5 Tips for Preserving Handcrafted & Natural Bodycare Products

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As more people look to natural, organic, and GMO-free alternatives for skin, body, and healthcare, it can be hard to know how to create safe alternatives to store bought products. Some of the questions that come up again and again are about preservatives and how to extend the shelf-life of your homemade goodies. 

One of the reasons many of us are trying to get away from conventional shampoos, soaps, pastes, and cleaners is that they contain synthetic ingredients used to increase the shelf-life up to months or even years. Those ingredients can cause allergic reactions, may be drying or irritating, and could potentially be linked to some rather unsavory health problems. We know we don’t want to slather those ingredients on our bodies, but are we afraid of life without preservatives? Let's get to the bottom of this…

As a rule, water-based creations will have a much shorter shelf-life than oil and butter-based ones, because water breeds life! This is why salves and balms tend to have much longer stability than lotions and creams. For water-based products like hair rinses, linen sprays, and insect repellents, it is often better to simply make small batches as needed. This has the added benefit of ensuring that you are using the freshest ingredients for your routine.

There are natural ways to help add stability to home crafted skin and body care products, but they are not equivalent to chemical commercial preservatives. Fortunately, we can create small batches to use up quickly or choose some of those natural preservatives to include in our creations. The key is understanding your ingredients and process. 

Here are 5 tips for making safe all-natural body care products…

1. Keep it Clean

Many folks think they need powerful preservatives when what we really need is attention to cleanliness. Use clean, sterilized jars and containers. If you are recycling containers, make sure they've been washed well with soap and hot water. I like to add a bit of white vinegar to the process and allow the containers to dry completely before use. A dishwasher does a great job of cleaning and sterilizing. Make sure there are no bits of food or other particles in containers before you use them. This goes for jars used for oil infusions too—bacteria and moisture can make oils go rancid fast.

If you are ordering new tins, jars, and bottles, it's still a good idea to wash them up before use. Just because no one has used them before, doesn't mean that they're perfectly clean.

If you are making a lot of salves, lotions, and balms, consider having designated equipment. I have a special stainless steel soup pot that I only use for soap making, as well as an immersion blender, wooden spoon, spatula, and Pyrex measuring bowl that are committed to body care products. Even though these are well cleaned between uses, I still want to keep a separation between food prep and lotion prep! I keep all my soap-making supplies in a lidded storage bin so they stay together and tidy.

Putting dirty hands into jars of salve or lotion will also introduce bacteria and shorten the shelf-life. This can be a challenge for busy families. Consider using a bottle with a flip top or pump to cut down on the chances of introducing grimy things. For salves, it’s a good idea to give your hands/fingers a quick wash before dipping in. Keep lids closed tightly between uses.

2. Use Distilled or Boiled Water or Water-Substitutes

Water-based recipes include hydrosols, aloe vera gel, witch hazel extract, tea or water infusions, and vegetable glycerine. Making sure you use distilled water or boil your water and allow it to cool prior to including it in recipes can help eliminate possible contaminants.

Keeping hydrosols, witch hazel extract, and aloe vera gel in the fridge can also help to extend the shelf-life and keep both these ingredients and your creations fresher longer.

3. Using Antioxidants as Preservatives

While Antioxidants are not considered actual preservatives by purists, they do help to slow the oxidation in ingredients that can be vulnerable. Oxidation is what happens when exposure to air or oxygen starts to compromise the oils or other ingredients. Vitamin E oil and Rosemary Antioxidant oilare good examples of natural stabilizers. We will often include these in homemade serums, massage oils, lip gloss recipes, etc., to help preserve the integrity of the finished product. They are best added to the oil base, or after the oil base has been mixed together with melted waxes and butters, just not heated directly.

