Category: Anti-aging

Health and Skincare Secrets: The Worst Celebrity Advice

We can enjoy their movies, music and whatever it is celebrities do that makes them famous. But following their health and skincare secrets? Well, that’s not such a good idea. Here’s why:

Kitty Litter for Your Face? No!

This tip comes from Snooki, former reality star of Jersey Shore. She claims  kitty litter is one of her top skincare secrets and a great exfoliant. First, eww. Second, this would be way too harsh for your skin and moreover, you can find tons of quality exfoliators with proven beneficial ingredients for your skin, like Kristals Rock Crystal Body Polish. Third, just for fun, ask your dermatologist what she thinks of this idea: see if she can hide the look of horror before she explains why you should NEVER do this.

Vaccines Cause Autism? No!


This gem from Jenny McCarthy comes from a flawed, fake study. Also, keep in mind that autism experts usually have medical school degrees and conduct primary research in an area—McCarthy has no credentials and has never conducted research on this topic, ever.

Eating Clay is Good for You? No!

Shailene Woodley stars on Divergent and recommended eating clay to remove “metals” from the body, whatever that means. First, you don’t have any metals that need to be removed. Second, eating clay can be harmful because it’s, you know, not part of a food group. Third, detoxing in general is an idea with no merit, kind of like using leeches as a cure. Speaking of that…

Applying Leeches Detoxes You? No!

This is an older claim made by Demi Moore to David Letterman. Whatever purifying effects she touts for leeches are nonexistent, at best.

Chemical-Based Sunscreens are Bad? No!

This is one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s most controversial skincare secrets. Unfortunately, there is zero evidence to back this claim. Not only has the Goop editor zero credentials in dermatology, she also seems to believe that bras cause breast cancer (wrong!).  Adding her voice to this is Gisele Bundchen, who described sunscreen as “poison.” Great model, but not really a dermatologist…or someone with even a passing knowledge of skincare basics.

Tanning is Good for You? No!

A while back, Gwyneth also questioned how the sun could be bad for us. Specifically, she said in an interview with British Cosmopolitan: “We’re human beings and the sun is the sun – how can it be bad for you? I think we should all get sun and fresh air. I don’t think anything that is natural can be bad for you.” Two words: skin cancer.

Foie Gras Gives You Alzheimer’s? No!

This came from Roger Moore, star of several James Bond films. There may be ethical issues to consider when it comes to foie gras, but no scientific evidence links it to Alzheimer’s disease.

If you enjoyed today’s post, checkout Bathing Habits to Improve Your Skin .

Kristals Cosmetics Tips: What to Look for in a Good Moisturizer

 

When you choose a facial moisturizer (or one for the body), you are really looking for a product that can do multiple tasks at one time. At the top of the list here at Kristals Cosmetics are sun protection, moisture management, and protection from free radicals. Ideally one lotion or cream should be able to do it all, but you can layer products if necessary.

Kristals Cosmetics Tips: What to Look for in a Good Moisturizer

  1. Sun protection

The sun is crucial for life (and for vitamin D production) but it can also be your skin’s worst enemy, according to the skincare and beauty researchers at Kristals Cosmetics. Sun exposure not only leads to wrinkles and “age spots,” but also contributes to potentially deadly skin cancer.

Check the label of any facial moisturizer for an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30 for daytime wear. Be sure you are getting broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UBV rays. Commonly available and naturally sourced sun-protective ingredients include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients may leave a white cast to your skin, so choose a thin formulation that can be easily absorbed over a heavier cream.

  1. A moisturizing/humectant combination

Dry skin will look older than supple skin, and will also feel tight and possibly even itchy or irritated. Moisturizing ingredients will help to prevent the skin from losing its all-important existing moisture. These include plant oils like coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, silicones, and animal oils (like lanolin).

Humectants attract additional external water to the skin; look for sorbitol, glycols, glycerin and sodium PCA to do this job.

A good body moisturizer with these ingredients is the ROCK CRYSTAL – Supreme Body Butter, available in Love Spells and Free Magic scents, from Kristals Cosmetics. These body butters are rich in African shea butter, beeswax, and glycerin to leave skin supple and soft from the neck down.

