April 5, 2012

Urban Deva Beauty: Bare Skin Beauty

Filed under: UD:BEAUTY — Tags: Bare Skin Beauty, Breast Massage, Breast Serum, Clarifying Cleansing Serum, Juliette Scarfe, natural skincare, organic skincare, Papaya and Honey Resurfacing Balm, Thea Euryphaessa — urbandeva @ 11:36 am

Urban Deva Beauty:

Bare Skin Beauty

In late 2011 I was introduced to Bare Skin Beauty’s Custom Blended Skincare. After completing a Skinfood Prescription, Juliette Scarfe (Bare Skin Beauty’s founder), created a bespoke skincare range for me based on the answers I’d provided on the online questionnaire. Each hand-crafted, bespoke range comprises a 60ml cleanser, 100ml toner, 100ml serum, and handmade organic bamboo cloth (£149).

As with all skincare ranges, I used only Bare Skin Beauty’s products over a set period to see what, if any, results the products had on my skin. My jawline and a neck is prone to breakouts, particularly when I’m due on my period; so to find a range that significantly calmed and soothed my skin’s angry outbursts, as well as leaving it softer and more radiant than I’d seen it in a long time, got my attention. This is a range that prides itself on turning problematic skin around and restoring it to its barest best.

Bare Skin Beauty listen you see ― really listen ― to the concerns of each individual, taking into account the whole person: mind, body, and soul. And, speaking from experience, there aren’t many skincare companies that can make that claim. Add to that Juliette’s boundless passion for what she does and it all stacks up to a range of products that deliver on their promises.

I was prescribed the Clarifying Cleansing Serum (£29 for 60ml) which, among other ingredients, contains honey, rosemary oil, and sea buckthorn oil. On first opening the jar, I was concerned the serum would be a tad too oily for my skin, even if it was the depths of winter and I spent my days sat by a skin-drying radiator. But my skin responded well and, after just four days, looked more calm, hydrated, and radiant.

Their Papaya and Honey Resurfacing Balm (£26 for 60ml), however, is a personal favourite and one of my beauty heroes. I recommend this to anyone whose skin is in need of some serious rejuvenation as we head into spring. This leaves skin glowing and feeling wonderful. Glorious stuff.

In an increasingly crowded natural and organic skincare marketplace, Juliette has impressed me with her commitment to providing individuals with products that walk their talk. Take, for example, the Breast Serum (£16 for 50ml) she created in response to a Breast Massage article I wrote for Body Confidential. After reading my piece, she rang me for further information, asking questions about concerns I’d encountered while working with other women as well as my personal experiences. Although she’d never considered breast massage or done it on herself, she went away and began to investigate and formulate a serum that contained ingredients that would address the needs of the subtle body (including the chakras) and physical body.

A few weeks later, after encouraging friends and clients to reconnect with their breasts courtesy of her newly formulated serum, I received a bottle to try for myself. Containing Monoi de Tahiti, frankincense, and myrrh, it has a wonderfully slick viscosity that allows for deeply healing massages with an uplifting fragrance.

Most breast serums I’ve encountered so far have been formulated and aimed at uplifting and firming the breasts ― in other words, making them look better. Bare Skin Beauty’s serum, however, has been formulated to help nourish the entire breast area from a holistic perspective ― the emphasis being on nourish. Skin food in the profoundest, most healing sense, this is a product I wholeheartedly recommend.

While in London recently, I took the opportunity to meet Juliette and have a nosy behind the scenes. She showed me around her alchemical kitchen where she concocts her products. What struck me (besides the wonderful aromas) was her commitment to sourcing the very best raw, organic, and natural products available. If she can track an ingredient back to source, she will. Take her honey: she knows the (local) beekeeper and can personally testify that he loves what he does. Happy bees equals honey of the highest vibes. Source to jar, Bare Skin Beauty ensures it’s all good.