4. Using Essential Oils and Alcohol as Preservatives

Some ingredients can help inhibit the growth of bacteria and other unsavory micro-organisms, like most essential oils. Even hydrosols, witch hazel extract, and vegetable glycerine have bacteria inhibiting properties and can help a bit with preservation in your hand-crafted items. You can also addalcohol extracts or tinctures (keeping in mind that alcohol doesn't mix well with all fats, so it will depend on your formula). Essential oils are usually added at the end of a preparation.

5. Storage

Storage is important! You will often see us recommend that a serum be stored in a cobalt or amber bottle or jar rather than clear. The dark color helps to keep out strong light that can speed up deterioration. A good rule of thumb is to store creations out of direct light and where they will not be subject to temperature fluctuations.

Salves and lip balms can melt easily in the summer heat, and when left in places like cars and backpacks, they are often subject to warmer temperatures than an ambient room.

Some creations—particularly water-based ones—are best stored in the fridge if you intend to keep them around for a while. If you live in a warm or humid climate, or it is the heat of summer, storage can be a bit trickier than during a long, cold winter.

Infused oils and vinegars, as well as ingredients such as butters and beeswax are also best stored in cool, dry places. Straining as much plant material as possible from your infusions before storing, will also help them to last longer. Clean, snug, lids keep out light and oxygen.

Wrapping Up!

It is important to be educated about the ingredients you are using in your creations. Different oils and butters behave differently: some can be heated to high temperatures while others can be both a solid and a liquid like coconut oil which melts at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Understanding the shelf-life of the ingredients and how they interact with each other can help you to adjust recipes to suit your body care and health needs and anticipate what the storage needs will be.

Since one of the main reasons to create natural and organic body care products is to avoid synthetic chemicals found in commercial ones, it is important to remember that while we can add some preservation properties to our creations, we cannot expect our handcrafted shampoos, rinses, and creams to have the same shelf-life as mass-produced products. Our advice? Craft in small batches and share with friends and family – use it up while the ingredients are fresh!

5 Tips: How to choose and apply mascara

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For many women, mascara is a beauty must-have, a product they wear day in and day out that makes their eyes look bigger and brighter. The right mascara has the ability to darken eyelashes while adding thickness and length. Cosmetic manufacturers have produced a dizzying array of mascaras that promise all sorts of magical results. So why is it that so many of these products flake, smudge, run and clump?

Makeup artist Michael Moore, who runs Simply Moore Studio in Cherry Creek North, has tried every brand and seen the changes in brushes, wands and tubes through the years. He shares some tips about selecting and applying the product.

1. Go big. Volumizing mascara gives you longer and fuller-looking lashes. One of Moore’s favorites is L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara. He also likes Maybelline Lash Stiletto. He finds Maybelline Great Lash overrated.

2. Wear waterproof mascara only in special situations, such as ” if you are going to cry, swim or sweat profusely,” Moore says. A brand that won’t smudge when wet is Blinc, Moore says. It will form tubes around your eyelashes and come off easily with water.

3. Black is basic, but colors have their place. Black is the best mascara shade to open the eye and create a fuller-looking set of lashes. Women with blonde or lighter-colored lashes who want a natural look can wear brown mascara. Moore recommends that women over 40 try blue mascara. “It gives a rested look to the eye,” he says, and isn’t as harsh-looking as black.

4. When applying mascara, curl lashes first. Apply mascara starting at the root, then pull the wand through the rest of the lashes to the tip. Use two or three coats for a more dramatic look. Don’t pump your mascara wand into the tube. This will push in air and rapidly dry out your product. And avoid wearing mascara that looks dry and/or clumpy.

5. Finally, never share mascara. This is a common mistake that can quickly lead to a visit to the doctor’s office.

6 Tips To Help You Choose An Effective Night Cream

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When I was in my 20’s, choosing a night cream was way off my plans. Actually, even choosing carefully a day cream according to my skin’s type or needs was a kind of luxury for me since I never used to have time to make a proper research on face creams or it was also because my skin didn’t seem to need anything special.

