Which Face Mask Is Best For You?

Courtesy of Karen Arnold under Public Domain license

Of course we're at Living Jungle going to say that our WhiteSynergy Effect PP Mask is the BEST for you. But, that constitutes bias in every form, and even though this is a Living Jungle blog, we think that it's best that our beloved readers are at least educated to know which type of face masks is best suited for their face. The information below is taken from womenshealthmag.com. It'll be simple, short and straight to the point ... and the point is that you know which face mask is suitable for your skin type.

1. Best for Normal and Dry Skin: Hydrogel Masks

    These masks comes in gel sheets that conform to the shape of your face. As they have a thin gel form, they lock in moisture better than facial cotton sheets. Avoid mud or clay masks that are super-drying if you have dry skin, despite the fact that you also suffer from acne. Instead, look for a hydrogel mask with hyaluronic acid that can improve skin hydration, among other things. 

2. Best for Normal and Oily Skin: Rubber Masks

    With a thick consistency and texture, rubber masks are also known as modelling masks. Follow the instructions on the product packaging to avoid a messy application. 

3. Best for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin: Clay Masks

    The excess sebum produced by your skin is regulated with the use of clay masks. They not only tighten pores but also smooth and soften the surface of your skin. 

4. Best for Anti-Aging: Water Sleeping Masks

    Due to the fact that your skin restores its needs such as cell turnover and renewal during night time while you are asleep, these type of masks are the best to use. You apply a coat of such face mask before you go to sleep and when you wake up, you'll find that your skin is moisturized and refreshed.

5. Best for Dark Spots: Exfoliating Masks

    The top layer of dead skin cells will be removed with a mask that has exfoliating properties. These type of masks have microbeads, so they actually work like a cleanser. You only need to massage them on your face and leave them on for the recommended time, after which you rinse them off with warm water. Exfoliating masks with lactic acid can help even out skin tone and lighten the appearance of irregular pigmentation.

So, we hope that the tips we've provided are useful. Nevertheless, we want to make sure that our beloved readers know that our WhiteSynergy Effect PP Mask is suitable for all skin types. Plus, it will help to whiten your skin, help reduce uneven skin tone or pigmentation and also works for people with anti-aging concerns. To have an idea of how to use it, have a look at this video. 

Have a look at our other products at Living Jungle's e-store on Dinasou.com.

Have you heard of skin bleaching?

The answer to that is most probably you have, or, er, haven't, depending on how much knowledge you have with regards to the world of beauty, or, er, beauty products.

Anyway, skin bleaching is pretty much the same as whitening your skin, or lightening your skin tone. According to illuminatural6i.com, chemical or natural skin bleaching may be effective, especially if the right kind of skin whitening agent is used. Among others, it could lighten dark spots for a more even skin tone.

However, the site cautions that skin whitening agents, especially the chemical ones, are only ideal for small areas of the skin. Using them on the entire body could bring about negative side effects that include premature aging or skin and permanent and untreatable skin discolorations. 

illuminatural6i.com suggests the use of natural skin bleaching ingredients such as:

1) Yoghurt

2) Honey

3) Cucumber

4) Papaya

5) Turmeric

6) Gram flour

7) Oatmeal

8) Aloe Vera

9) Oranges

Well, guess what? Aloe Vera and Orange Stem Cells are two of the 7 natural active ingredients in Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect range of skin care. illuminatural6i.com says that Aloe Vera can help in new cell regeneration, damaged tissue rebuilding and improvement in hyperpigmentation. Oranges' Vitamin C is helpful in lightening the skin and evening out skin tone.

Check out Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect skin care products at our e-store on Dinasou.com.

Living Jungle WhiteSynergy Effect PP Mask VS Facial Treatments at a Spa

This is a rather tricky statement to weigh, as in, which one is better, but according to stylecaster.com, using both goes a long way into making sure your skin gets the care it needs. However, stylecaster.com mentions homemade facials, such as those that use certain foods like avocado or yoghurt, are better compared to synthetic facial masks such as Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect PP Mask. 