With a plethora of ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ products spilling onto market at a baffling rate, Bare Skin Beauty is a brand I recommend for their enthusiasm, ethics, and commitment to holistic health. Most of all, you can connect with them personally and talk to them about your skincare concerns safe in the knowledge they’ll do everything they can to restore your skin to its barest, most beautiful best. So, if you believe your skin deserves only the finest quality products, you won’t go far wrong with this superb independent brand.

Visit Bare Skin Beauty’s website: bareskin-beauty.co.uk

Follow Bare Skin Beauty on Twitter @BareSknBeauty

Like Bare Skin Beauty on Facebook here

Thea Euryphaessa

:::

UD: BEAUTY

Urban Deva is committed to promoting natural, organic, and ethical skin care products that are kind to your body, made with a consideration for human rights, and have a minimal impact on our environment.

Reconnect with Oneself, One Another, and Nature. This is Soulful Living.

Comments (0)

March 9, 2012

Urban Deva Beauty: What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

Filed under: UD:BEAUTY — Tags: Bare Skin Beauty, Juliette Scarfe — urbandeva @ 12:26 am

Urban Deva Beauty:

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

Dark circles are often associated with lack of sleep and fatigue; but they may also point to another, underlying cause. If the cause is physical exhaustion, for example, consider supplementing with Ginseng in the morning and meditate before bed to quiet the mind and ensure a restorative night’s sleep. Between the hours of 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. our body enters the most intensive process of repair and regeneration ― think of it as beauty sleep and make it a nightly staple in your routine.

Dark circles often indicate a weakness of the kidneys. Kidneys are responsible for the excretion of many waste products including the removal of urea from the blood. They maintain the correct balance of water and salts in the body. Ensure you drink at least one litre of pure water a day (not tap water) combined with herbal teas to assist the body in effectively removing heavy metals and toxins. Furthermore, incorporate natural salt into your diet to enable the body to absorb the water that you drink into your cells via osmosis in order to be utilised throughout the body. Remove ageing chemicals from your skincare regime and your lifestyle to allow the body to effectively detoxify and remove unwanted waste. A juice fast for three days may greatly assist this process.

This wonderful juice is custom-made by Irene of love-pure.co.uk. It’s designed to help reduce the appearance of dark circles beneath the eyes and any associated inflammation. Irene recommends drinking this juice in the evening for optimum results. This comforting, creamy juice is a wonderful substitute for solid food during a juice fast ― the Illuminating Eye Juice is a superfood supper.

Ensure that you only use organic ingredients ― the idea is to eliminate and prevent further toxins from entering your bloodstream to alleviate the symptoms, not further aggravate them.

Illuminating Eye Juice

1/2 large cucumber

2 medium tomatoes

10 leaves of mint

1/2 lemon

A pinch of Himalayan salt

Pass all ingredients through a vegetable juicer. If you are doing a juice fast make sure you pass the juice through a sieve to remove any fibre left. Then, juice the lemon in a citrus juicer and add to the mixture. If you find it too strong, add some more cucumber juice.

In addition, applying thin slices of cold organic potato to eyelids and relaxing for ten minutes will assist with reducing the appearance of dark circles. Alternatively soak an organic cotton pad in Witch Hazel and apply to clean eyelids for ten minutes.

Supplements that support ocular health are Evening Primrose oil, zinc, and B-complex.

The eyes are the windows to the soul and are surrounded by delicate skin that requires special care. Bare Skin Beauty has formulated an Illuminating Eye Serum with bio-available nutrients to reduce inflammation, hydrate, nourish, and reduce dark circles and fine lines. We use organic Aloe Vera blended with raw, organic shea butter for its cooling, soothing and hydrating effects combined with high levels of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids. Carrot oil is utilised for its superior levels of vitamin A ― an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage and promotes the production of new, healthy skin cells. Added to this unique formulation is blackcurrant seed oil for its superior ability to hydrate. Rich in essential fatty acids, it repairs tissue damage and improves the skin’s elasticity. Buriti oil provides a rich source of beta-carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A – this oil supports fibroblast cells and the production of collagen and elastin, leading to more radiant skin. Finally, Argan oil contains exceptional levels of essential fatty acids, including omega 6 (which most of us are deficient in) and vitamin E. It is the most powerful biological antioxidant. It protects cell membranes from lipid oxidation, thereby slowing the skin’s ageing process.