© Depositphotos.com/[valuavitaly]

Well..that was in my 20’s. In my 30’s, I started getting more conscious of what kind of skin care products I use since my skin proved to be sensitive and kind of fussy to certain products and ingredients which could cause redness and sometimes an  unpleasant feeling.

And then, the need for a night cream appeared and I knew that I had to look for certain things before I choose one that is really worthwhile. So, let me explain here what to look for if you want to buy a night cream.

What Is a Good Age to Start Using a Night Cream?

First, you are only going to use a night cream if your skin needs it. For most women and men the age of thirty and onwards is the most suitable age to start using one. For some other people, it is late 30’s. I think that on average after 34 is a good age to start using one.

Not All Night Creams Are Suitable for Every Type of Skin

It always depends on the skin issues one may be having. For example, if you have wrinkles and fine lines, you can look for a night cream that has a stronger anti aging effect, containing antioxidants that will boost its resistance to aging and fight the already existing wrinkles.

A good option can be Yalmeh Aloe Vera Facial Moisturizer which is very positively reviewed by both women and men.

If you notice that your skin sags and is not so firm, you should look for firming ingredients. For that purpose, two natural oils are very effective which you can use before applying your night moisturizer. They are Argan Oil, Castor Oil as well as Pomegranate Oil at ULTA Store.

If your skin is sensitive like mine, you should avoid products containing harsh ingredients and go for soothing, pure and healing ones.

For me, natural and organic ingredients are the ones that suit my skin best but obviously even with those, you have to look for the ones that sit better on your skin, calm and boost its natural balance.

© Depositphotos.com/[CandyBoxImages]

Also, remember to avoid alcohol based creams if your skin suffers from sensitive skin issues like eczema, rosacea, contact dermatitis and others.

If your skin is oily, combination or dry, you should make sure that the cream you choose is not going to make your skin condition even worse but actually help you deal better with your skin’s specific needs.

In the case of an oily or combination skin, you would want a night cream that balances your natural oils production while moisturizing it adequately through the night.

Sukin Facial Moisturiser is enthusiastically reviewed by users who have an oily or combination skin.

keeping up with the needs of a dry skin means that your night cream should replenish it, restore its softness and suppleness, regenerating skin cells and locking in water for long term hydration.

Have You Checked Online?

Surprisingly, some of the best night creams that contain the most effective ingredients are sold only online and they are often overlooked because people simply don’t know they exist.

So, when looking for an effective night cream, make sure that you don’t just focus on those brands that are popular but really take the time to look for those products that are actually the most beneficial.

Look for Those Products that Have Fair to Good Reviews

While this may come as a surprise to many people, you really don’t want to purchase a night cream or any product that has nothing but perfect reviews.

The reason for this is that each individual is different and a product that works for one person may not going to work the same for another one.

By focusing on those night creams that get average to good reviews (3 ½ to 5 stars) you are much more likely to get a clear picture of just who that night cream works for and who it doesn’t.

This will help you decide if the specific night cream is going to work for you.
By using those night cream reviews to guide you and taking the time to explore all the products out there, you are much more likely to find a night cream that suits your skin best.

Pay Attention To The Night Cream Ingredients

When reading those reviews, pay attention to the ingredients the cream contains. An anti aging night cream should contain ingredients that target the three main causes of aging which is loss of elastin, low levels of hyaluronic acid and free radicals.

Look for components such as some form of co-enzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid, avocado oil, rosehip oil, vitamins and other antioxidants.

Your night cream moisturizer should also contain oils that are known to penetrate deep into the skin and not sit on the skin’s surface.

Penetrating oils help to soften skin and hold in moisture while those that sit on the skin’s surface only result in your complexion feeling oily.

You will also want to avoid those creams that contain synthetic fragrances and colorants as these type of ingredients can actually dry out and irritate your skin.

Look For Money Back Guarantees

A big advantage of buying a night cream online is that some companies give a full money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with their product, no answers asked.

