Wellness Wednesdays!

Happy Wednesday and I apologize for the delay since it's already 10 pm! At least these tips will be for more than just today and can be used all summer, and all year long! I have some happy and exciting news for my lovely blog readers to explain why my post is oh so late this evening!


Today was my follow up visit at the cosmetology school to pay the enrollment fee, sign a whole bunch of paperwork, and discuss my financial aid package. As a new mommy with my angel daughter, money is TIGHT to say the least. Therefore, I needed federal grants and student loans to cover the tuition. You have 6 months from the day you complete school (or stop going for drop-outs!) before you have to start making monthly payments. So as long as all my tuition, taxes, fees, and kit were covered, I'd be good to go! Well, loves, I AM GOOD TO GO! I just have to have my FAFSA verified and then attend orientation on Sept. 4th and they I officially begin September 10th! It's a 42 week program, or 1260 hours and then I will finally be a licensed cosmetologist! YAYAYAYAAYY! hahaha I just had to share my excitement with you!


Anyway, as promised today is day 4 in my blog beauty week and therefore a new topic of discussion. As you can clearly see from the title Wednesdays are Wellness Wednesdays, basically all types of fun facts, tips, and suggestions for wellness, relaxation, and overall good health. Beauty starts from the inside out and if you don't feel well, you are NOT looking your best! So let's help you feel better and look better!


Wellness Wednesdays (#1 July 18, 2012)


I have to begin by crediting First for women magazine for these tips from their July 30. 2012 issue! This magazine offers so much from beauty tips to health care tips and interesting stories and ideas for seasonal meals and decorations! I LOVE IT! Anyway, I compiled a little list of a few tidbits I gathered from reading it that I wanted to share, especially with today being Wellness Wednesday, so here you go, loves:


- You can't read a magazine, listen to the weather, or pass a summer time ad that isn't promoting sunscreen and for good reason. People are finally aware of how important it is because of skin cancer. You apply it from head to toe, even just under your swim suit in case you move and some unprotected skin sneaks out, right? What about your hair line and your part? You work so hard to get those beachy waves or straighten it and add hair spray and products to keep it perfect so obviously you don't want to apply a thick, oily cream or wear a hat and ruin all your hard work. First magazine says "Run a stick of lip balm with SPF along your part and hairline." You get the protection you need without messing your hair! I just had to share :)


- Try your hardest and can't lose weight? Did you buy that 2 sizes too small bikini in like March to convince yourself you'd work harder just to fit into it? Here's why despite your hardest efforts, you may still not be succeeding. According to First magazine, "For 75% of women with excess pounds, fat buildup in the liver is making it nearly impossible to slim." They also say "If you avoid only one thing, make it ... High-fructose corn syrup ... because it basically starts a fat-production factory in the liver. This man-made sugar can contain 55 to 65 percent fructose, a type of sugar that goes straight from the bloodstream to the liver, where it's quickly converted into liver fat." Many commercials and ads today claim that it's fine and just an inexpensive sugar and if eaten in moderation won't make a difference. Thing is, it's in SO many foods and drinks now that we get WAY too much of it. And if all it does is run to your liver, make your liver fatty, and therefore make it damn near impossible to lose the weight after, I'll go without it, thanks!


- Poison ivy and bug bites are an inevitable part of summer. Unless you work 80 hours a week or don't go outside, most places you go will give you one or the other. After dinner walks, bug bites, After dinner walks in the woods, bug bites and poison ivy. Beach ... bug bites. Running around in the yard ... poison ivy. First magazine gives you some quick, home remedies. Vinegar can help heal poison ivy. "Urushiol, the rash causing oil in poison ivy, is incredibly tough to get off your skin. The Rx: apple cider vinegar. Soak a cloth in the liquid and press onto skin for 2 minutes to break down the oil, then wash with a grease-fighting dish detergent to lift it off your skin." Salt can ease the itch from bug bites. "Salt ... helps break down the inflammatory proteins your body produces in response to bites, plus destroys germs trying to sneak in through damaged skin. Simply dampen 1/4 tsp. of salt with a drop or two of water and gently rub over the bites with your fingers until you feel the itching ease."


- Ever find the heat and sweat that accompanies summer nights, hell even walking to and from your car to go to work, melting your lipstick? Smudging, running, and melting are all side effects of heat and wearing lipstick. And if you wear something noticeable, hot pink or red, your upper lip and sides of your mouth are now dyed and it looks like you forgot how to apply makeup. First magazine recommends that you "run an ice cube over your mouth right after applying your favorite shade. The ice will set the color and prevent it from feathering, bleeding, or melting in summer's heat."


- Last, but not least: Why is my bikini area so dark? This tends to be worse for waxers than shavers, but after grooming your lady parts and then heading outside in a bathing suit, sometimes your bikini line gets dark, which isn't so cute. First magazine says, "Waxing removes the top layer of skin, leaving the freshly exposed dermis more vulnerable to the sun (and self tanners). ... Waxing professionals recommend waiting 24 hours after hair removal before going out in the sun to give the skin time to heal. When you do head out, apply a sweat-resistant sunscreen with SPF 50 to protect this delicate area and reapply every hour. To lighten already darkened skin, try soaking a washcloth in soy milk and apply it to the area for 30 minutes. The milk's protease inhibitors halt the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color."




Again all the above tips were from First for women magazine. Visit them online and subscribe today; you'll love it!