Tag Archives: Avocado

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips

Keratosis Pilaris Tips

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Keratosis Pilaris 1
03
May

Keratosis Pilaris Tips

For skin that suffers
with bumps & dryness that can
look & feel irritating.

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Keratosis pilaris is often called ‘chicken skin’, which looks like many small, rough or red little bumps on the skin. It often appears on the upper arms, cheeks, buttocks and thighs, around the hair follicles.Normally dead skin cells flake off the skin. Whilst the cause of it is not totally understood, researchers believe that sometimes, the keratin formed around the hair follicles builds up or becomes twisted which causes the clogging the pores, resulting in the bumps.Keratosis pilaris is generally linked with other skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and eczema.It also tends to happen during childhood and adolescence, though whilst not always the case, it usually disappears by adulthood.

From Wikipedia, ‘Keratin’ is part of the fibrous structural protein family, otherwise known as ‘scleroproteins’ which is found in vertebrae.It’s responsible for making hair and nails, as well as our outer layer of skin.Keratin protects cells from becoming damaged or stressed, is extremely insoluble in organic solvents and water. It’s an essential building block for our skin, necessary for generating new cells.

Usually the condition can become worse during the winter months, as the skin tends to dry out more when the weather is less humid.Another factor seems to be the age of the person suffering, frequently appearing in childhood, reaching the peak during the adolescent years and vanishing by adulthood.

So what can we do to help treat the condition naturally? Here’s a few things we can add to our daily routine to help reduce the built-up keratin on the skin:

• Dry Brush the Area – this technique can help remove the dead skin cells as well as unclog the pores.
Gently and preferably on dry skin, you can use a natural bristle brush or loofa in sweeping movements, as though you were brushing long hair.The last thing you want to do is hard brushing to further irritate your skin’s condition. Once the dry brushing is done, wash yourself in the shower and ensure your skin is pat dried. Apply the moisturiser to your body to invigorate the newly brushed cells.

• Exfoliate the area with Sea Salt – The key is always being gentle to the areas you are exfoliating to ensure you’re not further aggravating the skin.Sea Salt contains anti-inflammatory properties that help calm and soothes the skin, whilst removing the dead skin cells, encouraging moisture levels to be maintained. Pink Himalayan salt is also great for achieving this.Below I’ll share some additional homemade scrub and the previous blog of ideas that you can put together from home ingredients.

• Mild instead of Harsh Soaps – Preferably made with natural and non-toxic ingredients.This will allow the sensitive affected area to be cleansed, preventing further irritation, redness, or build-up. Further suggestions will be added below.

• Moisturising Your Skin – Using non-irritating skincare products which have beneficial ingredients that are anti-inflammatory, rich in vitamins, reduce redness, hydrate and soothe the skin is what you are looking for.The idea is to find a product that you can leave on your skin, containing ingredients like Avocado, Jojoba, Coconut which will give your skin this natural boost required to keep it feeling wonderfully soft rather than dry, rough or flaky.Suggestions for the body butters we make containing rich ingredients will be added below.

• Humidifiers – can actually bring moisture back to your environment, especially during the cold winter months, when your skin feels its driest. This can be kept in the bedroom or the most central part of the living area to ensure the whole space has moisture. Other tips for keeping moisture will be added below.

• Eating Foods that are Anti-Inflammatory – can help your body utilize the vitamins and minerals required for skin cell growth.Green leafy vegetables, colourful ingredients like carrots and beets, berries, salmon, and those rich in Omega3 will all play their part. These anti-inflammatory ingredients provide antioxidants, encourage cells to repair, and reduce swelling too. Drinking water will also assist with flushing away toxins that may have built up in your system as well as keeping your body hydrated.

Images: Essentially Lili’s Body products consisting of Jazz Body Butter, Mint Body Butter & Geranium Hands & Body Butter.