Just make sure that the guarantee is long enough so that you can really test out the product. If the company is telling you that it takes 60 days to see results from their product but only offers you a 30 day money back guarantee, then what good is their guarantee?

Also, make sure that the money back promise is for open containers of the product. Many companies offer money back guarantees and then the fine print tells you that the guarantee is only for unopened containers.

What Is The Xtend Life Restorative Night Cream All About?

The Restorative Night Cream is a cream made by Xtend Life, a company in New Zealand which specializes in natural skin care products.

The cream contains special active ingredients and natural oils that penetrate deep into the skin and nourish it fully during the night.

According to the company’s claims, this formula is specially designed to fight the 3 main causes of aging skin which are loss of collagen and elastin, oxidation because of free radicals and minimizing of hyaluronic acid.

Some of their ingredients are Active New Zealand Manuka Honey, Shea Butter, avocado extract, coenzyme Q10 in a special nano-emulsion form and other special emollients for night use.

It is also free of parabens, allergens and harmful chemical ingredients of any kind.

1 year full money back guarantee is provided to you even if you send your semi used bottle back.

So, all the above make this rich cream an attractive option when looking for a good natural night cream.

On Xtend Life official site you can also read Xtend Life user reviews about the product, FAQ’S as well as additional information about the ingredients and effectiveness of the product.

5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING SAFE SKINCARE PRODUCTS

by militza

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Recently Johnson & Johnson, under pressure from The Campaign for Safer Cosmetics, agreed to reformulate their line of baby skincare – to remove some common ingredients which are known toxins. When a big brand like this makes such a drastic change, it really highlights the fact that these chemicals are a real concern. I know that a lot of us are looking to natural and safe products, but sometimes it’s hard to know which are actually the real deal!

To help clear things up, I went straight to the expert and asked Delphinia of 
4 cow farm, a line of natural skincare for babies, to lend us her expertise.

Read Delphinia’s top 5 tips on how to choose safe skincare:

Tip 1: Know which claims are regulated (and which are not)

‘Hypoallergenic’, ‘dermatologically tested’, ‘no-tears formula’,‘for sensitive skin’, ‘fragrance-free’, ‘natural’ – many of the claims on the lotions and washes we buy are just  that, claims. Claims which aren’t regulated, investigated or substantiated by governments or regulatory authorities.

Even the term ‘organic’ is regulated in its use only in certain countries and its application (according to each country’s laws) often allows for loopholes and gaps  in a product’s ingredients, which can allow suspicious chemicals and synthetic ingredients in. So your best bet? The ingredients list – the only thing that (almost) never lies!

Tip 2: Learn to identify the most commonly used petroleum-derived ingredients

Many commercial brands contain petroleum derivatives. Yes, you read that right – petroleum derivatives, i.e. from crude oil. Some of the more common ones are:

• Mineral Oil a.k.a. Paraffinum Liquidum,
• Petrolatum a.k.a. Petroleum Jelly,
• Propylene Glycol, PEGs (Polyethylene Glycol),
• Polysorbates (usually followed by a number) and DEA/MEA/TEA.

The reason they’re used? They’re cheap, abundant and can last pretty much forever on the shelf. The downside? At best, they’re at risk of being contaminated with carcinogens during manufacturing and are linked to the rise in allergies. At worse, they are themselves carcinogens and are known toxins which are applied direct to the skin on a daily basis. And if that’s not enough, they’re terrible for the earth!

Tip 3: Be concerned about the preservatives used

Preservatives are necessary to extend a product’s shelf life but there is a huge spectrum of preservatives used – from natural to synthetic – and some have come under a cloud of suspicion in recent years.

• Parabens (such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben) have been linked to tumours in the breast and skin, and a possible role as ‘endocrine disruptors’ in mimicking hormones.

• Phenoxyethanol – a preservative commonly used in natural and organic products – is known to depress the central nervous system.

• Benzyl Alcohol – another commonly used preservative in mainstream and natural products – has been associated with contact allergy.

