Sherri Otcenasek

Acne is a common problem that 90 percent of people will face in their lifetime. It can be quite embarrassing to have blemishes on one’s face or body, but fortunately there are quite a few things that a person can do to fight acne. The keys to fighting acne and skin blemishes are to practice a good skin care regime, eat a healthy diet and exercise.

The primary cause of acne is an overproduction of oil. Excess oil clogs the pores and causes pimples and blemishes to develop. One of the best ways to fight acne is to practice a good skin care regime. A person should wash his or her face twice a day to keep the pores clean. One should also consider using a good acne-fighting product, such as Arbonne’s  Clear Advantage.  Clear Advantage is clinically proven to reduce acne blemishes after only four weeks of use.

Health experts have not yet been able to identify the link between diet and acne. However, the key to having healthy skin is to have a healthy body. That is why one should eat a good diet that is filled with fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. Exercise can help fight acne in two ways. Stress can cause acne and exercise helps reduce stress. Additionally, the sweat produced during exercise can also help clear up the skin.

Acne is an extremely frustrating condition, but fortunately it can be managed by practicing good skin care, eating right and exercising.

Antioxidants are dietary supplements, including vitamins and minerals that prevent damage from oxygen, called oxidation. Oxidation can lead to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. By engaging in a healthy lifestyle and adding antioxidants to your daily routine, you can boost your immune system.

One way to boost your immune system is with Arbonne’s Antioxidant & Immunity Booster.  This is a delicious drink shot containing juices from pomegranate, blueberry, acai, grape, cranberry, and other known superfruits; infused with powerful antioxidant and immunity ingredients. 

To keep your immune system in shape, add plenty of fruits and vegetables to your diet. These foods ward of free radicals and reduce your chance of getting colds and the flu. Vitamin E, Vitamin C and beta-carotene are the most favorable antioxidants. Greens, carrots, berries, beets, sunflower seeds and nuts are great sources to insure you are getting enough antioxidants. Eating the foods raw is preferred; however, they may be lightly steamed to maintain their benefits. Do not overcook!

Antioxidants are also beneficial in aiding in the absorption of vitamins. Even with proper diet and exercise the body sometimes has a hard time absorbing vitamins. Taking an antioxidant supplement insures the body is getting all the vitamins it requires. Antioxidants not only help on the inside but help outwardly as well. Those that take supplements regularly have a brighter complexion and stronger hair and nails. Vitamin E has also been shown to fight sun damage.

Those that wish to look younger will need to take a serious look at their skin care regime. Above all, proper skin care is the key to keeping a youthful appearance throughout the years. There once was a time when fine lines and wrinkles were just a part of life. Today, we have several products at our disposal such as Arbonne’s RE9 Advanced that can fight these problems.

Youthful skin requires a fine balance of not being too oily, nor too dry. This balance is what a facial toner can provide. Traditional bar soap will strip the skin of moisture, which can either produce dry skin, or oily skin due to the process of the skin attempting to produce extra oil in order to replace what was taken. Toners provide pH balance, and should be used by everyone that wishes to look younger.

Facial creams are another vitally important product in the battle against fine lines and wrinkles. Many of these creams help to boost collagen production. Collagen is the “filler” that keeps our skin looking smooth and tight. Over the years, our skin produces less collagen. With less collagen in place, the skin is allowed to sink, and the direct result is wrinkles.

By creating a skin care regime that includes both toner and facial cream, the battle against aging skin can be won. While we cannot stop the fact that we will get older, we can most definitely do something about how we look as time goes on. The best anti-aging productshave shown to be effective, and should be used by anyone that values their appearance.

Everyone loves to be able to relax after a long hard day of work. Many people have aches and pain after working hard all day.  At times like this, why not take a little time to pamper yourself back to comfort.

Aromatherapy has become very popular in spas and salons all around the world. By using aromatherapy, one can enjoy becoming unstressed and experiencing a much deeper relaxation. Aromas and scents are used in special aromatherapy candles as well as body lotions and bath and shower gels. These products emanate these splendid scents when used.  Essential oils such as Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Lavender are commonly used in aromatherapy today. These scents have proven to help in so many ways.