” Who Says DIY skincare can’t be Fun? ” Lili

DIY Homemade Scrubs, Soaps, Body Butters, Vegetable Oils

A few suggestions to help improve your skin’s condition include making your own Homemade scrub combining:

• Sea Salt, Raw Coarse Sugar & Olive Oil is quick and easy to mix together, great for removing any dead skin cells, especially from over washed hands;

• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Raw Honey , which has natural skin-boosting nutrients, acids and feels wonderfully moisturising on the skin. Once made, apply in the shower to the area affected with Keratosis pilaris, gently rubbing into the skin.After approximately 15 minutes, rinse off with warm water;

• Blend Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Vegetable Oils together. Suggestions include either Coconut, Avocado or Jojoba oils. Apply these to the affected areas and the rest of your body as they have natural skin-boosting nutrients and acids which feel wonderfully moisturising on the skin.Please ensure the base is a Carrier oil especially if you are planning to add Lavender or Peppermint Essential Oils to the mix. Note: Peppermint Essential oil is not suitable for expecting/nursing women.

• Using Vegetable Oils , like Avocado, Coconut, Jojoba Oil are extremely rich in Vitamins. They allow the skin to absorb the benefits, reduce redness, allowing the skin cells to regenerate whilst keeping it hydrated. Below are the Essentially Lili Products that can help keep your skin hydrated;

• Refer to the previous blog: What’s in your fridge for more suggestions.

• Essentially Lili Range of Body Butters containing ingredients rich in antioxidants:
The Jazz Body Butter contains Avocado, which is rich in Vitamins A, which can help reduce redness and encourage skin cell support. The other body butters, Mint Body Butter & Geranium Hands & Body contain ingredients like Coconut, Apricot, Soyabean, Grapeseed & Sweet Almond which are also bursting with benefits for the skin’s condition.The scents with the particular essential oils are subtle, yet refreshing.If you love mint, you’ll be tempted to eat the product (not suggesting it though) whilst the Jazz has a gentle Asian Fusion of Lemongrass and Jasmine.

• Adding a bowl of water to a dry room during the winter months can assist with maintaining moisture in the rooms.It’s also important to ensure the heating is turned down whilst sleeping, as this can also draw moisture from your skin, leaving it feeling super-dry the following morning.

• Castile Soap can be used to prevent the Keratosis pilaris becoming worse. Traditionally made with Olive Oil, you can include Jojoba Oil, Honey, Lavender and Vitamin E to your blend to keep your skin softly treated whilst washing up. I’ll write more about Castile Soap in the future blogs.

To conclude, Keratosis pilaris is a common skin condition affecting more youth than it does adults. The surface of the skin feels rough and bumpy, usually caused by clogged pores. The most effective way to treat it is by gently exfoliating to remove dead skin cells and encouraging the pores to become unblocked. Also, by keeping the area moisturised with natural products, avoiding those that are toxic or harsh to the skin.The ingredients to assist hydration should include Avocado, Jojoba, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Raw Honey, Lavender Essential Oil and Castile soap.

MOTHER’S DAY OFFER

Don’t forget to take advantage of the Mother’s Day Offer this Month. Purchases over 100 CHF will receive a bottle of Serum as a gift – either the Frankincense Face Serum, Diamond Era Serum, Magic Serum.This offer is whilst stocks last, and cannot be used in conjunction with other vouchers or coupons.

Images: Happy Mother’s Day Offers. What MOTHER Means, Serums Giveaway including Frankincense Face Serum, Magic Serum & Diamond Era Serum,

Mothers Day 2020
Mother Day Serums

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

  • Have you suffered with Keratosis pilaris before and do you still have it?
  • What did you find was the most effective way of treating the condition?
  • What advice would you give to others suffering this condition?


” Why I make the Essentially Lili Skincare & Wellness Products”.

About Lili & Essentially Lili

My Health Studies include from 2016-2019 Diplomas in Aromatherapy, Holistic Skincare Products, Clinical Nutrition, Stress Management, Reflexology, Holistic Pain Management.I’m aMember of International College of Holistic Medicine.I’m currently studying Clinical Nutrition for Over 50s.

My aim is to help you get the results you want as I have already been on that hard journey to overcome the autoimmune disorder. If you wish to know more about Clinical Nutrition and how to kick start your health, book a private Consultation. Please send an email to info@essentiallylili.com should you need further assistance.  At Essentially Lili, the products made are all using 100% Natural Ingredients.  See the wide variety of Products available on the webpage.

