Natural and Organic Skin Care - Are they really better for your skin?

In this day and age we are becoming more and more obsessed with organic products. Organic food is all the rage, and now organic beauty products are also taking a center stage. So just how good are these products for us? Are they really that much different from ordinary products?

Organic skin care is the safest and ideal products for your family's skin care routine.  Infants and children have exceptionally sensitive skin and taking care in what you put on their skin can help avoid a number of problems down the road.  Many ordinary products contain chemicals such as alcohol and lead.  Alcohol is extremely drying on the skin and it can cause many problems for those with sensitive skin.  So it is easy to see why natural or organic products are becoming very popular.  So you ask what are the benefits of natural and organic products?

Organic products are made from natural ingredients and are often really good for those who need a product that is gentle enough for sensitive skin.  Along these lines they are also good for children and those who are trying to stay away from additives, dyes, preservatives and fragrances.  However, it is important to remember that just because a product uses natural and organic ingredients you should still read the label to make sure you are not allergic to one of the ingredients.  

Speaking of labels: What you see is what you get and it is good to know what you are putting on your skin.  
Although organic products are generally more expensive than ordinary ones, as they mainly use natural ingredients, it is possible to find great natural and organic products at affordable products.  You can even create some of your own products.  

It is important to remember that there is no regulation over the term "organic" in the skin care industry.  Manufacturers can make claims that their products are natural or organic without certification.  To be considered an organic product ingredients must be 70% or over organic.  Whenever you see that a product boasts itself as organic then you should check the ingredient list to confirm the proclamation.

Get familiar with different ingredients used in the different products so you can determine whether the product is natural or made up of man made chemicals.  Do your research and follow your intuitions to determine which product is right for you.  Don't be afraid to ask the questions or ask for samples.

Elizabeth
Morgan's Boutique

New Cosmetic Products!!!

We are really excited to announce some new cosmetic products.  We have had several customers suggest new products they would like to see us add and well we listened.  We would also really like to talk everyone for their comments.

 We wanted to showcase a few of the products in our blog today but we have several more that have been released and we plan on releasing several more products over the next few months.  We have already had an overwhelming response and we grateful for the positive feedback.

One of our favorite new products in the Tinted Mineral Face Primer!  This fabulous primer holds back oil, holds foundation, fills in fine lines leaving skin radiant and smooth with Vitamin E, Jojoba, Sunflower Seed and Lemongrass.

Another highly requested item is a creamy eye shadow that is easy to apply.  We went one step further with an eyeshadow auto stick.  Choose from 8 brilliant colors that are long wearing and provide SPF 15 protection.

To continue with the eyes, we will introduce several other new products.  Eye Fix is a creamy base that if applied prior to applying your eyeshadow will keep your shadow from creasing or fading.

Anti-Oxidant Eye Base is a flesh tone base that allows for a soft, natural application.  It also holds your shadow in place while adding the benefit of anti-oxidants.

We also added a mineral mascara that is great for those with sensitive eyes.

Lash Prime and Define is

the ultimate lash conditioner.  It lengthens and thickens, enriches and conditions too.  You can wear alone or under your mascara for fabulous lashes.

Brow Fix is a super clear gel that sets quickly to facilitate easy shaping of the eye brows.  It can also be used as clear mascara to enhance the lashes natural length without adding color.  This product was also one that we got many requests to add.  We hope you will like it as much as we do.

Next, lets talk lipgloss.  Duets - Two great lipgloss shades that look great together in one dual sided container.  The dual sided tube boasts a matching shade of lipgloss on each end of the tube.  Mix the shades together to create a new shade or each them individually depending on your mood.  We have 10 combination tubes.

Lip Seal is a great new product that will keep your favorite lipstick in place all day.  Apply the lip seal over your lipstick, keep your lips apart for 30 seconds and poof!  Your lips are sealed.
 Our next lip products are tops for soft lips.  These 3 products work well together. 

Vitamin E Stick & Vitamin C Stick - Use the Vit E or C stick around the eyes and lips.  Apply each night on lips after exfoliating for softer lips.

Lip Pumice - Gently rub lip pumice in a circular motion on lips to exfoliate dry flaky lips.

Last we will talk about another one of our favorite new products.  Mineral Moisture Tint is a creamy tinted moisturizer that can be uses alone or under your favorite foundation.  It is great for all skin types and provides SPF 15 protection.

Check out our great new products today.  We want to thank all our customers for your comments and suggestions.  Please let us know what you think.

Contact us anytime at contact.morgansboutique@gmail.com.

Elizabeth
Morgan's Boutique
www.morgans-boutique.com

Rings - Birthstones

Rings can be made of almost any material now. They can be made from plastic, silver, gold, or copper, even wood. They can be made of ceramic materials as well. They can be of simple design or something as intricate as filigree.

They can be plain and simple or they can be adorned with jewels or gemstones, as in the case of birthstone rings. There is a birthstone for each month of the year and each has its own meaning. See the listing below. 

January - Garnet
The gem of faith and truth; protects from poisons, thought to stop bleeding, cure sickness of the blood and infections.

February - Amethyst
Aids soldiers in battle, control evil thoughts, helps hunters to catch animals, and helps the owner be good in business.

March - Aquamarine
Sailors used aquamarine to gemstones to keep them safe and to prevent seasickness. It gives the wearer courage, foresight and courage

April - Diamond
Symbol of strength, courage, and invincibility. It is the ultimate gift of love. In 1477 Archduke Maxmillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring, thus starting the tradition of diamonds being given as engagement rings.

May - Emerald
Sharpened the wearer's eyesight and mind. Travelers used them as protection against the hazards of long trips. The green color is said to give the owner power to predict the future.

