Eat Your Way to Healthier Skin!

Caring for your skin using the right products is crucial, but you can also help your skin out by eating the right foods. Here are some elements you should be looking for in the foods you eat for healthy, glowing skin!

Essential Fatty Acids: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) help keep skin cells healthy by keeping harmful elements out and sealing nutrients and water in, leaving skin more hydrated and young-looking. EFAs also help dilute sebum and unclog pores. The best-known essential fatty acids are omega 6 and omega , which many people lack. Some great sources of Essential Fatty Acids are fish (especially salmon!), and walnut, canola and flaxseed oils.

Antioxidants: Antioxidants protect from free radicals that damage skin cells’ membranes and DNA. Protecting against this damage helps prevent premature skin aging. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, and Goji berries are some of the fruits with the highest antioxidant content.

Selenium: Selenium is especially beneficial in the summertime, when your skin is more exposed to the sun. This essential mineral helps protect skin against sun damage and other oxidative damage that can increase the risk of cancer. Selenium and vitamin E together also form a powerful free radical-fighting antioxidant. Some great sources for Selenium are: Cottage cheese (also great for calcium and Vitamin A!); whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and Brazil nuts.

Vitamins A, C & E

• Vitamin A (niacin) is important for healthy skin: it is anti-inflammatory, provides soothing and calming properties for irritated skin, and maintains and repairs skin cells. As an antioxidant, vitamin A also fights free radical damage that can prematurely age the skin. Avocado and mango are a great source for Vitamin A – just one avocado contains 27% of your daily requirement for Vitamin A, and one mango contains more than 80% of your daily requirement! Dairy products are also great for your daily intake of Vitamin A – dairy also contains calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and the "live" bacteria acidophilus that helps regulate intestinal health, which also reflects healthier-looking skin.
  

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight skin damage and wrinkles. It also plays a central role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin – it will help your skin stay younger and more supple. A surprising source of Vitamin C is Acerola cherries – while most cherries are not normally a source for Vitamin C, just one Acerola cherry will fulfill your daily requirement of Vitamin C – one cherry contains 65 times the amount of Vitamin C found in oranges!

• Vitamin E: Vitamin E's rich oils moisturize dry skin, and its antioxidants protect against skin damage and premature aging. Vitamin E can be found in almonds and sunflower seeds –just a handful of sunflower seeds fulfills most of your daily requirement for Vitamin E.

Do you have any skincare food secrets?



Sources: www.webmd.com, www.lifescript.com
Photo credit: spotsfordates.com, chinesegrandma.com, graphicshunt.com

A Little Sunshine Every Day Keeps the Doctor Away

After giving you tips on how to protect your skin from the sun in last week’s post, we wanted to share some of the benefits your skin can get from the sun. But always remember - while your skin truly can benefit from sun exposure, all it needs is small, and always safe amounts!

- The most obvious benefit of the sun for your skin is the glow you will get – tanned skin (but not too tanned!!) will make your skin appear smoother as the darker color helps camouflage imperfections. Glowing skin will immediately make you look healthier!

- Regular and reasonable exposure to the sun will also help your skin build up a natural resistance to the harmful effects of ultraviolet light – the lighter and less exposed to sunlight your skin is, the more sensitive it will be to sunburn and more serious skin damage.

- Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D, which has innumerable benefits for your health. Many foods contain high levels of Vitamin D, but are foods that most people would not eat on a regular basis (cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, or 34 oz of milk per day!)– but small doses of ultraviolet (UV) rays can provide you with the Vitamin D levels you need. Just some of the very many benefits of Vitamin D are:

• It helps boost your immune system, which fights toxins and encourage cell growth and renewal. This in turn helps your skin perform better, and as a result, look younger. It will also temporarily help clear up skin problems such as acne.
• Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, which we need for healthy bones and teeth.
• Here’s a fun fact: If we were to expose at least 20% of our skin to sunlight all year round for up to 10 minutes a day without any SPF, then we would ensure adequate amounts of vitamin D. The fairer your skin, the less direct exposure is needed to activate vitamin D synthesis. For people with very fair skin, just a short burst of sunshine on their skin is also enough.
  

- Getting some sun also keeps spirits high. It’s well known that people tend to be affected by seasonal affective disorder – or the “winter blues” – in countries where sunlight is scarce during certain seasons. This is because sunlight increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in your brain, which improves your mood!

So don’t be afraid to go out in the sun – but don’t forget to wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 if you’re going to be in the sun for an extended period of time!



Sources: ezinearticles.com, www.naturalnews.com, www.natural-health-restored.com

5 Tips for a Safe, Sun-Filled Summer

Now that summer has officially set in, beach getaways are probably on most of your minds as an escape from the heat. Just keep in mind these sun-safe tips this summer- we know how easy it is to forget how important it is to stay protected, and there's nothing like a bad sunburn to ruin a good vacation!

