Research has shown that people, on average, wash their hands 8.6 times a day. It is actually slightly higher for women; they scrub their hands a minimum of 10 times a day. All that washing is completely understandable when you think that around 80% of infections are spread through contact, but it is not as beneficial for the skin on your hands. Soap and water are an assault on the skin and all that washing doesn’t give the skin enough time to recover. And in the winter months your hands have to endure even more with the cold, wind, rain, low humidity and extra hot showers. Today I’ve got some hand care tips that they’ll stay in top condition.
“If you really want to know the age of a woman, look at her hands, don’t look at her face. The face may trick you, but the hands never do.”
Although most of you know that have my own product line, I don’t usually talk about it in my blogs. I would like to keep it that way, but for once I am making an exception…
That melancholy virus always takes a hold of me just before the New Year. It is such a cliché phrase, but how time flies! When I was telling a journalist recently that I have four children, I suddenly realised that they aren’t so little anymore. My oldest is at secondary school now and regularly borrows my shoes…which I’m not always so happy about!
My blog is not so young anymore either: I wrote my first one 6 years ago in 2009. Even though I have the impression that, over the last few years, people are becoming more and more conscious about their choice of skincare products, there is still a lot of work to be done in ridding the world of all these cosmetics myths. As I believe that I will one day succeed, I would like to share with you an interview I gave for Gezond-nu, about myths and facts in the cosmetics world.
In my previous blog I promised to bring you some Oats Do-it-yourself tips. Oatmeal contains lots of different active properties, making it very versatile. You’ll discover this if you search the internet; oatmeal is used for treating athlete’s foot, chicken pox, insect bites, itching, eczema, dry skin, allergic reactions, ichthyosis, sun burn and skin irritation from using Vitamin A Acid (research).
Kris Verburgh of ‘De Voedselzandloper’ can be proud of me: for years I have started my day with a bowl of porridge oats and almond milk. If I am to believe him, this will give me healthier veins, lower blood pressure, better metabolism and more energy. I do believe him, but I also enjoy it anyway. What many people don’t realise is that porridge oats have been used for centuries to treat skin problems. People suffering with eczema or burns would sit in a bath of colloidal oatmeal: the powder which is left after oats have been ground and refined. This relieves burning, itching and redness.
The question: ‘What happens to the cream you put on your skin?’ was put to me a month ago by Rineke Voogt, Editor at the Volkskrant. I think she was sorry she asked the question after hearing my monologue reply. As there is so much to tell about the effects of cosmetic ingredients in and on the skin! Fortunately she has managed to make an interesting (and brief) summary of this. I promise to tell the whole story soon, but for now here is the article in the Volkskrant:
It is already a few years ago that I met Marianne van der Gaag and Freek Koster of Touché Models. We started talking about our work as well as other things and we just clicked. It happens sometimes with people! Although, at the time, we didn’t have any concrete ideas, we did agree that, at some point, we would like to do something together. We kept in contact and now, at long last, it has happened. Yesterday was the launch of Freek and Mariannes Modelhouse, and I am thrilled, in my expert capacity, to be able to make a blog or vlog there each week.
If you walk into a pharmacy you’ll find pH-neutral products on the shelves. If you would like to know whether special pH-neutral products are really necessary or that it is just another marketing trick then read on…
I was asked by Tros Radar about the truth and nonsense with regards to special shampoos. You can apply all sorts of substances onto your scalp under the shower: caffeine to counteract hair loss, keratin for fuller locks and vitamins for healthy hair. But does it really work?