Drinking Water…..Is So Boring

Maybe it’s just me, but I think that drinking plain water is super boring!

Don’t get me wrong, its absolutely 1000% good for you to drink water. You must drink water or your skin will turn to junk and you will look way older than you actually are. Nobody wants that! So, you must drink water!!!!

But….

For some people, that is much easier said than done. I don’t know about you, but i tend to get really bored with just plain old water. I like flavor, I like drinking something that has just a touch of flavor to it. Not too much, just enough to get me psychologically past how boring water tastes (what!?!?)

Its a mental thing. I don’t need tasty drinks, I just want them. I am a mother of 2 and sometimes it’s just the simple things in life that matter!!

So, I set out to taste test what the best options were when it comes to flavoring your water! And what I discoverd is that I like more fruit than I initially realized, AND I might actually drink more water from now on!

Here’s what I’ve tried…..

CUCUMBER MINT

I was a little nervous about Cucumber Mint because initially it sounded disgusting. Im not the biggest fan of mint in my drinks, so it sounded a little bit gaggy at first. I was actually surprised at how much I liked this. REALLY surprised, actually! I cut up a bunch of cucumbers and threw just a little bit of mint leaves in the bottle. I left it in the fridge for a few hours and you could taste the flavor, but it wasn’t too over the top! I probably couldnt drink this ALL day, but it was a nice mix up to my normal routine.

TROPICAL LIME

Okay so this recipe called for pineapple, mango and lime….I had pineapple, I had lime, I didn’t have mango. So i left it out! And the recipe was still good! I put my pineapple slices in the jar and my cut lemon wedges, I mashed them up with the back of a spoon and I let it sit in the fridge for a few hours….It was still good even without the mango!!! Actually my favorite, because I really really enjoy pineapple!

RASPBERRY LIME

Kinda tart, but I really liked this one too… Again, took some lime wedges and some raspberries, used the back of my spoon to mash them up a little bit. (I would seriously recommend going light on the mashing part or you will be drinking a ton of raspberry seeds) I like the “tartness” of this one, I really looked forward to drinking it!

STRAWBERRY AND LEMON

This one was pretty safe, I knew it would be good because in my mind it was basically strawberry lemonade! And it was pretty close. Tasted like a very watered down lemonade! It was still good, and I loved eating all the rest of the left-over strawberries.

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This is pretty much as adventurous as I have gotten with my water flavors. I am pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning, cutting up and storing fresh fruit. I was tempted to try frozen fruit, but I really wanted to go on a Sprouts trip and be as organic as possible! Frozen would probably work just as well, provided you let the fruit thaw out a bit first!! I’ve heard some people use essential oils in their water to give it some flavor. Depending on the flavor, that would probably be an even easier way to give your water a little flavor!

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!!! I would seriously LOVE some more creative mixtures to try!

 

Vitamins for Your Skin

When I was in high school and college, I didnt give much thought to a skincare routine. I really only cared if my acne was cleared, and if it wasn’t, I wanted makeup that was going to cover it.

When I hit my mid-twenties, I realized that I needed to change up how I was taking care of my skin. I didn’t want to be “old” and have skin that made me want to cry. I didn’t want to have skin that I couldnt be proud of.  I wanted to have healthy(er) skin!!!

That sounds kind of ridiculous, but have you ever just seen an older person and thought “wow, they have great skin.”

Yeah, I want to be that person!

I did a little research and found out that there are vitamins that are super important for your skin. Actually, they are REALLY important for your skin.

So, here they are, in no particular order (just know they are all important)

1. VITAMIN A

Vitamin A is important because it helps to promote cell production, and it increases firmness, tone and elasticity. Its best to use products that have Vitamin A in them, at night, because Vitamin A can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. If you do use a product that has Vitamin A in it during the day, make sure you wear sunscreen!!

2. Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 is also known as pantothenic acid, and it is an awesome vitamin for skin and hair. This vitamin helps moisturize, soothe and heal you hair when applied topically.  And it is great for your scalp. It helps increase ceramide levels, which helps to prevent moisture loss in your skin! You can find B5 in avacados, sunflower seeds, broccoli and mushrooms.

3.  Vitamin C

Vitamin C is most commonly used for colds and maintaining your health. However, vitamin C  can also help protect your skin from free radicals that are trying to do damage. Vitamin C benefits your skin by promoting firmness, brightening and evening skin tone.

 

4.  Vitamin E

Vitamin E is also known as tocopherol, and it is found in nearly every skincare product line. This is a vitamin that is super antioxidant-rich and helps to heal/ reduces the appearance of scars. It has amazing moisturizing properties and also helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

5. Folic Acid

This vitamin helps in maintaining healthy, beautiful skin! It has a high concentration of antioxidants that can help to reduce the oxidative  effects of stress on your skin. Folic Acid is known to have anti-aging benefits as well as moisturizing benefits.