Inhalation of any substance has the quickest effect on the brain. Our noses can smell up to 10,000 different smells and odors, with women’s smell being the most effective over a man’s. Molecules in the air are inhaled through the nose. The cilia, which are the tiny hair cells found within the nose, pick up the miniscule molecules that are inhaled .After the molecules travel through the tiny cilia, they then go through the olfactory bulb located within the limbic system. This is an intricate part of the human brain which plays a role in memory, arousal and emotions.

Many doctors and nurses now recommend using aromatherapy to many of their patients who suffer with mental fatigue, relaxation problems, and depression to name a few. These essential oils help relieve the body chronic aches and pains. Also, they are very powerful in helping relieve worry and anxiety problems temporarily. When aromatherapy is used on a long-term basis, these results are much more prevalent. Fatigue and mood elevation are also quite possible with this method. There’s nothing like feeling quite alive and invigorated by using essential oils.

When considering aromatherapy as an alternative method to many common problems, the use of Arbonne’s Unwind aromatherapy product line, first comes to mind. This line of body lotions, bath salts, bath and shower gel and massage oils are mixed with botanical essential oils of ylang-ylang and chamomile. When these products are used, scents and aromas are then diffused into the room.  So wash away the stress of the day with Arbonne’s Unwind so that you can conquer the world again tomorrow.

We all know that there are certain types of nutrients or specific types of food that we need to take eat to help it work properly and make us feel good and be healthy.  Specifically, I’m referring to fiber. Fiber can be found in many of our everyday foods. You can find fiber in whole fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. The average person should be eating 25 – 30 grams of fiber per day. However, many of us are sadly lacking when it comes to our fiber intake.

Different types of fiber have different effects on our body, so it is important for us to get fiber from a variety of sources. That way we can be sure we are getting all of the benefits that are available to us. There are actually two main types of fiber. They are water soluble fiber and water insoluble fiber. Each of these are found in different types of foods.

Water soluble fiber is found in apples and oranges, carrots, potatoes, beans, oats and barley. This type of fiber delays the time it takes for food to pass through our system. This can make us feel full longer and can be very important when trying to lose weight. A second benefit of this fiber is that it slows the absorption of glucose from our bloodstream. This helps us to lower the blood cholesterol levels in our bodies.

Water insoluble fiber is found in vegetables, wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran and most other whole grains. This type of fiber helps to speed up the transfer of food through the intestines and it also traps water.

So, how do we get more fiber in our diet? We should eat whole fruits with the skin on. Eat a variety of whole vegetables either cooked or raw. Try to use 100% whole grain breads, rolls English muffins or crackers instead of the ones made with white flour. Another great is option is Arbonne’s Daily Fiber Boost.

Using botanical skin care products is one of the best ways to show your skin that you love it. Botanical skin care entails the use of products made with fresh and natural ingredients that will help provide your skin with much needed nutrients.

More and more people have grown conscious of the dangers of using products that contain harmful ingredients like parabens, dioxanes, and alcohol. Now, a lot of people are going back to their roots and recognizing once again the value of natural ingredients when it comes to skin care, such as botanical skin care.

You can now find more natural and botanical skin care products on the market. You have more choices and more options when it comes to natural skin care. Be careful though as some companies make botanical skin care products that still contain harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Make sure that you read the ingredients list to ensure that it is free from these harmful ingredients.

There are many botanical ingredients that are proven to be effective when it comes to skin care. You will find several Arbonne products that contain these ingredients in combination for even better skin effects.

Botanical and natural products contain natural ingredients which are highly effective and are beneficial for more reasons than one.  Arbonne products are made from pure botanical ingredients and are combined with the best of science to create results.  Applying avocado (a natural product) will not harm your skin, but it can’t reverse damage or the signs of aging either…you need science to do that.