1. Choose a sunscreen with at minimum an SPF of 15 - anything below won't effectively block out the sun's harmful rays. The lighter your skin, the higher SPF you should go.

2. Apply your sunscreen about 30 minutes before sun exposure, to give it a chance to soak in and effectively begin working.

3. Reapply regularly, especially after physical activity or contact with water. You'll get some color even with sunscreen on, and you'll avoid burning and sun damage.

4. Wear a hat! They double as a fun accessories and protection from the sun :)

5. Use a self-tanner. There are so many great ones out there that leave you golden and streak-free. You'll feel less inclined to skimp on the sunscreen if you already have a nice glow.

Voila! Don't forget these tips, and enjoy the summer!!

One-on-One with Junior League Member Subha Lembach

This month, Lierac was lucky to chat with Subha Lembach, member of the Junior League of Columbus, Ohio. Passionate about social justice issues, building better communities, and promoting women as leaders, Subha is an inspiring figure we feel privileged to have met.

When did you join Junior League, and why?
I joined the Junior League just before my daughter’s second birthday. The Junior League mission aligned very closely with my personal values of giving back, promoting women as leaders, and creating long lasting change in the community in a deliberate and strategic way. My parents and I came to this country as immigrants and it took a lot of help and hard work to establish ourselves here in the States and I wanted to be able to give back. I also had been fortunate enough to meet women in several Junior Leagues through my professional career and other volunteer experiences and was very impressed by the community impact these women made as well as the skills they learned through the organization.

What past Junior League member do you wish you could have worked with, and why?
Mary Harriman, of course! Lately, I have been fascinated by the history of The Junior League, and I feel I have gotten to learn a bit more about Mary Harriman, the founder of the Junior Leagues, through The Junior League: 100 Years of Volunteer Service. She was truly an amazing woman. Her insights in recognizing the need, not only for The Junior League to engage in community impact work, but that the women involved needed to develop leadership skills as well as an in-depth knowledge of the social issues they were working on is truly inspiring. Mary was so far ahead of her time and a really innovative visionary.

Which woman in history would you have liked to meet, and why?
Elizabeth I has always inspired me. In fact, my daughter was named for Elizabeth I. She highlights several characteristics of leadership, including her remarkable tenacity, the ability to continuously learn and to apply that learning to her leadership, and her diplomacy. Her words to her people on the brink of the battle against the Spanish Armada truly exemplify the principles of servant leadership. Her leadership style was one that still serves as an example for today’s woman. She was able to maximize the expertise around her, build coalitions, and maintain her integrity while being strategic and politic.

Which chapter are you in & what initiatives are you working on now?
I am a member of the Junior League of Columbus, Ohio. While our League has several great community impact programs, my passion has centered on the Kelton House Museum and Garden. The Kelton House Museum, www.keltonhouse.com, is the only house museum in the City of Columbus. Visitors are guided through the House by docents dressed in period costume and treated to a snapshot of life in the Midwest during the Victorian era. The Kelton House was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. Each year, thousands of Ohio schoolchildren visit the Kelton House to learn about Ohio’s history, the Underground Railroad, and the life in the Victorian era. The specialized programming for our schoolchildren was created by Junior League volunteers and Junior League volunteers remain a primary source of volunteer support for the educational programming. Each year the Kelton House also features remarkable adult programs as well.

The Kelton House itself is also a testament to visionary women and leadership. Grace Kelton, the last Kelton to live in the House, was concerned about historic preservation, the industrialization and urbanization of her community, as well as the promotion of culture. Grace was an interior designer with an international reputation, who even did some work for Jacqueline Kennedy for the White House. When Grace died, she left her home to the local community foundation with the charge to find an entity to assume responsibility for the Kelton House and to use operate it as a museum. Thankfully the Junior League of Columbus conducted a capital campaign and has been operating the House as a Museum since the mid-1970s.

Who or what has most influenced and inspired you during your time with The Junior League?
I am consistently inspired by all the Junior League women I meet. On a local level, I have been tremendously inspired by the wonderful Junior League of Columbus (JLC) Sustainers, many of whom have become lasting catalysts for community change. JLC Sustainers are so active as community leaders, serving in leadership in their companies, running organizations, serving on nonprofit boards, creating civic change, etc., that I am inspired on a daily basis. I am also tremendously inspired by the Junior League women working on critical issues throughout the country and the world. I have been fortunate enough to be part of the work of The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.’s Collaborative League Engagement Task Force and gotten to know the work of Leagues on so many important social justice issues that affect families. It’s amazing because, regardless of what community need exists, it seems like there is a Junior League out there addressing and addressing it in a strategic and impactful way.

