Facial Serums

Facial serums are formulated to provide delicate facial skin with targeted nutrition to meet specific skincare needs. They are concentrated, omitting the extra ingredients often found in lotions and creams. Serums can both nourish and hydrate the skin, and provide the highest concentration of active ingredients, much more than most other facial care products. They are fast-absorbing and designed to address specific issues you may be experiencing with your skin. Think of facial serums like vitamins. You select your vitamins to address specific health needs, and you should apply this process to choosing facial serums, too, to address specific skin needs.

Should you add a facial serum to my regimen? Short answer, Yes. While moisturizers hydrate the skin, serums nourish from deep within and and work to target specific skin ailments. Many people are hesitant because they are scared of oils. However, if you are choosing the right serum for your skin type, the oil will be okay- yes even if you are prone to oily skin. Using a serum can actually help regulate your natural sebum production, helping your skin to not overproduce oil.

To use a serum and maximize it's benefits, cleanse the skin well for 2 minutes. Using a toner after cleansing will help the serum spread more evenly and work into the skin quickly. Apply a few drops of serum and massage all over face, neck and chest. Finish your routine with a plant based moisturizer to lock in the active ingredients. Remember you can layer up different serums to tackle various issues too!

Avapure offers three serums.

The original Facial Serum which contains antioxidant rich raspberry and blackberry seed oil, this one is best for normal to dry skin types.

The Beautifying Serum contains Amazonian Lily extract which is nourishing, giving the skin a smooth and supple appearance. Its rich composition provides deep conditioning and moisture while also having a detoxifying effect on the skin. This one is perfect for all skin types.

The Balance Serum is perfect for normal to oil skin types. This serum is formulated with oils that help regulation the skin’s natural sebum production.

Find my group https://www.facebook.com/groups/avapurebb/ to learn more about facial serums and other green beauty tips.

Tips & Tricks For At Home Facials

At-home facials are a quick and easy way to keep your skin radiant and glowing. When too much time lapses between pamper sessions, skin becomes dull and tired looking. It is amazing how much that little 10-20 minute session can do for perking up a mood and giving your face a radiant.

 What if I told you that you could make the at home facial even more amazing! Here are some tips and tricks to add to your routine. No need to do them all at once. Just rotate or mix and match as you wish.

 1.  Add facial serum to your mask when you mix it up! This will add the amazing benefits of the raw oils and extracts to your mask as well as soften it up a bit, rather than the typical dry pull of the clay masks.

2.   Add regular exfoliation to your routine. Exfoliate several times a week and right before your mask treatment as well.  Exfoliation is an amazing skincare ritual that has many benefits. We will focus specifically on Exfoliation in a future post.

3.     You can mix and match masks as needed. If you need something soothing for chapped winter skin but also detoxifying and clarifying for oily/ congested skin, try combining a soothing mask such as the Rose and Aloe or the Pumpkin Pulp Mask with the Deep Cleansing Charcoal or Clarifying Green Tea Mask. This makes your facial options endless. Avapure offers masks trios too that is perfect for trying out mask mixing.

4.     Although you can mix your mask with simple things you already have such as water, milk, or juice- mixing your mask with Avapure’s Mask Tonic will add fabulous nutrients to your at home facial. The mask tonics are heavily concentrated with floral waters and extracts making them perfect for targeted skincare.

5.     If time is your biggest excuse for not doing an at home facial, try this little tip. Mix and apply your mask as usual. Next, use the cool setting on your hair dryer to speed up the drying process of the mask. This will cut your 10-15 minutes wait time to about 5 minutes. 

6.     If you have specific blemishes that need targeted treatment you can mix a very small amount of mask with Avapure’s Blemish Zap and apply to the blemished areas as needed. Leave the mask on for several hours or overnight.

 I would love to hear from you. Let me know what tips and trick you have tried and love!

Simple Steps to a Spa Like Facial at Home

Over the next few weeks, I will be discussing how to easily and effectively give yourself an at-home facial. This series will include basic steps for an effective home facial, tips and tricks for getting the most out of your facial, and a self-care challenge to conclude our series, committing to regular at home facials.

 The at-home facial is wonderful for a variety of reasons. It is fabulous for maintaining your skin in between those recommended professional facials every few months. Additionally, at-home facials can deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin, while adding some skin loving nutrients your skin will drink up. Lastly, there is something so relaxing about an at-home facial. It is a mood lifter and a confidence booster too. So, everyone pull those clay masks out of your cabinet and follow these easy steps.

1.     Remove your make-up. Start with gently removing your eye make-up. I love to use Avapure’s Eye Make-up Remover and a Norwex face cloth (the face cloth alone is too rough around my delicate eye area). According to Sarah from Skincare by Sarah, the best way to wash your face is without water! Apply cleanser to dry skin. Massage into your skin for about 1 minute, or until the cleanser is nearly soaked in.  After the cleanser is absorbed well into the skin, add water and continue massaging for an additional minute. This allows the cleanser to go deeper into the pores, loosening up any make-up and environmental build up.

2.     Exfoliate! I love exfoliating. It is like a relaxing massage for your face. I love Avapure’s Honey and Herbs Scrub or the Ylang Ylang and Lime Facial Scrub. Both are gentle, non-toxic and have the added benefits of herbs and essential oils. In a pinch, some at home items will work well enough. Try making a paste out of baking soda. This is surprisingly effective, even on sensitive skin. Another option is organic rolled oats blended up into a fine grain. Whichever product you choose, apply it in circular motions avoiding the delicate skin around the yes.  Good exfoliation is the base to exposing new, healthy skin for your next few steps.

