Tuesday 28 August 2012

Natural Remedies to make your skin glow.

Good morning Friends,

I'm so excited today because i want to share some secrets on how you can achieve a glowing skin using pure honey. I thank you all for taking time out to visit my blog, but i still need feed backs from you, just to be sure you beautiful people are trying out the tips and if its working for you. I'll be glad to address your concern. So sit back, relax and start working your way to achieving a beautiful you naturally.


Gentle Honey Cleanser

Get
  • 1/4 cup Pure honey
  • 1 Tablespoon black soap
  • 1/2 cup glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores)
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until they are fully blended. Pour into a clean plastic bottle.Pour onto clean face sponge or soft cloth and gently rub onto face, wash away with warm water and pat face dry. Enjoy fresh radiant skin.

Tip: This cleanser is simple and effective. The soap gently cleans, the glycerin prevents drying and the honey not only softens the skin, but its antimicrobial properties can help ward off breakouts. A touch of honey is all you need for healthy, glowing skin.

Honey Cleansing Scrub

Get
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure honey
  • 2 Tablespoons finely ground almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix all ingredients. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water.

Honey and Oat Exfoliate

Makes 1 treatments
  • 1/2 cup Pure honey
  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
1. Mix and smooth over face 2. Massage and leave on for 10 minutes. 3. Rinse off with warm water

Facial Toner

Get
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure honey
  • 1 apple, peeled and cored
In blender, puree honey with a peeled, cored apple. Smooth over face; leave on 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Cucumber-Honey Toner

Makes 1/2 cup
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Pure honey
Puree cucumber in a blender. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set the sieve over a glass bowl or measuring cup. Pour the cucumber puree through the sieve and let it stand for 15 minutes for the juices to drip into the bowl. Pour the clear juice into a clean bottle and add honey. To use, shake the bottle and saturate a cotton pad with the lotion. Sweep over face, neck and chest morning and night, and let it air dry (about 3 to 4 minutes). Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Firming Face Mask


Get
  • 1 Tablespoon pure honey
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores)
  • approx. 1/4 cup flour
Whisk together all ingredients and enough flour to form a paste (approximately 1/4 cup). Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Like I always say, make sure your honey is pure to achieve the desired result. Try the beauty regimen and be kind enough to send your comments.
For your pure honey, extra virgin coconut oil, natural shea butterand shea butter black soap, call 08020924020 or mail us, olaanaturale@gmail.com



Thursday 23 August 2012

Honey for Beauty

Hello Fellow Bloggers,
Trust you all are having a great week, I'm still on honey and how you can use it to achieve a beautiful you. 
Honey Is A Sweet Treat For Skin
Manufacturers have used honey in everything from hand lotions and moisturizers to bar soaps and bubble baths. One reason they use honey is for its wholesome, all-natural image; more and more consumers are demanding cosmetics and personal care products made from natural ingredients. In the case of honey, however, image is just the beginning.
First, honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture. This makes honey a natural fit in a variety of moisturizing products including cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners.
Look for honey in store-bought beauty products or simply add a squeeze of honey to your moisturizer, shampoo or soap at home.  For some extra pampering, try whipping up a simple beauty recipe yourself.
Using honey, a natural humectant with antimicrobial properties, I have created a series of recipes that will help hydrate skin while relaxing the soul.
From the rainy season to harmattan for we living in the tropical regions of the world and  summer sun to the winter winds for those in the temperate regions, seasonal weather can wreak havoc on anyone’s complexion. Summer can leave skin feeling greasy and irritated, while harmattan and winter brings chapping and dryness. Cleanse and moisturize your skin with a five-step, soothing honey facial using natural and readily available ingredients. This do-it-yourself treatment helps restore all skin types. For a relaxing, spa-style facial, prepare all the steps before you begin your treatment.

Bodylab soothing honey facials using Olaa pure honey

 Step 1: Lavender Facial Compress
What u need : Warm water
                              2 teaspoons lavender essential oil
Fill sink or a wide bowl one-third full of warm water and add lavender essential oil. Stir and inhale the wonderful aroma to induce relaxation. Light a candle and turn on music to induce a spa atmosphere and relax your upper body. Drench a terry cloth towel in lavender water, lightly squeeze out excess water and press firmly against your face for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Step 2: Honey Yogurt Purifying Cleanser
What you need:
                        4 tablespoon yogurt
                        2 tablespoons honey
                        2 teaspoons lemon juice
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Pat cleanser onto your face with upward circular motions for 1 to 2 minutes.
Rinse with lavender water from sink or bowl.
Step 3: Re-texturing Deep Cleansing Honey and Flaxseed Scrub
what you need:
                        1 ounce flaxseed meal
                        1 ounce almond oil
                        1 tablespoon honey
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; allow to sit for a few minutes. Pat scrub onto your face using upward circular motions for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse with lavender water from sink.
TIP: Use two middle fingers to work scrub into crevices around your nose and chin.
Step 4: Moisturizing Mask – Shredded Oatmeal Calmative Milk and Honey Mask
what you need:
                         ½ cup uncooked oatmeal
                         ½ cup water
                         ½ cup milk
                         1 tablespoon honey
                         1 unwaxed cucumber

