I would like to talk in more detail about lip balms. I do get lots of mails about them every autumn and winter. About what I actually use myself, and whether I have any good DIY tips. Recently, though, I have been seeing that increasingly more of you are concerned about how safe lip care is. And that isn’t so strange because if you research lip balms on the internet the first things you read are scary stories about all sorts of hazardous substances in these products. And isn’t it right that you could ingest them without realising? After all, you do apply them on your mouth…
Nowadays, the magic word for treating wrinkles and fine lines from the inside out is collagen. But there is another substance produced in the body which is fundamental in skin ageing, and that is hyaluronic acid (always a difficult name to pronounce). I would like to tell you more about it. (more…)
These late summer days are so fine! They make me truly happy. And something good happens when those rays of sun are on my skin. If you follow my blog you’ll know that the sun is responsible for the production of vitamin D in your skin. And that is super because this vitamin, or hormone to be more precise, has a positive effect on your immune system. During the summer months you usually have enough vitamin D in your body. In the winter, however, the supply runs out because of less sunlight. So, what can you do to have enough ‘D’? (more…)
Healers in oriental medicine have been prescribing golden milk for skin complaints for hundreds of years. The ‘medicine’ in this milk is turmeric, which also gives the drink that lovely golden colour. Does this spice, however, really help skin problems? (more…)
They make such a lovely image, don’t they? But the substances that blueberries contain are even more lovely. (more…)
In your teenager years you suddenly get spots and blackheads on your face (and maybe on your chest and back). How does this actually happen? And what can you do about it?
Yes certain food can give you skin complaints. It is however often very difficult to pinpoint which product is actually the culprit. This differs for everyone. And such sensitivity can happen unexpectedly in later life. Find out what gives you a problem, if you already think it is food related…
I’ll just get straight to the point, melasma (also known as pregnancy mask) is no more than a very frustrating pigment condition. That is because those bizarre, dark patches on the face can be difficult to get rid of. If you, yourself, suffer from it, or know someone who does, then you’ll understand exactly what I mean. Up until now most treatments for melasma have been focused on bleaching the patches. Sometimes that is only partially successful, but fortunately research never stops. There are already other interesting possibilities, and still to come, for treating melasma. I would like to share these with you.
I think that the nicest thing about Winter, perhaps, is that Spring will be here again. Because that I can thoroughly enjoy! In the last few days that initial Spring sun on your skin has been glorious. It does seem slightly crazy that in a few days we will be leaving for Lapland to enjoy our family holiday in the snow and freezing temperatures. And last month it was even -25°C there! And while I am busy packing all those thermals, an enormous pile of woolly hats, gloves and heavy snow boots, the terraces here are all full. The warm weather has come early this year; never too early for me, personally, however, it is for my website www.smeerjein.nl, which is currently being updated.
If there’s something I receive numerous questions about each day it is spots. It’s not so strange, as almost everyone is affected by this at some time and even one single spot can damage your mood; let alone several. And, although acne is usually seen in teenagers (just when you are feeling insecure about all the changes happening), it is very common in adults too. And it can also have a significant impact then. That’s why I would like to dedicate another blog to this. Because in my experience the right approach is often not taken….