What event in history do you wish you could have been present for/fought for?
I would have loved to have been part of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. I am extremely passionate about social justice issues, particularly racial disparities. While there is so much work to be done in a variety of social justice areas from environmental justice to gender equality to LGBTQ rights to continued work on racial justice, it would have been really exciting, invigorating, and educational to have been part of the original civil rights movement. I still find so much inspiration in the ability of people to come together, identify an inequality or discrimination, and create change peacefully.

What areas do you see the most impact from the Junior League’s work in?
The biggest impact the Junior League has made internationally throughout the years is the development of women as civic and community leaders. Leadership can be defined in many different ways and all women who are part of the Junior League are leaders. Some Junior League women may serve in more obvious ways, as elected officials, corporate or nonprofit CEOs, or volunteer leaders, but there are thousands of Junior League women creating change every day by offering new perspectives, discussing and advancing social issues, sparking innovative community projects, and organizing to create lasting community change.

What words of wisdom do you wish you could impart to all girls & women?
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Harry Potter

“The future which we hold in trust for our own children will be shaped by our fairness to other people's children.” - Marian Wright Edelman

“If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.” - Marian Wright Edelman

What makes a woman beautiful?
Her willingness to leave the lives she touches better for having known her.


Thank you for your inspiring words today, Subha!

Interested in learning more about Junior League? Please visit www.ajli.org
Follow them on Twitter: @juniorleague

Smooth Moves with Lierac Sensorielle Oil

Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil is featured in Los Angeles Confidential's Summer issue as an "aromatic body oil [that] revives tired skin and soothes weary souls."
Merci @lacmagazine and @AMG_OntheGo!!

Beach-Chic with Lierac Expert Catherine Raubiet

Summer is almost here! That means we'll have to put on a bathing suit sooner or later and face those body issues that we’ve been hiding all winter. Unlike what you may have been told, it’s never too late for bikini prep. Our own Catherine Raubiet, Lierac Beauty expert and National Educator, shares her secrets for looking bikini-ready in a flash!

1- Exfoliate your entire body 2-3 times a week. This will get rid of dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs, stimulate circulation, and give your skin a healthy glow.

2- Finish every shower with cold water. This will tone end energize your skin.

3- Apply a self-tanner evenly over your entire body and face, one area at a time to avoid streaks. I would suggest a self-tanner cream (versus an oil or spray), which blends into skin more easily. Not only will this give your skin a healthy, summery glow, it will also camouflage any imperfections like cellulite or winkles! Lierac has an express or a progressive option that gives a natural-looking glow.

4- This will not solve the problem overnight, but it's never too late to start treating imperfections and problem areas with targeted products. An anti-cellulite cream, for example, will noticeably diminish the appearance of cellulite with regular and prolonged use, and will give you a firmer, tighter feel right from the start – an instant confidence booster at the beach! I would suggest Morpho-Slim Anti-Cellulite Concentrate and Morpho-Slim Stomach & Waist Resculpting and Firming Concentrate, that contain Active Caffeine to effectively diminish the appearance of cellulite.

5- Moisturize your skin regularly- especially after sun, salt and chlorine exposure to keep your skin nourished and healthy. Your skin will look visibly healthier and radiant with the moisture. A light, non-greasy option is ideal for summer: Sensorielle Multi-Use Oil is fast-absorbing, ultra-hydrating, and has a delicious, light floral scent.

6- Don’t forget to drink water! It is not only important for your body’s hydration levels, but also for glowing and healthy skin. This is especially important during the hot summer months, when your body is more dehydrated than usual.

7- Bring a healthy snack with you when you leave the house: fruits like berries are full of antioxidants, and raw vegetables and almonds are great for energy and feeling clean and healthy – your skin and body will thank you!

8- Always wear sunscreen, and pack it in your bag at all times! It will protect your skin from the harmful UV rays, and will also give you a more uniform and healthy tan – no one looks good with a sunburn!"

Merci, Catherine! Do you have questions for Catherine? Ask or comment below!

A Vitamin Cocktail for Your Skin

The amazing @BeautyChick101 gave Lierac's Crème Mésolift a glowing review on stylebakery.com, and we couldn't wait to share it!

The verdict: "Dry skin? Gone. A healthy glow? Immediately noticeable. Tighter, smoother skin with fewer wrinkles present? You won't believe your eyes!"



Crème Mésolift's secret is a 5% Mesolift concentration for effective anti-aging and radiance-boosting properties:
o Vitamins A, C, E, B5, and B6
o Minerals: Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, and Copper
o Hyaluronic Acid

Plus

o AHA’s (citrus, glycolic, tartaric, lactic, malic) for gentle exfoliation and radiance
o Apricot butter and lime wax for hydration and comfort.

Check out the full post here!