Tip 4: Avoid unnecessary fragrances

Let’s begin with synthetic fragrances – which make up most of the fragrance ingredients in skincare products. The vast majority are synthetic compounds derived from – you guessed it – petroleum, as well as coal tar. These include VOCs (volatile organic compounds) linked to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders
and allergic reactions.

Research has shown that these airborne chemicals have direct access to the brain and
our internal systems through the nasal passages. Essential oils, used in many natural
products for their fragrance, have been shown to emit similar chemicals when over-used. The worst thing? Fragrances are protected as ‘trade secrets’ so manufacturers aren’t required to list what goes into them in the first place.

Tip 5: Start reading labels and choose ingredients you recognise

A good rule of thumb is if it doesn’t sound like something you’d like to put in your mouth, it’s probably better off not on your or your little one’s skin. We apply lotions, washes and creams to our skin (our single largest organ!) every single day and these often contain ingredients that are questionable at best.

Even some naturally-derived ingredients are less beneficial than they appear.

• Sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate and cocamidopropyl betaine, both derived from coconut oil, are known to irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions.

• Cocamide DEA/MEA are known skin irritants and potential carcinogens.

•  Lauryl glucoside and decyl glucoside (both derived from vegetable sources) have yet to be tested for safety.

The best test of all? Do your own searching is a great start, funded by the Environmental Working Group, an independent body). The more you know about what goes into your skincare, the more you know about what’s going into your body.

5 Tips To Choose The Right Mascara For You

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If you want a pair of dramatic eyes make up or just want to for nude make up, in every aspects the role of mascara is essential to complete the look. It is normally used as a part of finishing touch of a make-up. Those who are not born with thick and longer eye-lashes mascara also comes for them to rescue as a few coats of mascara can give you make your eye-lashes appear fuller and longer in a jiffy. So mascara has earned a secure place in the make up kits of every modern woman. Markets are though flooded with the mascaras belong to different color, texture and benefits but picking the right one for you can be tricky.

Hence here we give you top 5 types of mascara to single out the right one for you. Want to know how? Just keep reading.

Here Are The 5 Tips To Choose Right Mascara For You:

Cream Mascara:

Those who are the owners of thin or delicate eye-lashes they can opt for cream mascara. Cream mascaras prone to be too heavy and thick, so they can turn your thin lashes to be more intense and holds to them for longer time. These types of mascaras are applied with a special applicator made for them.

Liquid Mascara:

Liquid mascaras are the most widely used mascaras around the world. These mascaras are available in diverse color and texture. Hence, be it a pair of dramatic intense eyes or natural eye make-up you can get your desired look with few coats. Another good fact about these mascaras is that they possess a huge range to choose from.

5 Tips For Healthier Nails

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Nails are a major focal point of the beauty industry, so having a healthy set of nails is essential now more than ever. Since the seasonal shift, and decline in temperature, exposing yourself to harsher weather conditions takes its toll, especially on your hands. Winter is the perfect time to adopt new nail care methods to give your nails a boost from the inside out.

I get asked if my nails are natural A LOT. It’s taken some serious commitment to my nail care routine, but growing nails is a process! Remember that it takes time, and can be a real challenge. It will probably take about three weeks to see results, but if you just dedicate a few minutes to taking care of your nails every day, you’ll start to see a difference.

Here are five tips to achieve healthier nails:

1. Keep your hands moisturized

This is the easiest way to be on your way to healthier hands, fingers and nails! I always carry hand lotion and some sort of cuticle balm in my purse. Some companies also make to-go cuticle oil pens, which work just as well, it all depends on your personal preference. I also tell my clients to put cuticle oil on every night. That gives it time to absorb and it’s less likely to rub off. It also helps to massage it into your cuticles to increase the circulation and stimulates the nail matrix (where the nail grows). CND Solar Oil is my favorite, and we use it at the salon I work at. It keeps my nails and cuticles healthy and it smells intoxicatingly good. If you can’t splurge on cuticle oil, get creative with your treatment by finding products around the house! You can use olive oil, coconut oil or even petroleum jelly.

