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As you age your body naturally sheds dead skin cells. The dead skin makes your face sometimes seem dull, oily or dry. You can help your body look more radiant by exfoliating it. Exfoliates get rid of the excess dead skin and brings forth a younger and refreshed face. Exfoliates are best when they are made with natural products. Being that your skin is the biggest organ on your body, it’s important to know the dos and don’ts on things to apply on your face. The easiest way to know is by making your own at home. It’s inexpensive and healthy for you.

You can usually make your exfoliates and scrubs with things that are just laying around in your kitchen. Sugar and salts is usually the main ingredient to any facial/body scrub. One of my favorite home made scrubs is made by mixing three drops of pure peppermint essential oil, 2 tbsp ground rice and juice of half a lime. You can buy any essential oil at a whole foods or Chamberlains natural food store. The peppermint gives you a nice cooling effect that makes you feel very refreshed.  The acid from the lemon has a toning effect on skin and the ground rice is what scrubs against the dead skin. If you don’t care for peppermint then lavender is another nice essential oil.

Lavender comes from the Latin root (lavare) “to wash”. It was used in baths to purify the body and spirit. It is also known as an anti-depressant. It’s a natural remedy for stress, anxiety and unstable moods. It has calming and relaxing effects on the body. By spraying it on your pillow before bed, it can help you relax and go to sleep easier. Eucalyptus has a very close effect. The main active ingredient in eucalyptus oil is “eucalyptol” which is a strong germicidal and disinfectant. It also lowers blood sugar and helps relieve fevers and bronchial congestion. It’s often used to relieve nerve, muscle and joint pains. Eucalyptus is also good for the mind by alleviating stress, and mental fatigue.

 Another exfoliate I love making is made out of oatmeal. All you need is a few drops of orange essential oil, 2 tbsp bran, 2 tbsp finely ground oatmeal, and 1 tsp of lemon juice. It’s sweet and has a wonderfully clean smell! This one is not suitable for sensitive skins though so be careful. The acids may be too much for your face. Body skin is tougher than the skin on your face so you will notice that they’re a little coarser. You can make a body mask by mixing 1 1/2 tsp dried juniper berries, 8 fresh strawberries, and 2 to 4 tbsp ginger root, peeled and grated. Mash all the berries together and apply it mostly on your limbs. Then rinse off with warm water and wash cloth. You can also just brush your skin which helps with ridding your body from dead skin cells while opening clogged pores and detoxifying your body which improves your lymphatic system. Try these easy to make exfoliates and don’t be scared to try different essential oils. Each of them has a different benefit to your body! Enjoy newer fresher skin!

The tango is one of the most well-known dances in the world, but few amateur dancers actually know how to tango.  While it’s an incredibly beautiful and sensual dance, the tango can also be a difficult dance to learn.  However, if you’re visiting Buenos Aires – the amazing and beautiful capital of Argentina – learning the tango may be on your list of things to do.  After all, Buenos Aires is known as the home of the tango, so there’s no better place to master this dance!

There are several different options for learning the tango in Buenos Aires.  Most people will want to start with beginner lessons, unless they’ve taken tango lessons before.  You’ll also have the option of taking either group lessons or private lessons.  Group lessons will, of course, be cheaper.  However, you won’t get the personal attention that you’ll get in a private course.  Many group lessons do have a maximum number of couples, though, so while you won’t get quite the same sort of attention, you won’t be in a group composed of more than a dozen or so couples and you’ll still get some personal attention from the instructor.

If you sign up for private lessons, on the other hand, it will just be you and your instructor.  Your instructor will be able to adjust his or her teaching style to take into account your dancing expertise and your knowledge of the tango.  If you’ve already taken a few tango lessons, this may be perfect for you.  You’ll be able to pick up almost right were you left off with your previous lessons, which means you won’t have to go though the basic steps that you may already know as you will in a beginner group lesson.