However, we want to assure you that our PP Mask is 100% safe as it contains 7 natural active ingredients that include Apple Stem Cell, Orange Stem Cell, Aloe Vera, Rice Bran, Green Tea, Licorice and Diamond Powder. It is as good as those homemade facial masks, if not better. So, why not give it a try by visiting Living Jungle's e-store on Dinasou.com. 

Keeping Your Skin Hydrated – Beverages & Foods to Avoid (or Consume in Moderation)

A well-hydrated skin ensures that you keep those fine lines and wrinkles at bay. You can spend an exorbitant amount of money on a really good moisturiser, but do you know that the simplest way to keep your skin hydrated is to drink as much water as possible? Nevertheless, there are beverages and foods that you should consume in moderation or as little as possible in order to avoid dehydration.

Beverages

1. Drinks with high sugar content

    Such drinks are known to add other health problems such as weight gain and diabetes, but they also can increase water loss in the body. What happens is that the body's water storage capacity is reduced and enzyme function is impaired due to the acidic environment that is created when one consumes these sugary drinks. This is compounded by the fact that water and enzyme function are needed to metabolize the additional sugar. People who do excessive physical activities must watch what they drink, especially sports drinks that contain sugar as it may cause them to lose extra fluids.

Sodas on supermarket shelves
(Shared on Flickr by francois schnell)

2. Alcohol

    We're not asking you to abstain from your favourite wine or beer, but please drink in moderation. Alcohol is a diuretic, which makes you go to the restroom to do #1 on a frequent basis. For those of you who enjoy a night of drinking with friends, you face the prospect of a headache in the morning as your body has become dehydrated due to all those restroom visits. Your lack of energy in the morning is also due to the depletion of water after all the alcohol consumption.

Beer
(Shared on Flickr by Martin Garrido)

3. Coffee

    Okay, coffee lovers. We know what you're thinking. "Oh no, not coffee, too." Unfortunately, coffee is also a diuretic. This goes for caffeinated tea as well. Caffeine itself speeds up dehydration. To ensure that your coffee/tea intake is balanced, drink less than two cups a day. Otherwise, you should increase your water intake to prevent fluid loss. Those who are heavy coffee drinkers, like roughly five cups, or exceeding 500 miligrams per day, should watch out as you will definitely be dehydrated.

Steaming cup of coffee
(Shared on Flickr by waferboard)

Foods

1. Diet high in protein

    The nitrogen that occurs naturally in protein requires more water to metabolize. Otherwise, cells can become water-depleted. Foods that are high in protein and also salty, like cured meats such as pepperoni, can also lead to dehydration. Speaking of salty foods ...

Pepperoni pizza
 (Shared on Flickr by rob_rob2001)

2. Foods high in sodium

    Salty foods should be taken in moderation as the sodium needs to be leveled out with a high intake of water. Otherwise, eating too much salty food and not drinking enough water could lead to fluid loss. Foods high in sodium include fried foods, sausages, popcorn, soy sauce and other condiments, canned or frozen meals, fast food and salad dressings.

Popcorn
(Shared on Flickr by jayneandd)

3. Certain vegetables that have a diuretic effect

    Of course, most vegetables are good for you, as all vegetables have water as their main component. However, do consume in moderation those that have a diuretic effect. These include asparagus, celery, artichokes and parsley.

Asparagus 
(Shared on Flickr by liz west)

Source: chopra.com

Skin Serum: 4 Fabulous Facts

Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect Stempowered Essence

Alright, you may be thinking, "I don't want to spend too much on skin care products that may or may not work." Or, you may be thinking, "A good skin care set, regardless of price, is an investment in how I want to look like 20 years from now." Whatever your thoughts are, almost all women and a number of men do care about their faces. It's the first thing that a person looks at 99.99% of the time when they meet new people. Your face is important and if you say, "Naah, I don't care about how I look", there's a small likelihood that you're lying to yourself and others.

So, how does skin serum fit into all of this? Well, skin serums are considered to be more expensive than most of the other skin care products that include cleansers, toners and moisturisers. We believe that a number of people still do not realize the importance of skin serums. Well, here are 5 facts from stylecaster.com that will hopefully convince some of you to go and get a bottle of skin serum, in particular Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect Stempowered Essence. 