June - Pearl
Freshwater pearls give the power of love, money, protection, and luck. It is said they give provide wisdom through experience and protect children from harm.

July - Ruby
Its red color is related to sex, passion, strength, health, physical energy, courage, and protection. It is associated with blood, birth, and death

August - Peridot
It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, peace, and success. Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. It attracts love, calms anger, eases anxiety and negative emotions

September - Saphire
Its powers include spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. It is said to aid in the healing of rheumatism, colic and mental illness

October - Opal
It has healing powers that aid inner beauty, faithfulness, and eyesight. It also aids in remembering past lives.

November - Yellow Topaz (Sanskrit for fire)
In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Citrine - also for November - Aids the kidneys, heart, digestive tract liver, and muscles. It promotes creativity, personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.

December - Blue Topaz (Sanskrit for fire)
In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Turquoise - also for December - It attracts money, success, and love. It gives protection, healing, courage, friendship, and luck. It eases the mind and mental tension.

Best wishes for the week.  Well talk soon.

Elizabeth 

Morgan's Jewelry Boutique

www.morgans-jewelryboutique.com

So what is herbal skin care?

Skin care has been around since ancient times and is a constant topic with ever changing headlines.  In ancient times herbal skin care was the only way to take care of the skin.  Beauty is ever changing but it always cycles back around to it's roots.  Today herbal skin care methods are coming back into fashion even though the majority of the market consists of synthetic/chemical based products.  We are seeing more of these herbal skin care products being commercialized.  These commercial herbal skin care products have to mixed with preservatives in order to increase their shelf-life.  This does slightly decrease the effectiveness of the product but unless you want to make your herbal care products at home, there has to be some give and take.

So what are some of the herbal skin care ingredients and what do they do?

Aloe vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.

A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea.

Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties. Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.

Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.

Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herbal skin care. Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin care. Some fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in shower gels (as a hydrating mix)

Homeopathic treatments and aromatherapy also come under the umbrella of herbal skin care remedies.

Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for treatment of skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Most herbal skin care products don't have any side effects (the most important reason for preferring them over synthetic products).  So whether you decide to venture into making your own skin care products from home or you choose a commercial herbal product, you can see the benefits of the ingredients. 

Elizabeth
Morgan's Boutique
www.morgans-boutique.com

Great Blotchy Skin Remedies

Blotchy skin on one’s face can be very difficult to deal with. Since remedies for red blotchy skin take a lot of time and they cannot cause the problem to disappear for good, a great makeup for blotchy skin is what may save the day. Applying the right type of foundation to cover blotchy skin is of the utmost important. Here are some useful makeup tips for blotchy skin that you may apply, in order to enhance your appearance.

Preparation
Makeup for blotchy skin can only do so much. This only means that you have to give the blotchy skin on your face a proper makeover even before applying any makeup. Preparation for blotchy skin includes using exfoliating creams and smoothing lotions that will make your skin smoother and more even, as well as ready for applying makeup.  Many people forget an important set, the toner.  Toner, one without alcohol of which we carry two brands, corrects Ph and prepares the skin to absorb the moisturizer.  The moisturizer is the key to mineral makeup application.  Make sure you apply your mineral makeup shortly after applying your moisturizer.  We carry two great moisturizers Naturally Essential and Deluvia.


Less is more
Many women tend to put on a lot of makeup in order to cover blotchy skin, but this is the worse thing that they can actually do. Heavy makeup tends to cake up, giving a nasty appearance, so you should refrain from doing so. The best makeup tips for blotchy skin teach that less is more and this applies to foundation, lipstick, blush, eyeshade and so on.

The right foundation for blotchy skin
We truly believe that mineral makeup is the best makeup for blotchy skin.  Mineral makeup can be blended to match your skin tone, it is very economical, all natural with no skin irritating chemicals and with a little practice easy to use.  Mineral makeup provides good pigmentation and along with the foundation to match your skin tone you will also what to find a color corrector.  For example, green color corrector applied prior to your foundation will tone down any redness which is common in blotchy skin. 


Take your time
The best makeup tip for blotchy skin is to take your time. While applying makeup, and especially foundation, put on a little product, stretch it as evenly as possible and then wait for the results to show. If you are satisfied, you can resume your normal makeup habits, but, if you are not, you can add a little more foundation for blotchy skin and wait again.  Always work from the outside of the face and work your way inside.  Use a concealer or color corrector first and then apply your foundation.  Note: A good quality make up brush is a must.  Pick a soft, silkly brush that will not irritate the skin.


These simple makeup tips for blotchy skin are meant to help you enhance your appearance and hide skin imperfections.  If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us.

Elizabeth 
Morgan's Boutique
www.morgans-boutique.com

What's the Difference in all the Acne products on the Market Today?

There are basically 3 different categories of acne products.  We will talk today about these categories.

The first category is preventative or general care products.  These products are what most people start with and usually do a good job in prevention and/or clearing acne.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne by limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. They do this by preventing the oil from getting trapped in pores and then hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

The second category are specialized acne care products.  These products are also over the counter but are more specialized to the task of clearing acne from the skin. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist. 

This leads us to the last category of products: Prescription acne products.  These products require a prescription form a physician or dermatologist.  This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics. Dermatologist could also perform a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules(enlarged/inflamed zit). However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases. 

As you can see there are many products on the market today. I suggest you start with the first category of products and move up the line as needed.  Always consult a physician if you think your acne is worse than a mild case.

Next issue we will talk more about skin care products in general.

Please let us know if you have topics of interest or have questions.

Elizabeth
www.morgans-boutique.com