However, be aware that there are also different types of tango classes for you to take.  If you’re only going to be in Buenos Aires for a few weeks or so, a very short, basic class may be just what you need.  These basic courses will only teach you the bare basics of the tango, but they’ll be enough that you’ll be able to build on these skills later.  If you’re going to be spending a good amount of time in Buenos Aires, you may want to sign up for a course that lasts for several months or so.  These courses will teach you more of the advanced steps of the tango.  At the end of these courses, you’ll know more than just the basic tango – you’ll know many of the most impressive steps and other moves that make the dance so much fun to watch.

Some tango lessons also include some lessons in Spanish.  In these courses, your instructors may use Spanish terms and directions in addition to English words, allowing you to pick up a bit of the vocabulary, as well as dance steps.  You’ll also find that some tango lessons involve attending tango dances and professional performances.  Even if they’re optional, it’s a great idea to attend these performances in order to soak up more of the culture of Buenos Aires.

When most people think of Pilates classes, they imagine classes led by lithe instructors and the classic exercises that can only be performed on the Reformer.  But did you know there are several simple Pilates exercises you can do on an exercise mat at home?  Keep these in mind for the next time you can’t make it to the studio for your usual class.

One popular Pilates exercise you can do at home is called The Hundred.  This is a type of modified crunch designed to strengthen the core muscles.  Lie on an exercise mat on your back with your toes pointed.  Anchor your shoulder blades, and “zip and hollow” your abdominal muscles.  Tuck your chin down onto your chest, and lift your head and shoulders up from the mat so that you’re looking toward your stomach.  Keeping your legs straight, raise them about 2 inches from the floor, and raise your arms to about a 45 degree angle.  “Pump” your arms up and down about 6 to 8 inches, inhaling for 5 beats and then exhaling for 5 beats, for a total of 100 beats.  Unless you’re already very fit, start slowly and work your way up to 100 beats.

The next exercise is the Roll Up, and you begin in the same basic position as before – lying on your exercise mat on your back, toes pointed, shoulder blades anchored, and abdominal muscles zipped and hollowed.  Your arms should be extended above your head and resting on the floor.  As you inhale, point your toes upward, bring your arms upward, and tuck your chin to your chest.  Keep moving and as you exhale, roll your spine up off the mat and stretch forward until your head is touching your knees.  Inhale again as you begin to reverse your position, beginning to exhale about half way through so that you have fully exhaled by the time you have returned to the starting position.  Try to work your way up to 6 repetitions of this exercise.

Angel Arms is a good warm up exercise, as well as an exercise that can improve your posture and give your arms and shoulders a greater range of motion.  Lie on your back on your exercise mat, with your back in a neutral, naturally curved position.  Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor, and keep your arms down by your side.  While inhaling, sweep your arms straight out to the side and up, as if you were making the wings of a snow angel, keeping the movement in your arms and shoulders.  Exhale as your bring your arms back down to your sides.  This exercise should be done slowly, with proper focus and control.

Finally, The Swan exercise provides an excellent counterpoint to The Hundred and the Roll Up.  Lie on your stomach on the mat with your arms close to your body.  Bending your elbows, bring your hands up under your shoulders.  Using your abdominal muscles, pull your belly button up toward your back and try to keep your abdominal muscles in this position throughout the exercise.  As you inhale, press against the mat with your forearms and hands, stretching and lengthening your spine as you arc upwards.  Then, exhale as you slowly return to the starting position.  Think of yourself as raising and lowering one vertebra at a time, and perform this exercise three to five times.

Healthy hair means a healthy internal body. Hair grows ¼ to ½ inch a month. Shampoo and conditioner alone will not do it. You need receive a number of vitamins for it to grow more consistently and healthy. Your hair reflects your health. If you aren’t receiving the right vitamins then your hair will probably grow very slow. It also tends to be dull and brittle. Eat a healthy diet and see the difference!