Grind oatmeal in a blender. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook oatmeal, water, milk and honey for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula or spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If necessary, add a little more water to ensure mask is thick but not runny. Grate cucumber and place on a long piece of cheesecloth the width of temple to temple; roll up like a sushi roll. Massage a thick layer of plain honey all over your face and neck before applying mask. Apply mask to your face with upward strokes. Lie down, place cucumber roll over your eyes and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Step 5: Healing
Application – Olaa shea butter and coconut oil anti wrinkle complex
what you need:
                         1 ounce almond oil
                         1 ounce Shea butter
                         1 table spoon coconut oil
                         1 teaspoon lavender essential oil
Mix oils in a small cup or bowl. Place a dime-sized amount on damp palms and
massage into your skin for 1 to 2 minutes.
We also recommend the following tips for keeping skin at its pure and natural best.

Protect Skin from the Sun: Use sunblock every day - not just when it’s sunny. Apply sunscreen 30 to 40 minutes before exposure to allow active ingredients to begin working.

Cleanse Twice Daily: Cleansing in the morning removes waste excreted during the skin’s nocturnal self-cleansing process. In the evening, it ensures removal of dirt, oil and makeup.

Get Adequate Sleep: Your skin will tell you if you’re sleep deprived. Without adequate sleep, your body can’t restore and repair itself. Not only will you live longer, your skin will look better, too!

 Reduce Stress: Stress ages body tissue - especially skin tissue. Exercise, massage therapy, yoga, aromatherapy and meditation are highly effective against stress.

At Body lab the owner of Olaa Naturale natural products, our goal is to help elevate skin to be the very best it can be by bringing out  your natural beauty, just the way nature intended. When cared for properly, the transformational power of skin is amazing. Bodylab continues to search the globe for the most potent and effective botanicals to create products that treat, nurture and protect the skin while uplifting the senses with indulgent textures and aromas to deliver real, visible results. For more information, please contact us at olaanaturale@gmail.com or call 08020924020

Sunday 19 August 2012

Worried about your weight ? Eat honey

The benefits of honey can be seen in your weight loss program as well. If you are trying to lose weight, honey can be of great help to you. But before we move on to the benefits of honey in weight loss we should address the concerns people have regarding honey.

Many people ask: Isn't honey a type of sugar? Does it not add any weight? Won't the calories in honey negate your weight loss efforts?

Honey provides our bodies with much more than the hollow calories of sugar, corn syrun and other processed sweeteners. Honey is a natural substance, the only one in our diets made up of concentrated nectar from blooming plants. It contains trace amounts of protein, plus riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin 5), vitamin B6, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. It also contains antioxidants, some found only in honey, which include pinobanksin, chrysin, catalase and pinocembrin.

Honey provides a stable source of energy as it enters the bloodstream while sugar enters it so quickly that blood glucose levels fluctuate rapidly. Honey has a healthier glycemic index (GI) compared to sucrose, high fructose corn syrup and other common sweeteners. The GI rating measures the effect of foods on the blood sugar level.



 
The lower the GI rating, the more gradual the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. Eating diets low on the GI scale is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. So replacing other sweeteners with honey, particularly honey in combination with whole foods, could be associated with improved health.

Honey is also sweeter and has more flavor than sugar. A teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories while a teaspoon of honey provides 22 calories. But because honey is more intensely sweet, most people use about a third to a half less honey than sugar, actually reducing the calorie load.

Purchasing locally sourced honey helps support beekeepers, who are having difficulty staying in business, due to impact of bee diseases and pests, agricultural chemicals, and Colony Collapse Disorder. There's evidence that some imported honey is actual packer's syrup, not pure honey, so beware of low cost products. Everyone of us, whether we consume honey or not, relies on bees to pollinate the crops we eat each day. Supporting reputable beekeepers helps to insure that there will be enough bee to put fruits, vegetables and nuts on our tables.

You are right - honey contains sugar. But unlike refined sugar, honey contains vitamins and minerals too. Normally, to digest sugar, the vitamins and minerals stored in body are utilized, rendering the body devoid of these nutrients. These nutrients are essential to dissolve fats and cholesterol. Thus when you eat too much sugar you tend to increase weight not just because of the calories but due to lack of vitamins and minerals. On the contrary, honey being a good source of nutrients helps you in reducing weight.
People suffering from obesity who want to get rid of their excess fat can use honey as a tool in transforming their figure.