Juliette Scarfe

Natural Skincare Expert and Founder of Bare Skin Beauty

:::

UD:BEAUTY

Reconnect with Oneself, One Another, and Nature. This is Soulful Living.

Comments (0)

February 13, 2012

Urban Deva Beauty:The Benefits of Dry Brushing

Filed under: UD:BEAUTY — Tags: Bare Skin Beauty, Dry brushing, Health Plus, Juliette Scarfe, Valentine's Day — urbandeva @ 5:07 pm

Urban Deva Beauty:

The Benefits of Dry Brushing

I’d love to share a beauty secret with you that’s been practised in Eastern Europe and Russia for millennia. It’s known as dry brushing lymphatic massage ― Dry Brushing ― and it does marvellous things for your skin and body.

Dry Brushing utilises a dry vegetable brush to lightly slough (desquamation) the dead skin cells off the top layer of skin. It stimulates the skin, removes dead skin cells and stimulates blood flow, circulation, and the lymphatic system leaving you soft and radiant all over. (Try to use a vegetable brush from sustainably sourced timber so you can be both beautiful and ethical.)

Start with the soles of your feet and brush vigorously in circular motions up the body, always towards the heart. Use a pressure that’s comfortable for you and be careful around the genitalia, armpits, and neck which are sensitive. Avoid the face as Dry Brushing is too harsh for facial skin and will cause micro tears. It should take 5-10 minutes to do the whole body, or until your skin becomes warm, glowing, and radiant. Once a week is plenty enough to deeply stimulate the skin.

Why Should We Dry Brush?

Our skin is the largest eliminative organ of the body (in size, not function). We excrete impurities and synthetic toxins through the skin in the form of sweat. When dead skin cells accumulate on the outer layers, the pores of the skin can become clogged preventing the excretion of impurities. Furthermore, Vitamin D is manufactured in the epidermis as a result of sunlight reaching the uppermost layer of skin; therefore keeping this layer desquamated (sloughed off) will assist in your overall health and vitality.

Remember, we need a minimum of 15 minutes of natural sunlight per day (without commercial sunscreen) to keep our cells functioning at optimal levels. The sun is actually our anti-aging friend. Those lacking in Vitamin D will appear to age faster. At this time of year, supplementation is a good idea. I take Vitamin D supplements from Health Plus every day, as Vitamin D helps to:

Release calcium from the bones into the blood, for proper distribution
Maintain healthy skin and avoid dryness
Absorb calcium and potassium to help the formation of healthy bones and teeth and maintain neuromuscular function
Keep joints moving freely
Prevent hair loss
Reduce osteoporosis
Improve general mood

Dry Brushing stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory systems causing the movement of vital fluids around the body. It also stimulates the nervous system, helping you reconnect with the sensory receptors on the surface of your skin. Dry Brushing serves as a vitality rejuvenator particularly if you have both a hot and cold shower afterwards. It also stimulates oil production from the glandular system giving your skin a healthy sheen from its own natural sebum production.

Finish with a pure, naturally moisturising product, as everything we apply we absorb deep into the body.

Dry brushing is a powerful natural anti-aging technique that will help you feel invigorated and vitalised, leaving you with radiant skin. The effects are cumulative, meaning the more you do it, the more beneficial the effects.

This Valentine’s Day, ask your beloved to give you a Dry Brush. It’s even more beneficial for men as their bodies are often hairier. In fact, why not create a sensual, loving experience and do it together?

Juliette Scarfe

Natural Skincare Expert and Founder of Bare Skin Beauty

:::

UD:BEAUTY

Reconnect with Oneself, One Another, and Nature. This is Soulful Living.

Comments (0)