so many women opt for a chemical straightener such as a relaxer in the first place.

When I went natural I bit the bullet, and had all of my relaxer cut out. The reason for doing so, ironically enough wasn't because I was on a self-discovery path back to my roots. Although, I definitely found my roots! =) When, I went natural it was after a break-up, and like many women after a break-up, I wanted to re-invent myslef, and "show him".

I was in the gym 24-7, got a new hairstyle, etc., and was waiting for the day I would see him on the street, and show him what he was really missing! As I write this embarrasing admission, I have to laugh at myself, because the journey of "re-inventing" myself took me on a much deeper path of loving who I was then and now. I learned to be content with everything I wasn\'t, but more importantly, falling in love with everything I was. Which, at the time, I didn't think was a lot, but now I know better.

I remember the first time I found the courage to go out in public, and not blow dry my hair straight, but instead let my hair air dry, I was petrified. In my heart I knew I was beautifully created, and there was nothing to be ashamed of. However, my brain and self-esteem didn't have a conversation with my heart that day.

I went to a very popular mall, and the reactions I received ran the gamut of curiosity to almost utter disgust-mainly from women of color. This is when I realized, that many of us have been brainwashed into thinking that the only way we can AND should wear our hair is bone straight, weaved, or anything else that does not promote healthy scalp and hair. Now, don't get me wrong, I like weaves,and ponytails, and understand the desire behind getting a relaxer. However, styling our hair in this manner constantly has become a detriment not only to our scalp and hair, but to our self esteem as well, to the point that some of us don't feel beautiful, coifed, put-together, etc. without it.

For me, each day became easier, and I started to notice women of all walks of life and races, and thought to myself, at any point I could wear any of their hairstyles. That was the beauty in my having natural hair. It gave me options, a lot of options.

Several years later, I still have natural hair, and am loving every inch of my thick shoulder length mane. I can rock an Angela Davis blow-out, which my husband absolutely loves, or go for a blow-dry straight sleek look, and somewhere in between lives a kinked and curly diva. So, when you make the decision to go natural, regardless of the reason why you choose to do so, be ready for embracing who YOU are, and loving the image you see.

Below are some things that I do to keep my hair healthy.

-Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. I use Cora's Hair Tonic, which is a mixture of essential oils that stimultes scalp circulation, feed the hair follicle, and help maintaine balance at the scalp level to promote healthy hair growth. I massage this in my scalp 2-3 times a week.

-I wash my hair weekly, and sometimes twice a week if I am involved in a strenuous activity such as running, etc. I switch back and forth between the Essentials Collection shampoo slices and the orgainc Healthy Hair Vitamin Shampoo. They both leave my hair feeling clean.

-I then condition with the organic Herbal and Wheat Conditioner to help with tangles, and to smoothe my hair.

-Once a month I will use the organic hair masque to deep condition the shaft of my hair, which always produces a natural shine. When I use the masque, I generally do this prior to conditioning. I then rinse, and condition as usual.

-I follow-up with the Moisture Balancing Leave-in Conditioner.

-For a straight look, I blow dry straight, and use Granny's Nourishing Olive Creme.

-For a curly look, I use the soft hold hair gel, and scrunch the ends to help deflect any frizzing that may occur.

It is important to know that hair reacts differently depending on the season. Most people tend to have dry skin during the winter, the affect is generally the same with your scalp. When this happens I use the herbal infused hair oil, massaging from root to tip of hair.