The following are ways to incorporate honey into your weight loss programme.

Honey and warm water: Normally fat remains as an un-used resource in your body adding bulk and weight. It is believed that honey mobilizes this stored fat. When this fat is burnt to provide energy for your daily activities, you see a gradual decrease in your weight and obesity levels. It is suggested that you drink this honey (about one tablespoon daily), with half a glass cup of warm water.
Honey and lemon juice: Honey can also help in weight loss when consumed with warm water and lemon juice. Many people drink this formula first thing in the morning to reduce their weight.
Honey and cinnamon: Drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water first thing in the morning (empty stomach). If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body.
Honey and Lemonade: Lemonade with a tablespoon of honey is the perfect formula to lose weight fast. Add a tablespoon of honey in a glass of lemonade and drink it every morning to stay thin.
Honey also improves your digestion and thus helps in weight loss. Hence honey is also consumed after dinner especially after overeating.

Replace expensive, unhealthful energy drinks with those you make yourself to support a more active lifestyle and loose excess weight. Mix 1/3 cup unsweetened grapefruit, cranberry, pomegranate or other juice with 1/3 cup honey. Add 6 cups of water. If necessary for exercise in hot weather, add a few grains of sea salt. Blend well, distribute in sports bottles and refrigerate till ready to use. Or steep four bags of your favorite herbal, green or flavored black tea in tow cups boiling water. Add five additional cups of water and 1/3 cup honey, stir well and store in sports bottles in the refrigerator till ready to use. Experiment by mixing teas, juices, supplements, water and honey in your own proportions for a sports drink that supports your exercise program and provides a healthy boost of energy.

Finally, many people stop eating food to reduce their weight. Beware of such practices. If you don't eat sufficient food (which involves calories, vitamin, minerals, fibers) your immune system will become weak. Your weight loss program should focus on reducing the intake of calories and not stopping the intake of calories. Further, you should also increase the daily expense of calories by regular exercise.
Remember to share and pass your comments.
Have a great week, and stay beautiful naturally.


Thursday 16 August 2012

Special benefits of the juice from the Bees


Hello Fellow Bloggers
Today I'll be telling us the many benefits of that golden juice from nature called Honey.
Honey is a popular sweetener and a common household product throughout the world. It is non-irritant, nontoxic, available and affordable. While the numerous health benefits of honey have made it an important aspect of traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, scientists are also researching the benefits of honey in modern medicine, especially in healing wounds. It has been used from ancient times as a method of accelerating wound healing. Traditional importance and use of honey as therapeutics has been mentioned by the Egyptian and Sumerian physicians as early as 4000 years ago

What makes honey so popular?
It is the ease with which it can be consumed. One can eat honey directly, put it on bread like a jam, mix it with juice or any drink instead of sugar, or mix it with warm water, lime juice, cinnamon and other herbs to make a medicine. It is savored by all due to its taste as well as health benefits.

The health benefits of honey:
Skin Care: Manufacturers have used honey in everything from hand lotions and moisturizers to bar soaps and bubble baths. One reason they use honey is for its wholesome, all-natural image; more and more consumers are demanding cosmetics and personal care products made from natural ingredients. In the case of honey, however, image is just the beginning. Look for honey in store-bought beauty products or simply add a squeeze of pure honey to your moisturizer, shampoo or soap at home.  For some extra pampering, try whipping up a simple beauty recipe yourself. In my future blog I'll give you some recipe, so be on the look out.
Sweetener: Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.
Energy Source:  Honey contains about 64 calories per tablespoon. Hence honey is also used by many as a source of energy. On the other hand, one tablespoon of sugar will give you about 15 calories. Further the carbohydrates in the honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Hence it is very easy to digest honey.
Weight Loss: Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.
Improving Athletic Performance: Recent research has shown that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.
Source of Vitamins and Minerals: Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The type of vitamins and minerals and their quantity depends on the type of flowers used during apiculture. Commonly, honey contains Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Check for the vitamin and mineral content in sugar from any source, you will find it to be either nil or miniscule.
Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.
Antioxidants: Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.
Good for eyesight
Regular use of honey mixed with the carrot juice helps to improve the eyesight. It should be taken in the early morning.
Toothache Problem
Honey is effective remedy for toothache. Soak a few cloves in the paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth to get instant relief.
Bad Breath Problem
It also helps in getting rid of bad breath problem. Mix a tablespoon of honey with water and gargle several times a day to get rid of bad breath.
Honey in Wound Management
Significant research is being carried out to study the benefits of honey in treating wounds. Nursing Standard provides some of these benefits in the document - The benefits of honey in wound management. These have been given below:
    Honey possesses antimicrobial properties.
    It helps in promoting autolytic debridement.
    It deodorizes malodorous wounds.
    It speeds up the healing process by stimulating wound tissues.
    It helps in initiating the healing process in dormant wounds.
    Honey also helps in promoting moist wound healing.
The healing powers of honey are not hyped. The Waikato Honey Research Unit provides details about the world-wide research that is being carried out on the benefits of honey in medicine. Further, BBC reported in July, 2006 that doctors at the Christie Hospital in Didsbury, Manchester are planning to use honey for faster recovery of cancer patients after surgery. Such research will provide scientific evidence to the so-called beliefs held by honey lovers all over the world and help in propagating benefits of honey to more people.
Now that you know the benefits of honey, how do you eat it? You can eat it raw, add it in water and different beverages and you can add it in several recipes also. What are you waiting for? get your Olaa pure honey.