Another tip for nail growth is to keep your entire body moisturized by drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated! This will do wonders for the overall health of your body, but will also benefit your fingernails and cuticles.

2. Keep your fingernails clean & dry

Try not to overdo hand washing and limit contact with chemical cleaners. You want to minimize water exposure to your nails. Constant wetting & drying dehydrates the your nail bed, which can cause nails to become brittle, dry, cracked or even start to peel. Wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning or handling harsh chemicals. If you work in a field that requires a lot of hand washing, slather on some lotion to try and make up for it.

3. Don’t Use Your Nails As Tools!

“Your nails are like jewels, don’t use them like tools.” Essie Weingarten is totally right! Nails are handy for a number of reasons, but almost all of us guilty of abusing our nails. Avoid using your nails to open a box or a jar, or to scratch and pry off a sticker, or to open a can of Diet Coke. Basically anything that puts additional stress on the nail plate is NOT GOOD. Nails are there to protect the tips of your fingers from injury, and eventually, that stress could end in some serious nail damage. It’s a much better idea to use a real tool instead, otherwise you’re asking for trouble.

4. Take a vitamin supplement

Biotin is a B vitamin that is found naturally in a number of foods, but is also available as a supplement. It benefits your hair, skin and nails, may increase nail thickness and can help prevent nails from splitting and breaking. There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to rate the effectiveness of Biotin and nail growth, but a lot of nail techs will tell you that it helps. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before taking any vitamin or other supplement.

Vitamin E is also extremely beneficial – you can take it in pill form OR apply it directly on your nails. Use a needle or pin to poke a small hole in the capsule and then rub the gel directly on the nail.

8 Ways to Keep Your Nails Healthy

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Most of us forget that like the rest of the body our nails too reflect our inner health and it is essential that we look after them to keep them strong and healthy. Besides a manicure once in a while, there are not many people who actually take nail care seriously and very often I have seen both men and women suffer from unhealthy, discoloured or chipped nails.

So let’s try and elaborate some of the nail problems that plague many of us and how we tend to ignore them. Nail care is obviously an integral part of hand and foot care. The nail plate from where your nail grows is several millimeters below the base of the nail and it takes about nine months for a new nail to grow - almost as much as a baby!

Nails indicate your state of health just as clearly as the condition of your skin, eyes and hair. Pale nails with vertical ridges indicate anaemia or extreme dryness from using too many detergents. Blue nails point to inefficient circulation and not enough oxygen in your blood. If your nails are thin and constantly breaking, this may indicate inadequate vitamins, minerals and protein as well as insufficient nail care.

  

Here are 5 quick tips to start taking care of your nails -

1. Strong Nail Diet

Calcium, gelatine and B-complex vitamins are vitally essential for healthy nails. Vitamin Dcures nail ridges, folic acid and Vitamin C cures hangnails and split nails. Nail ridges are cracks in the skin along the sides of the nails that can be particularly painful. Drink diluted cider vinegar to strengthen the nails and paint them with two coats of fresh lemon juice daily to strengthen them externally.

2. Cracked and Chipped Nails

These can be extremely embarrassing and I have seen many women apply nail polish to different nail lengths which look like a complete nightmare. Try the following remedies to keep your nails strong and smooth –

- Warm a little olive oil and use it to massage your nails thrice a week. Doing so will help in strengthening them.
- Never throw away lemon peels after you have squeezed out the juice. Instead, rub them onto your nails daily. This will help reduce yellowness and also make them shiny and smooth.
- Take 3 tsp of vodka with 1 tsp of lemon juice and store in a bottle and rub onto nails and cuticles daily.

  

3. Cuticle Softener

Fresh pineapple and vinegar helps soften the cuticles. Mash the pineapple and add vinegar to it. Dip the nails up to the cuticles in this mixture, massaging every now and then.
  