Eating foods that are high in B vitamins are crucial to the development of healthy hair. Although a diet will improve the condition of hair, it will not beat genetics. If you have thin hair, eating right will not make it any thicker. It will get it shiny and healthy. Foods that will get your locks into shape are foods like salmon, dark veggies, Legumes, & nuts. Foods that are high in Vitamin B and Omega-3.Salmon are filled with Vitamin B-12 and Iron.

Dark green veggies are loaded with B vitamins, Iron, Vitamin A and C. The veggies produce sebum which is the oil your body produces for you hair. It’s your natural conditioner. Lentils and kidney beans are a great source of protein, B vitamins and Iron. Nuts are rich in Zinc and Omega-3 fatty acid. Carrots promote healthy skin and scalp along with good vision. Eating healthy will promote luscious locks and overall health. Stay away from fad diets. They affect the way your hair behaves and they way it absorbs nutrients.
Here are some more tips to help you keep your hair from frying. Maintain healthy ends. Make sure you get them trimmed every 2 months or so. It will help with split ends and prevents it from looking dry. They say if you keep it trimmed, it grows faster. Make sure you use a heat styling spray over your hair before styling with heat such as curling irons, blow dryers, and flat irons for protection against the harsh heat waves. Redken and Matrix products carry a wonderful heat styling spray.

 Don’t forget your sunscreen for your hair before you hit the beach! Look for products that protect against UV rays. The sun damages your hair which makes it brittle and makes it have split ends. You should detangle your hair with your fingers, not a brush, when it wet out of the shower and don’t tie up your hair or braid it if it’s still wet. Make sure you brush your hair with natural boar’s hair brush and be gentle to your hair when brushing. Oils like jojoba oil, avocado, and shea butter are great for your hair. Make an avocado mask for your hair once in a while to really kick up the shine!

If you can’t stand the heat, stay in the kitchen and break a sweat! It’s healthy for you! If your body isn’t sweating when you should be then it can be serious. You are at risk of heatstroke! Your skin is the largest organ on your body. The amount that you exercise might not be enough to keep your body functioning correctly. The amount of water you consume a day may be low. The deodorants and antiperspirants may also be preventing your body from functioning naturally. By changing the little things, we can make a big different in the way that we look and feel.

Besides losing weight and obtaining a fit body the objection of exercising should be to break a sweat! Sweating is the body’s way of cooling down. It’s a physiological function just like breathing and digestion. Perspiration is perfectly healthy. It’s actually recommended that you break a sweat daily by a form of exercise to induce sweating. Without sweating your body can not absorb moisture. Instead you will expel most of the liquid through urination. Your body will stay de-hydrated and it can cause complications like muscle cramps, dizziness, and heat stroke. Most people don’t like sweating because of the odor that comes with it. America turned to deodorants and antiperspirants to get rid of the embarrassment. Not knowing the difference between the two, people are doing themselves harm with out even knowing it.

An antiperspirant is a product that goes under the arm to stop sweating. It blocks the pores so that there’s no sweat and no odor. Sweating does not cause odor, it’s the bacteria that grows under the arm from it being moist. Deodorant slows the growth of the bacteria but does not stop sweating. You have to be careful with some products; some may contain aluminum which has been suspected to cause some breast cancers. You can make natural deodorants by mixing baking soda and cornstarch. You then apply it to your arm pit. If you prefer a liquid deodorant then you can get herbs like sage rosemary mint or coriander and make a tea. Dilute it with mineral water and add essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus to get the anti-bacterial effect and a wonderful smell. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making it then go to a whole foods near you. They have a whole isle dedicated to natural products. They’re a little pricey but worth every penny. Dr. Bronnon’s magic soap is a perfect example. You can wash your face, body, and hair. You can also use it to shave! Four products in one! You may need to apply the deodorants more than once a day but it’s worth not catching a disease from the side effects of an aluminum containing product.