Should you need help in deciding, start by reading the Reviews & Testimonials about other Customers who have enjoyed using the products.We have had some amazing Before & After results from Clients using the All-Natural Skincare products.  Please don’t forget to write your comments and reviews on our pages to share the love with others.

See the Blog Library for previous writings about Alopecia Areata, Face Mapping, Dry Skin in Winter, Raiding Your Fridge, Keratosis Pilaris Tips, Anguish of Acne/Rosacea, How to deal with Cystic Acne & Understanding Your Body. Your feedback allows us to improve the content and information provided and products made.

We look forward to hearing from you, With Love Essentially Lili.

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Health, Skincare Tips

What’s In Your Fridge?

Posted on by Lili Giglia
What's in Your Fridge
27
Dec

What’s In Your Fridge?

Contains many All-Natural Goodies
which benefit & assist your body & skin!

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Have you ever thought of opening your fridge to have fun with what’s in there?
We often just associate the fridge with foods and drinks for consumption, but not for the other benefits they may contain.

When my sister and I were in our teens, we used to wait for our parents to leave the house for a few hours before raiding the fridge! Out came the yoghurt, eggs, lemons and more as we experimented with hair treatments, colouring, face masks and girly things. We had some hilarious incidents during these sessions, though often the clean-up was more challenging than the task we were trying to reach.

During my Holistic Skincare Product making Diploma course, we learned about the kinds of ingredients that are contained in Commercial products compared to what we put in our Naturally made products. I have chosen to only use Naturally sourced ingredients as it goes with our Brand, Integrity and stays true to the About Me Story.

A while ago I wrote to my Facebook friends what they could do for a quick remedial way of treating their skin.  I shared this because often we think that we should spend loads of money on expensive Masks and Treatments, which often contain a combination of synthetic chemically made nasties that do more damage than good.  I often say to my customers, if you can read the ingredients without needing a Dictionary, then you’re on the right track!

Typical ingredients found in Commercially bought Masks include: Aqua (Water), Cetearyl alcohol, Glycerin, Kaolin, Magnesium aluminum silicate, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Rosa damascena flower water, Cera alba (Beeswax), Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan stearate, Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Xanthan gum, Pelargoneum graveolens (Geranium) oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Allantoin, Tocopheryl acetate, Benzoic acid, Althaea officinalis root extract, Dehydroacetic acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mannan, Salix alba (White willow) bark extract, Citric acid, Polyaminopropyl biguanide, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Dipropylene glycol.

To be safe, just check the ingredients of the products you’re using, especially if you have sensitive skin and are prone to breaking out in red blotches or spots.

To end the year with something fun, here are some tips on taking care of your skin with what’s in your fridge.  Remember to wash your face with warm water before and after applying a face mask as this will help keep your skin clean and allows valuable nutrients to penetrate!

Let’s start with these:

Apple, Grapefruit, Honey, Lemon are all great for adding to your Mask.
Apricot – Fresh or dried is rich in Vitamin A.
Avocado – flesh of the fruit has high oil content, as well as lecithin, Vitamins A and B.
Avocado butter has Vitamins A, B, G and E.
Banana – Rich in Vitamin A, great to mash and put on your face.
Blackberry – use the fruit to make a mask, the leaves in a toner can help refine the pores.
Carrot – Rich in Vitamin A, use the juice with your face mask.
Cucumber – very similar pH to the skin, is soothing, cooling and healing. Use the juice in your face mask and slices on your eyes whilst relaxing;
Eggs – Use the Yolk to make a mask for dry skin and the whites to make it set!
Mayonnaise – the vinegar helps restore the acid balance of the skin whilst the oil is softening and moisturising.  I have found for me, products with Vinegar irritates my sensitive skin, so be careful if yours is the same.
Melon – added to face mask for cooling effect.
Oatmeal – is great added to masks!
Peach – the whole fruit can be used in a face mask.
Strawberries & Tomatoes both have astringent action on the skin, which is great for face mask.
Wheatgerm – Rich in Vitamin A, B and E, used dried for masks.
Yoghurt – Good for removing blackheads, great on your face.

Some other great ingredients for using in masks are: Green Clay, Kaolin Clay, Kelp, Pink Clay and Rhassoul Mud. The benefits of these ingredients is that they draw the impurities from the skin, they are rich in minerals, and are able to deep cleanse the face, body and hair during the mask cleansing process.