  1. Antioxidant power

Found in fruits, vegetables, and other naturally occurring substances (and which you can also take in vitamin supplement form), antioxidants are indispensable for preventing some of the damage that is done, daily, by unavoidable free radicals.

Tocopherol (vitamin E), lycopene (a carotenoid found in red produce), green tea, coffee berry, resveratrol (from grapes), grape seed, genistein (from soy), niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin A (a.k.a. retinol), and l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are all powerful antioxidants used in skincare products.

Often, antioxidants are used in combination with each other, including in our Kristals Cosmetics line of moisturizers. For example, the GOLD 24K Gold Eye Perfecting Cream from Kristals Cosmetics includes vitamin E together with vitamin A to erase fine lines and generally combat premature aging.

Another great option is the AMBER Multi-Vitamin C Hydration Cream from Kristals Cosmetics. This cream includes vitamin C and vitamin E to effectively correct skin tone and fight wrinkles.

Quick Guide to the Ultimate Pamper Evening with Kristals Cosmetics

Turn on some relaxing music.  Light a scented candle.  Prepare for a long bubble bath.  You deserve the best pamper evening.  A time you gift yourself, away from all the worries and craziness of your busy life.  Here are 4 Kristals Cosmetics pamper evening essentials for the perfect one with gemstones to revitalize your skin from head to toe.

Quick Guide to the Ultimate Pamper Evening with Kristals Cosmetics

#1 Kristals Cosmetics Diamond Select Anti-Gravity Spark Eye Mask

What better time to close your eyes and enjoy an eye mask than this?  Cleanse your face, and apply the Kristals Anti Gravity Eye Mask under your eyes. Gently massage the emulsion into your skin.

As you relax in the tub for 15 minutes, this mask will be working on this very sensitive area of your skin defying gravity and deeply moisturizing thank to the anti aging properties of diamonds. Its pure diamond powder will also promote cell turnover and reduce lines around your eyes.

#2 Kristals Cosmetics Diamond Select Anti-Gravity Spark Mask

While you’re at it… why not restore the elasticity of your face as well?  Use Kristals Diamond Anti-Gravity Spark Mask.  Infused with pure diamond and collagen, this mask will not fail to  brighten, lift, firm and restore the resilience of your skin. You can leave it on for 15 minutes as well and then peel both masks off together.

#3 Kristals Cosmetics Rock Crystal Performing Body Polish Free Magic

The next step of your perfect pamper evening would be to exfoliate your legs, knees, arms and elbows with the sumptuous Kristals Cosmetics Rock Crystal Performing Body Polish – available in the scents Free Magic and Love Spells.

In addition to rock crystal powder, this luxury body polish is formulated with all-natural sea salt and almond, jojoba and sesame oils to help you remove dead skin cells and moisturize your skin in one single step.

#4 Kristals Cosmetics Pearl Neck & Chest Extra Firming Mask

Right before you take a quick shower to rinse off the body polish, is the perfect time to apply Kristals Cosmetics Pearl Neck & Chest Extra Firming Mask to your neck and chest.  This unique mask combines pearl powder and kaolin clay.

Both ingredients are known to restore the balance of your skin in this often overlooked areas. Leave the neck and chest mask on until dry.  Then rinse your body to reveal an unbelievably healthy, sensual soft and youthful skin.

The 5 Top All Natural Skincare Ingredients

Next time you are shopping for some new skincare products, why not focus on the top all natural skincare ingredients? Scan the labels for one or more of the ingredients listed below. Experts say these components are among the best naturally derived substances for improving your skin, while respecting the planet and your own overall health.

5 Top All Natural Skincare Ingredients

Green tea extract

This simple Asian (and ancient) drink contains high levels of antioxidant chemicals (known as catechins, including epigallocatechin gallate, and flavonoids, such as kaempferol and theaflavin) that are known to prevent and reverse sun damage to the skin. These same edible plant chemicals make green tea an excellent natural anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing ingredient in skin care.