4. The Goodness of Papaya

Papaya contains enzymes that soften the protein tissue and are good for the cuticles. Mash papaya and add lemon juice and 1tsp vodka or vinegar. Soak your nails in this mixture for at least 20 minutes and massage into the skin regularly. This treatment needs to be done daily for atleast 7days for effective results.
  

5. Callouses and Brittle Nails

Warm 250ml of olive oil or castor oil, add half a cup of sage leaves and heat this mixture for 5 minutes. Let it stand for a while until cool, and then strain it. Rub it frequently into your nails.

There’s another remedy for damaged nail – take 125 ml honey, 1 egg yolk, 125 ml avocado oil or castor oil and 2ml sea salt. Beat the ingredients together and keep in a screw top jar in a refrigerator. Rub into the nails daily, leaving it on for half an hour before washing.

Now that you have some magical remedies to have healthy nails, conjure up these easy to do recipes and take care of them.

5 surprising ways to get great skin

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There's so much misinformation out there regarding skin care, not to mention plenty of old-wives' tales (some of which are actually right) and lots of well-intentioned bad advice. That's because skin care is tricky, and depends on your skin type. However, there are some tried and true rules — most of which violate at least a rule or two you may have heard elsewhere — that really do work for all skin types.

How have I learned the information below? From speaking with skin experts, makeup artists (natural and conventional) and testing out literally thousands of products over the last 10 years that I've been reviewing natural beauty products.

1. You don't need to wash your face with hot water to get it clean.

In fact, hot water can cause redness and irritation in people with sensitive skin, and for those with normal skin, it can still dry out delicate facial skin, leaving it more susceptible to all kinds of issues, from red, flaky dermis to acne. Wash your face with mildly warm to air-temperature water. It will get the job done without irritating your skin. The same goes for the rest of your body; it may feel good to burn it up in the shower, but especially as cool weather draws closer, this is guaranteed to irritate your skin.

2. Oil is good for your skin, not bad.

Many vegetable oils are old-school ways of moisturizing the skin that we have long ignored. (I can't be the only one who has heard stories of her great-grandmother lathering her hands up with olive oil and then wearing cotton gloves to bed). You can wash your face with coconut oil or slather it on after you've showered; same with sesame oil and olive oil (go with the smell you prefer). After using an oil a couple of times, you will notice that your skin — whether oily or dry — evens out and is either less oily or more naturally moisturized. Most new formulations of high-end beauty products contain skin-protecting oils because they work (use argan or sea buckthorn oils on your face if you want to start with a lighter lipid first).

3. You don't need to scrub to exfoliate.

Smashing strawberries or other fruits on your skin can be better than exfoliating. (Photo: schankz/Shutterstock)
Scrubbing with most drug-store brand cleansing scrubs is much too harsh for most skin types (more frequent and harder face-washing can actually exacerbate acne, so lighten up). Instead of using toxin- and chemical-packed scrubs in a tube, exfoliate naturally using fruit. As long as you are not allergic (obviously), rubbing the inside skin of a fresh mango, mashed strawberries, or fresh pineapple chunks directly on your face, leaving the natural, fruit acid AHAs on there for a few minutes, then rinsing off, is the best exfoliator you can get. This method may be a little too much for extra-sensitive skin, but works well for all other skin types.

4. What matters most for healthy skin is not what you put on it, but what you eat.

A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lots of water, and maybe a skin-benefiting tea, minimal alcohol and plenty of sweat-drenching exercise will make skin glow more than any expensive cleanser or moisturizer. You'll feel great too.

5. Chocolate doesn't cause acne, but bread and pasta might.

Don't worry about chocolate causing breakouts. Pasta and bread might be the culprits. (Photo: Blue SkyImage/Shutterstock)
There have never been any conclusive studies linking chocolate-eating to acne, though there have been some that connect high-glycemic foods to breakouts.

What are the funniest/silliest skin-care myths that you have heard?