Fine lines and wrinkles, for instance, can be reduced and helped by a one of many botanical ingredients such as vitamin C and Marine Lavender.  These ingredients support collagen synthesis and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  Besides the fine lines and wrinkles, botanical skincare products are effective not only for the more mature skin, they are also effective for all skin types. For instance, botanical ingredients in products are also helpful for those who have acne and skin dehydration.

Acne can be a problem whether you are an adult or an adolescent teen. These botanicals possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that play a vital role in not only treating acne but, preventing it as well.

Skin dehydration is another common problem that can be caused by the weather outside, when the seasons change or by harsh skin products that contain chemicals. These are just a few of many reasons your skin may become dry.  Shea butter which is one botanical ingredient that is in great moisturizers is effective in hydrating the skin.  Additionally, Shea butter helps by protecting the skin from the UV rays of the sun.

When it comes to skin and body care, botanical and natural ingredients are the best ones to choose. Visit my Arbonne site today to find out more information about more botanical and natural ingredients to look for in your skincare.

Our bodies are constantly bombarded with numerous toxins each and every day through bad diet, air pollution, cigarette smoke, alcohol and caffeine. These are just the ingested toxins; it is thought that feelings of stress and depression can cause chemical reactions to occur within the body which naturally release toxins as a by-product. Thus it is no wonder that over time these harmful toxins begin to accumulate in many of the systems throughout the body.

The act of detoxing not only benefits us physically but mentally as well. By taking the time to clean out the body’s systems you achieve a sense of inner purity.  For example, you can imagine your insides being as clean as your outsides. This helps many people to stick to the diet and resist the pull of their favorite foods.

On a physical level, the kidneys and the liver naturally detoxify the systems of the body but by embarking on a detox regime you can give an added boost to the process. In today’s society there are more toxins than the body can naturally excrete and so any help you can give it is always an added bonus.

Detoxing has been reported to improve the functioning of many body systems including the digestive system (stomach and intestines), the renal system (kidneys and bladder), the circulatory system (lungs and blood vessels) and the lymphatic system.

By improving the efficiency of these systems you will almost certainly notice that you sleep better, you have more energy, you’re more mentally alert, your skin looks better and the dark circles around your eyes disappear. You may even notice that you suffer less with colds and minor infections because of an improvement in your immune system.

Other potential benefits include the suppression of headaches, joint pain, cramps, indigestion and other digestive conditions such as bloating and excessive gas.

So, even though adhering to a detox diet or program can be difficult it is well worth doing. After all, a week or two of detox could mean years of feeling happy and healthy

Beautiful skin is simple, once you start using products on your face that are right for your skin. Skin care doesn’t need to be complicated. Surprisingly though, women do not use the products that I consider absolutely basic to beautiful skin – and that is a facial toner. Here is why I believe you really should be using one.

Facial toners do three important things for the complexion:

1.  A facial toner will shrink your pores and smooth your skin. Most toners contain astringents – chemical compounds that cause skin to contract and tighten. When the skin tightens, the pores shrink, and your skin becomes smoother.

2.  Smaller pores not only look better but they also provide less room for oil, makeup and microbes. Combined with the deep cleansing and antiseptic properties of many toners, this can result in skin that also resists infection, giving you a clearer complexion, with fewer break-outs.

3.  A facial toner can restore the skin’s pH balance after cleansing. Cleansers tend to be highly alkaline. They wash off the oils we produce that keep our skin moisturized and push our skin’s pH to the alkaline side of the scale. Skin should be slightly acidic. A toner, if it is pH-balanced correctly, will reset your skin’s pH right away, so your natural defenses are not compromised, resulting in fewer flare-ups.

Depending on the ingredients, there are other beauty benefits you can expect from a facial toner, including protection from sun damage, reduced lines and wrinkles, soothing of troubled spots, and improved elasticity.

Toning becomes something to look forward to, as you refresh your face with heavenly scents, and you see and feel your skin tighten and your pores reduce.

The right toner can work wonders for your skin, and is a basic component of my Arbonne  skin care routine.