Oats

Colloidal oatmeal is one of the few natural skincare ingredients that the FDA has actually approved as effective against skin irritations such as eczema, dry skin, poison ivy, poison oak, and insect bites. The magic comes from oat lipids and proteins, which help replenish and maintain the skin barrier. Oats also contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances that contribute to skin health.

Gemstones

Relatively new to the skincare scene, gemstones including diamonds and pearls are becoming very popular in high-end beauty products. And for good reason – these precious substances contain specialized mineral properties that offer exfoliating, anti-aging, and detoxifying benefits to the skin.

Read a review of the Kristals Cosmetics diamond products line at Jess Oshii here.

And for under your eyes, Kristals Cosmetics has a product that brings quick results: our Diamond Select Anti-Gravity Spark Eye Mask, which Glossybox is featuring in its December 2016 box.

Curious about pearl? Read & watch a video review of the PEARL Neck & Chest Extra Firming Cream from Kristals Cosmetics over at TheInsideOutBeauty by Heidi.

Vitamin C/citric acid

Used topically, vitamin C can combat the common signs of aging skin, such as sagging and dullness. Vitamin C aids in collagen synthesis, which is essential for firmness and smoothness. Plus, it has powerful antioxidant chops to help fight free-radical damage. It even lightens dark spots and, like a fairy godmother of skincare, can also regulate sebum production to prevent acne and decrease associated inflammation. Taking vitamin C internally, either in supplement form or in fresh citrus fruits, is another way to protect your skin and overall health.

Coconut oil

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know about coconut oil? This tropical plant oil smells like the beach and is head-to-toe useful. Coconut has naturally emollient properties, softening the skin and holding in moisture. As one of the top all natural skincare ingredients, coconut oil helps preserve commercial beauty products because it contains antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.

 

About Kristals Cosmetics
Kristals Cosmetics has unlocked the holistically healing power of gemstones to promote vibrant, radiant skin with a deep range of products, including creams, masks and serums. Kristals complements its gemstone-infused skincare products with leading-edge ingredients designed to pair perfectly with precious gems, including peptides, niacinamide and Vitamin C.

 

How Aventurine Delivers Anti-Aging Benefits

Science has shown that skin cells use circadian genes to detect the passage of time and determine their daily rhythm of repair and regeneration. This delicate cycle can be upset by UV rays and pollutants, leading to dull skin and wrinkles, while also reducing skin cells’ ability to repair themselves.

Instead of using harmful petrochemicals, SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) and paraben-based beauty and healthcare products to protect against skin aging, you should consider using natural based products like ancient cultures did.

There aren’t many ways to stop time, but a natural substance might be able to slow it down. Gels and lotions infused with the gemstone known as aventurine can turn slow down the clock on connective tissues, providing anti-aging benefits that come from the skin-protecting power of this gemstone.

Aventurine comes in many different colors in nature, including the typical green but also yellow, orange, blue, grey, or even brown. In terms of healing effects, aventurine has many positive traits. Aventurine benefits the thymus gland and nervous system. It balances blood pressure and stimulates the metabolism, even lowering cholesterol. Aventurine has an anti-inflammatory effect and eases skin eruptions, allergies, migraines, and soothes the eyes. It heals lungs, sinuses, heart, and muscular and urogenital systems.

In a spiritual sense, aventurine is associated with the heart chakra (which is depicted as green in color), and is considered a stone of luck. This gem is often used in abundance rituals and is sometimes kept in cash registers or piggy banks.

In Japan, facial tools made from green aventurine are reported to gently smooth the skin and neutralize the effects of electromagnetic pollution on skin – these offending rays come from computers, televisions, and other electronic equipment. You could also try putting a small tumbled (polished) aquamarine stone right in your bottle of toner, cleanser, or body spray.

Of course, wearing aventurine is always an option, and this stone can be found fashioned into beads or even carved amulets in varying shapes. Look for jewelry incorporating aventurine in the color that appeals to you most.

About Kristals Cosmetics
Kristals Cosmetics has unlocked the holistically healing power of gemstones to promote vibrant, radiant skin with a deep range of products, including creams, masks and serums. Kristals complements its gemstone-infused skincare products with leading-edge ingredients designed to pair perfectly with precious gems, including peptides, niacinamide and Vitamin C.