We will begin supplying Pink Clay in 2018 as part of our Essentially Lili Range.

Gallery: Fresh Ingredients, Bananas & Oats, Strawberries, Cucumber & Yoghurt, Avocados, Aloe Vera & Pink Clay.

How to Make Your Own Face Mask:

FIRST ONE:
1. Avocado Mask – is an excellent choice for making homemade face masks for dry skin, as it contains a has Vitamins A, B, G and E.  You only need half of the avocado, you can eat the other half and give your skin a boost from the inside as well!
2. Ingredients:½ very ripe, soft avocado &¼ cup honey
3. Directions: Mash the avocado in a bowl, then stir in honey. Apply to skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse face with a cool washcloth.

SECOND ONE:
1. Oat Bran Mask – is great added to masks!
2. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Oat Bran or Oatmeal, 1 Tbsp Yogurt, 1 Tbsp Honey, 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil, 1/8 Teaspoon Bee Pollen (optional).
3. Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small dish, apply to you skin and leave it for 10 minutes or until it is dry. Rinse.Moisturize your skin with a good serum or argon oil.  Store any leftover homemade facial mask in the fridge in a sealed container. It should stay fresh for about one week.

THIRD ONE:
1. Banana, Honey and Oatmeal -For a deep moisturising Facial Treatment!
2. Ingredients:1/2 banana, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 Tbsp honey & Water
3. Directions: Cut the banana in half & mash it with a fork.Mix in the oatmeal, add honey & mix well. Then add water & mix until the mask’s consistency is creamy. Apply evenly to clean skin, leave it on for 15, then rinse with warm water and pat your face dry.

FOURTH ONE:
1. Cucumber & Yoghurt Mask – Cucumber has very similar pH to the skin, is soothing, cooling and healing, whilst Natural Yoghurt is good for removing blackheads, great on your face!
2. Remember to put 2 slices of cucumber on your eyes whilst relaxing.
3. Suitable for both oily & dry skin, depending on how you manipulate this versatile fruit!
4. Ingredients: 4 Tbsp of cucumbers mashed & 2 Tbsp Yoghurt.
5. Directions: Combine the mixture. Apply the mixture to your clean skin. Leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse and dry.

LAST ONE:
1. Papaya and Strawberry Mask – Many commercial masks use fruit ingredients.Here you will find a lovely fruity recipe to make for your dry skin, if you can stop yourself from eating it!
2. Get yourself some extra strawberries, and you can make a fruit salad with the other half of the papaya.
3. Ingredients: 2 large fresh strawberries & 1 cooked peach, 1/2 ripe mashed papaya,1 Teaspoon organic honey & 1 Tbsp oatmeal
4. Directions: Place strawberries, peach, papaya, honey in a mixing bowl, and mix until the fruits are blended.Stir in oatmeal a bit at a time until a paste is formed.
5. Apply the mask to the face and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and finish by applying a good moisturizer.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

  • What has been your favourite fridge raid ingredients for your face, body or hair?
  • What benefits did you find using them or was it a total disaster?
  • I look forward to hearing your stories and what you’d share that’s not on the list. You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered.Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili 
Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips

Favourite Vegetable Oils

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Sunflowers in Zurich
26
Mar

Favourite Vegetable Oils

Sunflower is amongst the richest Carrier Oils,
loaded with benefits, which allow
for direct & safe application of
Essential Oils without causing irritations.

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The Vegetable Oils used for Product making are not the kind you would normally buy at the Supermarket. Those in the stores are exposed to direct Sunlight, shop lighting, and heating which can cause the oils to degrade. Extra Virgin Oil is normally stored in dark glass bottles, so taking this from the back of the row is a good idea!

As our bodies’ cell walls and membranes contain quite a lot of fats and oils, it makes sense for us to use nutritious oils in our foods and skincare products. These will help us maintain the fluidity of our cells.

Did you know that using oils as a cleanser actually helps your skin?The oil softens any sebum which
may be blocking the pores, allowing these to be removed. For this, I have added Sunflower Cleanser to the range of products.