 

Saturday 11 August 2012

Home tests for pure honey

Good Afternoon Bloggers,
Its been a while. Hope you tried the deep conditioning with Shea butter? I'm still awaiting your responses.
Ever since i was younger i have been fascinated with natural produts and their health benefits.
I began my romance with honey a long time ago, discovering and attesting to its benefits, the myths surrounding this natures gift to mankind, but the most overwhelming part of my romance is how to know which honey is pure. I'll like to share my experience and thoughts about this issue from a honey consumer and later, a seller perspective.
The term "adulterated" honey implies that glucose, dextrose, molasses, corn syrup, sugar syrup, invert sugar, flour, starch, water or any other similar product other than the floral nectar gathered, processed, and stored in the comb by the honey bees have been added.
Personally, when selecting honey in the shop, I think it's almost impossible to tell the bad from the good by just looking at the honey content through the bottle or studying its food and nutrition label. My take is always -- go for the trusted ones.
Home test for pure honey
The flame test:   
1. Dip the head of the match stick into honey allowing it to sock for some seconds, put it in the flame, only a pure honey will produce flame.
2.Take a very small amout (pea size) put it on a small size of news paper then put the fire on the border of the news paper, a pure honey will not burn with the piece of newspaper.
3. Put a spoonful of honey on a money note, then ignite a lighter under the note, the honey will be heating, but the money will not burn; if it's pure honey...

The translucent perimeter test :
Put a small drop of honey on a bond paper and observe how large the translucent perimeter goes. Honey is said to contain wax substance that retains the translucency on the paper, while if adulterated with water the perimeter spreads faster and at some time the circumference becomes smaller because the water had dried up.

The Taste test :
Take a tea spoon of honey into your mouth and swallow, and a few minutes later there should be this sensation of thirst in your throat (you'll feel like drinking water), if its pure honey.

The Comb test:
Put a spoon of honey on a plate with water, and swirl the plate such that after some time, you can see honeycomb shape formed by honey. Only pure honey will form the comb pattern.
Many have claimed the amazing formation of hexagonal patterns on a film of honey as a proof of purity. Too curious to dismiss it, I followed the instructions given:
1. Put a blob of honey onto a light colored round plate.
2. Pour in some cold water to cover the honey.
3. Swirl the plate several times.
4. If the honey is pure, you would see a honeycomb image/pattern on the honey.
And the outcome? Right before my very eyes, with a couple of swirls, I saw a honeycomb pattern consisting of big hexagonal shapes form on the surface of the honey patch, and with several more swirls, the hexagonal cells split into smaller ones, and here's a snapshot of what was observed: 
 However, there are other numerous scientific tests which are very reliable and can only be done in the laboratory, example is the spectroscopy, a method that uses the principle of interaction of light with mater to differentiate substances or carbon isotope ratios analysis to determine if sugars were added to the honey.
Whichever way you decide to test your honey make sure you buy it from a trusted supplier. At Olaa Naturale we pride ourselves with supplying you pure honey, just the way nature intends you to have it. contact us through email olaanaturale@gmail.com call us 08020924020. 

Wednesday 1 August 2012

The step by step guide to using shea butter.

Goodday Fellow Bloggers
For the next few days I will be discussing the different ways you can use your shea butter to help achieve a more beautiful you. Make sure you try it and post comments.

As a deep conditioner
1. Scoop a sizeable amount of natural shea butter into a mix bowl
2. Add 8mls of pure coconut oil
3. Add 5mls of pure honey
4. Mix till the whole mixture is properly homogenised.
5. Add some of your normal conditioner and cover your hair with a shower cap.
6. Steam for 15minutes using a dryer or a steamer.
You can also steam using your body heat but that will take about an hour or more depending on how full and long your hair is.
7. Rinse your hair with water at normal room temperature.
Remember all products have to be pure and natural for you to see the desired result.