3.     The mask comes next! This is the most relaxing part of the facial. Mix up your favorite Avapure mask and apply the cool treatment to your skin, avoiding the delicate skin around the eyes. Sit back and meditate in the calm. Take this 15 minutes to focus on your skin and de-stress. If you choose, apply Avapure’s Cooling Eye Gel around and under the eye area. This cucumber gel is the perfect compliment to your mini spa session.

4.     Toner is the most underrated part of the facial. After so much cleansing and exfoliating from the past four steps, your skin is raw and exposed. What goes on your skin next is crucial: this layer should be soothing and chock-full of vitamins and antioxidants to restore your skin back to its normal pH.  Avapure’s toners are all in a range for healthy skin (4.5-5.5)

5.     The rest is up to you!  Personally, I prefer going all out during my at home spa session. I will apply an oil facial serum such as Avapure’s Balancing Serum followed by the Priming Balm or Repair Collagen Serum. Both contain Hyaluronic acid, which penetrates deep inter the dermins, hydrating and boosting elasticity of the skin.

6.     Lastly, apply your traditional cream based moisturizer such as Avapure’s Power C Facial Cream, containing Camu Camu extract which is incredibly high in Vitamin C and promotes a bright, healthy glow.

 These simple steps will create a luxurious at-home facial that will trick your supple radiant skin into thinking you spent the entire day at the spa!

A Gentle Cleanser with a Powerful Punch

Citrus Glow Daily Facial Cleansers

The Citrus Glow cleansers are two of the most popular Avapure products. Aside from the gentle sudsing and beautiful citrus aroma, this line has a hidden gem of an ingredient that truly packs some punch. Formulated with a nutrient dense fruit enzyme complex, this cleanser aids in exfoliating and rejuvenating the skin. This unique blend of Pomegranate, Starfruit, Passionfruit, Kiwi, Mangosteen, Pineapple, Lychee, Indian Jujube and Guava ex­tracts release naturally occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs). In simplest terms, these naturally occurring AHA's work by gently exfoliating the skin, making way for new healthier skin cells. As new skin cells generate, older cells slough off to reveal a smoother looking aesthetic. Factors such as sun damage, age and environmental stress cause this process to slow which results in the accumulation of dead skin cells.

Avapure's Citrus Glow cleanser is available in both gel and creamy. Those with normal to oily complexions prefer the gel while normal to dry benefit from the creamy. Preference may change depending on the season and climate as well. If you haven't added this gem to your routine, give it a try. If you are currently cleansing with the Citrus Glow try these suggested uses to get even more super fruit punch from it. All this being said, since this is more of an 'active' product it is highly suggested that you use a sunscreen daily while using this cleanser (which you should be using anyway!). Additionally, it is not recommended for those with red/ sensitive skin complexions.

• Add a small amount of cleaner to the Ylang Ylang and Lime facial scrub or the Honey and Herb facial scrub to amp up your exfoliating process.

• After sudsing up your beautiful face, leave on for 1-2 minutes before rinsing allow the super fruits to do their awesome work.

• Use it once or twice a week on your neck and chest to give that delicate area an antioxidant boost.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Organic Helinanthus Annus (Sunflower) oil, Coco-glucoside, Fruit Enzyme Extract (Averrhoa Carambola (Starfruit), Passiflora Incarnata (Passion Flower), Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi), Garcinia Mangostana (Purple Mangosteen) , Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) , Litchi Chinensis,  Zizyphus Jujuba  Psidium Guajava (Guava) Fruit Extract) Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Organic Glycerin, EcoCERT NeoDefend (Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate), Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Organic Citrus paradise (Grapefruit) oil, Organic citrus aurantifolia (Lime) oil, organic Litsea Cubeba oil

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) hydrosol, Decyl Glucoside, Organic Olive (Olea europaea) oil, Fruit Enzyme Extract Starfruit (Averrhoa Carambola), Passion Flower (Passiflora Incarnata) , Kiwi (Actinidia Chinensis), Purple Mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana), Pineapple (Ananas Sativus), Pomegranate (Punica Granatum), Guava Fruit Extract, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, EcoCERT NeoDefend (Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate), Xantham Gum, Organic Castor (Ricinus communis) Oil, Organic Grapefruit (Citrus paradise) Oil, Organic Lime (citrus aurantifolia) Oil, Organic Litsea Cubeba Oil

Sunburn Alert: This product provides mild exfoliation that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards.

Go Green

With Earth Day being tomorrow, I challenge you to reflect on your habits routines and make at least one simple change.  The choices are unlimited.  However, just one simple adjustment in your routine will make a difference for you and possibly open the door to other "greener" options.

Listed below are 20 suggestions, some simple and others a little more challenging and time consuming.  However, just try to make one change...it may lead to more.

• Start a compost pile.

• Make your own cleaning products or purchase earth friendly ones.

• Swap out some OTC medications for herbal remedies.

• Find a green shampoo/conditioner/body wash.

• Purchase more organic products.

• Plant something-flowers, garden, tree...

• Join a co-op for fresh local produce or meats.

• Take shorter showers.

• Turn off the lights and open up the windows.

• Take a bicycle, walk or carpool when possible.

• Bring your own grocery bags when shopping.

• Pick up trash in your neighborhood or at a local park.

• Make nature crafts such as bird feeders or bird houses.

• Use BPA-free reusable water bottles.

• Get off junk mail lists.  GreenDimes can get you started.  They'll even plant a tree for you!

• Landscape with native plants. Check out the article on the  EPA website.

• Switch to fair trade coffee.

• Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to "cold."

• Teach your kids about the environment.

• Buy in season.

Many of these things I do or they are on my list for this years changes.  If you need more information on any of these things or a specific how to, feel free to ask.  

Earth Day Coupon Code for www.avapurebb.com  

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