There are plenty of Vegetable Oils to choose from, which vary in colour, natural fragrance, and price. Familiar oils include Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, and Coconut. These are found in many skincare products that help repair and calm sensitive skin.

The following Vegetable Oils are some that I use in the Essentially Lili range because I love what they do for the skin:

Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus) has very little scent compared to another vegetable/carrier oils, and absorbs easily into the skin, leaving very little residue. Sunflower Oil has high concentrates of Vitamins A, B, D, and E, as well as minerals, lecithin, insulin. It is a great product for the skin, adding UV protection qualities together with the unsaturated essential fatty acids. Sunflower is amongst the ingredients found in Sun Kissed Serum to help with the effects of the sun for those that have been ‘kissed’.

Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum sativum) is obtained from the germ of the wheat. It is extremely high content in Vitamin E which is a natural antioxidant and preservative, together with essential fatty acids, Vitamins A, B & D. Wheatgerm helps promote circulation and increase blood flow, which is great for damaged or scarred skin. It helps form new cells to improve the appearance of the skin and to help repair sun damage to the skin.

Argan (Argania Spinosa) originates from Southern Morocco which makes this product quite expensive.It is yellow in colour and has a lot more Vitamin E (Tocopherol) than olive oil. It is resistant to oxidation with good free radical scavengers.It’s great for damaged and mature skin as it assists the restructuring of the cells.

Avocado (Persea Gratissima) contains essential fatty acids that our body needs but cannot produce. This helps create and rebuild new cells, contain omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, Linoleic Acid (LA), Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). So if this is what Avocado does for our bodies from the inside, the outside
is going to love it just as much.

Avocado originally came from Central America, but now is grown around the world.It is rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, and Beta carotene. Classified as a monosaturated oil, Avocado is best suited for dry skin conditions in topical applications. It should be green in colour if unadulterated and it comes from the flesh of the fruit. It is great for rehydrating, regenerating and helping the elasticity of the skin.With other carrier oils, Avocado enriches the vitamin and protein content.

Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes wound healing.It is used in sun and after-sun products, as well as to help children with nappy rashes, grazes, and Mums who are nursing.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) comes from the seeds of the plants which are grown worldwide.It is very rich in Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), a fatty substance used for skin conditions like Eczema. Evening Primrose is used in various skin products, creams, bath oils, and hair conditioners as it helps the skin’s elasticity and therefore repairing damaged, dry and aging skin. Taking supplements can also be used to help calm skin conditions from within.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is actually a liquid wax. Jojoba resembles the sebum of the skin very closely and is naturally rich in Vitamin E.This helps promotes the glow in our complexions, as this oil is very light and is absorbed quickly.

Wheatgerm is found in our Vitamin Rich Range to help with skin that has Acne / Rosacea, has been irritated, damaged, and needs some love and affection. The Vitamin Rich Mens Face Balm and Vitamin Rich Womens Face Balm and Evanesce Balm for those that have Acne which needs treatment.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol Acetate) is a natural preservative and a strong antioxidant. It is used in various skincare products such as acne, lip balms, anti-wrinkle, cleansers, and peels for sensitive skin.

What I find amazing is how much better these Vegetable Oils have. Their wonderful properties boost our skin’s reserves with goodness and help maintain the elasticity whilst promoting cell regeneration. Combined with the Essential Oils, there really is no need to include other unnatural ingredients to our blends.In future blogs, I can share more information about how wonderful these Vegetable Oils are, in the quest of choosing the best ingredients for making the Essentially Lili Skincare products. If there are any Oils that you would like me to include, please let me know.

Check out the Gallery of Pictures – includes Giant Sunflower, Vitamin Rich Womens Face Balm, Diamond Era Serum, Avocado & Samples of Liquid Gold.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

Which of the Vegetable Oils mentioned above surprised you the most?
What is your favourite and why?
What Vegetable oils would you like me to share about?
Some of the other oils I use in Essentially Lili Products include Baobab, Tamanu, Castor or Macadamia

If I could make you Massage oil, what would you want it to be made of?
And which Essential Oils would you like as the fragrance? I would love to hear your ideas!

Should you wish to Contact us for more information about our All Natural Products, please send me an email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered. Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili