BellaSugar

Five Ways to Use Epsom Salts For Beauty

BellaSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:00:57 -0800

Last night, I was feeling under the weather so my mom recommended I take an epsom salt bath to help ease my achiness. I hadn't used epsom salts since the sprains and strains of my high school athletic career.

But I was hopeful that this old-timey cure would do the trick for my adult flu. Of course, Mom was right. After a good soak with some lavender and cedarwood oils (a recommendation from Mandy Aftel) I felt healed, as if I had come straight out of the Dead Sea.

So, this got me to thinking about other uses for the miracle salts. I did some research, and according to the Epsom Salt Council, there are many beauty benefits to magnesium sulfate. . .as it's known in the world of science. To see what they are, read more.

Va voom - Epsom salts can give hair body. Who knew?
What a release - The salts help replenish magnesium in the body, which can make energy levels increase. Which, in turn, can make you look better. A lift in magnesium also relieves stress, increasing serotonin levels and lowering blood pressure. Yay.
Smooth skin - Not only to the salts deep clean, try massaging handfuls of the crystals on pre-moistened skin for an exfoliating experience.
Oily no more - To help dry out oily skin and invigorate all other skin types, mix 1/2 teaspoon of epsom salts with your face cleanser and then massage for a mini facial.
Mask it - For normal to dry skin, whip up a three-ingredient facial mask: Blend 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1/2 teaspoon of epsom salts, and 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise. Spread over pre-dampened skin, wait 10 minutes, and remove. Next, refer to YumSugar for all other mayo/carrot/salt combos.

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Float On: Bella Spends an Hour in an Isolation Tank

BellaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:57 -0800

Claustrophobics beware: this story is not for you. Everyone else, welcome to my float-tank adventure. If you've never heard of floating, the idea is pretty simple. A windowless plastic tank is filled with 800 pounds of Epsom salt dissolved in about 10 inches of water. You crawl into the tank through a hatch, then float on your back in complete silence and darkness. The theory is that after about 40 minutes, your brain shifts into theta waves, bringing you to another plane of relaxation and clarity. That sounded good to me, so I booked an hour-long appointment and got ready to float. For the scoop on how it went, keep reading.

Greasy Girl: Four Tips For Fixing Oily Hair

BellaSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:00:02 -0700

What do you do if your hair is suddenly greasy? Whether it's from hormones, stress, genetics, or a scalp gunked up by product overuse, oily hair and scalps need special assistance, so I've put together some tips to help you help yourself. To cut the grease, just keep reading.

GNC Gets Soaked

BellaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:03 -0700

GNC, a brand long-associated with building big bulky muscles for jocks, is exploring its softer side. Recently, the vitamin megastore released Wellbeing, a new line of health, beauty, and fitness products for women, including vitamins, supplements, and three new bath soaks ($15 each).

These dual-acting muscle soaks/bath scrubs contain mineral-rich salts from the Dead Sea, perfect for detoxification, exfoliation, and pre-self-tanning. Each soak also contains a high concentration of essential oils to boost their therapeutic benefits. Baths are one of life's simple pleasures, agreed? But do these new products enhance the experience? Find out when you read more.

Dead Sea and/or epsom salts are my favorite ways to clarify both the body and mind while chilling in the tub, particularly when combined with scents that are more mellow than overwhelming, and more natural than synthetic. GNC's citrus-scented Be-Positive Uplifting Soak and juniper-scented Be-Refreshed Sore Muscle Soak provided just that. The new item is also available in a calming Be-Rested Relaxation Soak - Lavender.

While the salts are a little on the expensive side, as I got only about three to four uses out of each tub, Mr. Bella and I both agreed that the muscle soak was restorative without being too medicinal. "It would be great if you were sick, too," he adds. As for the uplifting version, it did indeed have bright and cheery benefits, along with some skin-softening advantages. At roughly $4 to $5 per use, I'm on the fence about the cost and small quantity of product, but pleased with the results.

6 Eco-Friendly, Recession-Proof Beauty Tips

BellaSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:12 -0800

Going green is more than just a trend. It's a way of life. Being economical about spending? That's also a way of life - especially these days. Well, we're in luck. Kim Carlson, an eco-chic lifestyle expert and author of Green Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line While Reducing Your Eco-Footprint ($10.17), has some tips on being eco-friendly and frugal when it comes to beauty. Besides cutting back on consumption, Carson also recommends purchasing beauty products that have the Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS) label to ensure cruelty-free standards. Check out her tips on being green all while saving the greenbacks:

Eco-friendly beauty for less than $10

DIY milk bath: Mix together 3/4 cup of nonfat powdered milk, 1/4 cup epsom salts, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 6-10 drops of your favorite essential oil for a relaxing, detoxifying treat.
Humidity check: To prevent your skin from losing moisture, particularly in the Winter, consider purchasing an inexpensive hygrometer, which is a device that measures moisture content in the air. If your humidity is between 20-50 percent, you're good to go. If not, a humidifier should do the trick.

See the rest of Carson's tips when you read more.

Lotion "made" by bees: Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion ($9) is phthalate- and paraben-free and is made with royal jelly, a nourishing natural substance.
Cleanse with hemp: Hemp grows quickly and doesn't need much water to be effective. Try Vegan Essentials’ Hemp Washcloth ($7.95).
No too toxic polish: Look for nail polish without dibutyl phthalate, a harmful, irritating chemical. CoverGirl, Avon, Sally Hansen, and Estée Lauder have all switched to phthalate-free formulations, and Carson recommends Suncoat Water-Based Nail Polish ($9.99).
Soap/shampoo combo: SunLeaf Natural’s Shampoo & Body Soap ($7.95) combos are made from olive, coconut, avocado, castor, and organic hemp seed oils. They're also bottle-free (obviously) and great multitaskers - always environmentally friendly options.

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Best of Bella

BellaSugar — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 08:00:56 -0800

Vote on Critics' Choice and People's Choice award polls
Bella's January Must Haves
A class-action settlement lets you score free beauty goodies starting Jan. 20
Create a looped ponytail in two minutes
Test yourself on Designer Imposter fragrances
Does at-home laser hair removal work? Find out.
Five ways to use epsom salts in your beauty routine
Take the beauty facts vs. myths quiz
Heidi Montag sports Chanel nail art
What does Twilight (the movie) smell like?

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DIY Spa Treatment: Alfalfa Mint Footbath

BellaSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:00:33 -0700

We all know how wonderful it can feel to take a long soak in a bath, but for those of you who are pressed for time but still want to indulge in a little treat for your tired feet, here's an at home, do-it-yourself recipe from all-natural beauty expert Janice Cox. She believes that “If you can cook, you can create your own beauty products." Here's what you'll need to concoct a fabulous and calming foot bath for your footsies!

Use a piece of cheesecloth and wrap four tablespoons dried alfalfa leaves, two tablespoons dried mint leaves and two tablespoons dried thyme leaves inside.
Fill a basin with two gallons of hot water, and pour in four tablespoons of Epsom salts.
Stir the bath until the salts dissolve, then float the herbal bundle in the water to steep until the temperature cools.
Finally, soak your feet in the fragrant water anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes. When you are finished, pat your body dry and massage a thick foot cream or grape seed oil into your skin.

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Bella Brand: Me! Bath Products

BellaSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:49:14 -0700

I don't get to take baths as often as I would like, but when I do, I want to use indulgent - and indulgently cute - bath products. My most recent discovery is Me! Bath, a line of yummy products with an ice-cream theme.

The company's signature product is the Bath Ice Cream fizzy, which looks like a scoop of ice-cream and comes in 39 "flavors." A 6-ounce serving costs $8, and each bath bomb is made from a combination of jojoba oil, almond oil, and epsom salts.

You can also buy a four-scoop gift set for $28, and the company has some other cute products, too. To see my other faves, read more

If you're not really a bath girl, the company's Me! Bath Shower Sherbet is equally indulgent and comes in a tub that looks like a pint of ice cream ($24).

Me! Bath has even managed to turn a somewhat gross chore - sloughing off the rough patches on your feet - into something charming, with the Ice Cream Sandwich pumice stone.