Fact #1: Skin serums will save you money

Yes, you read that right. This is how stylecaster.com sees it: either you purchase 5 cheaper skin care products that not only do nothing for your skin, but also take up space on your shelf; or invest a little more on 1 product that does amazing things for your skin. Bottom line: a great serum that works for your skin will produce results that are visible, such as reducing fine lines or giving your skin a better complexion, among others. Thus, you won't waste money buying multiple products when you already have that one great product.

Fact #2: Using skin serums will result in fewer breakouts

Acne ... Everybody hates acne. Many skin serums are water-based, rather than oil-based. Thus, they absorb into the skin much faster without leaving an oily residue that will lead to skin breakouts such as acne. 

Fact #3: Skin serums will give you a less oily complexion

They keep your skin hydrated, at the same time they are far lighter and faster to absorb than moisturisers. This will result in your skin not overproducing sebum that leads to a less oily complexion. 

Fact #4: Skin serums contain up to 70% active ingredients, compared to the 5% to 10% active ingredients contained in cleansers in moisturisers. 

The Things People Used To Do (and Still Do) To Their Faces In The Name of Beauty

Shared on Flickr by Zenspa1

It was believed in the 1600s that wealth and power were signified by the paleness of one's skin that was untouched by the rays of the sun. To this extent, the affluent including Queen Elizabeth used extreme measures to maintain the right kind of pallor, including using a poisonous mixture of white lead and vinegar, as well as drawing blood to achieve that faint colour.

The first evidence of the use of the facial mask dated back in 1875, when a woman from Ohio in the US, who went by the name of Madame Helen M Rowley, patented what was called the toilet mask, which in her patent was described as a 'Mask for Medical Purposes'. Made of flexible India rubber and made to be worn while asleep, the mask's purpose was to beautify, bleach and preserve the complexion. Despite the fact that further in her patent, Madame Rowley described her mask as a "medium which prevents the escape by evaporation of the cutaneous transpiration (sic) that acts as a bleaching agent", the mask fell out of favour because it simply encouraged perspiration and also suffocated the pores of the skin. 

With the discovery of radium in the 1900s, the radioactive chemical was used by cosmetics companies in their products. Apparently, salon appointments were booked almost on a day-to-day basis so that women of the time would put masks infused with radium that promised to restore smoothness, among others. Of course, this treatment fell out of favour, too, as it only brought health problems to the salon-goers. 

The first effective modern sunscreen was invented in 1946 by the Swiss chemist Franz Greiter. Before that, those who had freckles on their face resorted to a rather painful spot removing treatment invented by Italian physician Dr M. Matarassoa in which carbon monoxide was used to freeze off freckles with a sharp needle. Ouch!

In the 1950s, the most popular facial treatment came with the advent of the television, thus encouraging women, mainly housewives, to seek that glowing healthy skin, was the facial steam, which is still in use today.

Nowadays, there's the vampire facial, made famous by Kim Kardashian, which mixes your own blood with Restylane or Juvederm. Apparently, this mask enhances a younger and firmer skin. Reminds us what rich people in the 1600s did. Guess Kim Kardashian took a leaf out this macabre book. Victoria Beckham uses a rather unhygienic type of facial that apparently were used by the Geisha in medieval Japan: bird poop. Guess people, especially women, would use anything to get youthful skin. 

Sources: eonline.com, beautifulwithbrains.com

5 Ways Rice Bran Oil Helps The Skin

Rice bran

Rice bran oil on its own has many benefits for the skin. But, we're narrowing them to just 5 points, taken from beautyandtips.com.

1. Rice bran oil is a natural anti-oxidant, which helps inhibit aging, among others.

2. Rice bran oil can make your skin feel soft and velvety because it is rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids.

3. If you have large pores, don't fret. Rice bran oil doesn't clog pores.

4. If you enjoy the sun, but not the UV rays that can harm your skin, rice bran oil acts as a sunblock to protect your skin from damaging UV rays.

5. Rice bran oil can help sooth irritated skin as it has anti-inflammatory properties.

One of the 7 key natural ingredients in Living Jungle's WhiteSynergy Effect skin care products is rice bran. We've only listed 5 benefits, but rice bran in skin care does more than that. Check out our products on our Brand Street page on Dinasou.com.