6. Probiotics

Probiotics help to maintain healthy bacteria for your GI tract. When you have a healthy GI tract, your body is able to function properly (absorbing nutrients, eliminating toxins). If your GI tract isn’t able to function properly, then your body is not able to fight off the bad bacteria that can lead to inflammation. Start with your insides to help your skin look beautiful!!

7. Omega 3 Fatty Acids

These are good for you because they are excellent at fighting wrinkles. Stress and pollutants can do damage to your skin, specifically creating wrinkles and fine lines on your face. Omega 3 Fatty Acids are great for your skin, when applied topically as well as ingested. They are critical to your skins hydration, they lock in moisture  so your skin doesn’t become overly dry leading to cracking and irritation.

 

8. Vegan Collagen

I say Vegan Collagen because many companies will source their collagen from animal sources, including bones, tendons, teeth or skin. There is really no need for animal cruelty when it comes to your skin products/ cosmetics (Lemongrass Spa products are cruelty free, just saying!!) Collagen helps with skin elasticity and hydration, making it key for your skincare routine.

9. Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is good for your skin because it boosts hydration. Many products have hyaluronic acid in them as a way to lock in moisture and hydrate your skin. It is naturally occurring in your body, but as you age, production begins to decrease. When you add it to your skincare routine, it helps boost collagen production!

10. Flavonoids

Flavonoids are rich in antioxidants and have anti-carcinogenic properties. They also have anti-inflammatory benefits. Typically found in dark chocolate, green tea, red wine and various berries, the benefits for your skin are amazing (so don’t skip on the dark chocolate and red wine!!!) It’s pretty awesome when your favorite treats are actually good for your skin!!!

Why I joined Lemongrass Spa

I recently decided to join Lemongrass Spa as a Spa Consultant because I really loved their products! I was looking for products that were natural, healthy and safe. After doing A LOT of research I found Lemongrass Spa.

The company stood out to me, the founder had a story that was really similar to mine. She was pregnant and was looking at her skincare and cosmetic products and realized just how many toxins were in the things she was wearing.

My story isn’t much different….

I had my daughter in May 2017. She had difficulties digesting food and keeping her weight up, and I was terrified. She is a fighter and everything is good now, but I was constantly worried about what she would come into contact with. I wanted to protect her from anything that could possibly make her unhealthy!

I knew from my 10+ years working as a makeup artist and in the cosmetology field, the stuff that women put on their faces….is not healthy! I knew that many of the things that men use in their hygiene routine, aren’t healthy! It’s not really something that the media likes to tell you, and usually it isn’t until someone gets really sick, that it becomes an issue (take the Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder disaster, for example) Its really sad actually.

I wish I would have considered this a lot earlier, but I was so young when I had my son. It just wasn’t something I thought about. Much like everyone else, I thought….”Oh its sold in Target/Walmart/Ulta……it HAS to be safe!”

Wrong!

And it wasn’t until I saw it with my own eyes, that I REALLY realized just how bad things were.

My husband was sitting with me in our bathroom watching me get ready one day. Messing around with my dry shampoo bottle, he (for whatever reason) decided he was going to read the back label. And i’ll never forget, he read the ingredient list and it stopped him dead in his tracks…..The FIRST listed ingredient in my dry shampoo (that I purchased at Ulta) was Butane!!

YEP, BUTANE!!!

In case you are wondering, why that might sound a little familiar….yeah, its lighter fluid! It’s what LIGHTER FLUID is made out of.

And it immediately hit both of us….

Our daughter puts my hair into her mouth!! LIKE ALL THE TIME….(shes either sucking on my hair or trying to rip it out)

I don’t know about you, but the thought of my daughter sucking on lighter fluid, REALLY REALLY made me upset. And even though it might be different than actual lighter fluid, they might change it for hair products or it might be in small quantities. I was wearing it, darn near every single day! It starts to add up over time.

When you google “Butane” you will find some pretty serious warnings…it can impair the brain and nervous system causing an increased heart rate, dizziness and loss of consciousness if inhaled. And the long term effects can be sudden collapse, coma, respiratory failure, liver and kidney failure and even death!!

That was my “ahhhh hell no” moment!

I’ve been hooked ever since! I threw out all my old makeup and skincare stuff which was hard because it was a lot of $$$ down the toilet, and I know my husband kinda cringed a bit…but it really has been for the best. My skin has improved, and I dont worry if my daughter grabs my face and then sucks on her fingers, that she is going to get some horrible chemicals in her mouth from my makeup.

I realize I sell it, so you are probably thinking…..she’s just desperate to sell it.

Nope!

I started using Lemongrass Spa because I was really looking for something healthy, I started selling the product because I fell in love with it. And let’s be honest, I get a discount!

I’d love to share it with you, IF you are interested, but more importantly…I just want everyone to consider healthier alternatives for cosmetics and skincare ! If not for yourself, then for the sake of your kiddos and family!!

Welcome

Thank you for visiting!

Make sure to check out my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/lemongrassMomma

Also, visit my Lemongrass Spa page at:

OurLemongrassSpa.com/13810

 

Thanks so much

 

Chelsea