Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

Saturday, 2010-02-06

Melaleuca, otherwise known as tea tree oil, is a natural antibacterial disinfectant.  For thousands of years, aboriginal Australians have known about its potent medicinal qualities.  It is taken from the leaves and needles of the Melaleuca alternifolia, which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia.

In recent years, several scientific studies have confirmed that tea tree oil has numerous medicinal benefits.

Its properties can naturally eliminate three types of infectious organisms—fungus, bacteria, and virus—making it a natural remedy for different types of bacterial and fungal afflictions such as acne, athlete’s foot, warts, rashes, dandruff, abscesses and even herpes.

By strengthening the body’s immune system, the anti-viral agent of tea tree oil can fight various infectious, such as flu and cold sores.

The Diana Stalder Tea Tree Beauty Bar is a natural soap with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.  It’s very effective against acne and fungi.

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The Growing Skin Whitening Industry

Thursday, 2010-02-04

A recent article on GMANews.TV scrutinized the obsession of Pinoys to attain lighter skin complexion.

In the article, journalist Tina Arceo-Dumlao, cited a survey conducted by Synovate, which reveals that “two out of five women in Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Taiwan feel they are more attractive with fair complexions.”   The results even highlighted the fact that the Philippines had the highest usage among the countries included in the survey.

From a business standpoint, the growing market is great news for us. But it doesn’t necessarily make things easier!

With so many companies jumping on the bandwagon, it gets harder for the authorities to monitor and keep up with all the products out there, making the hunt for a safe and effective whitening product harder for the average consumer.

Some manufacturers offer cheaper but unsafe alternatives, and to add to it, fly-by-night vendors mislead customers by misrepresenting some known brands and labeling fake products.

As a vendor of products that can lighten skin, we do find the topic very interesting. We’ve had several customers who’ve been victimized one way or another.

Victim or not, we’d love to hear your thoughts too.  Do you know of a product that’s unsafe or mislabeled?

Post your comments and tell us about it!

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Posted by pgesmundo

Skin Care 101:  Hand Treatment

Tuesday, 2010-02-02

We use our hands in almost every activity, and yet, we don’t care for them as much as we should.  Our hands often show our age before our face does.

Here are some ways to care for your well-deserving hands . . .

Give them the same attention you give your face

The same products that benefit your facial skin can also be applied on your hands.

When you wash your face, use the same facial wash or soap on your hands too.  While you’re letting the lather on your face seep in on your skin pores, you can wash your hands thoroughly, and then rinse them before proceeding to rinse your face.  After which, you can apply the same crème, moisturizer or serum you use on your face as well.  These products will help keep your hands looking young and moisturized.

You can also use a hand crème that’s suitable for your skin type.

Hand care before and after doing the dishes

Your hands can get dry after doing the dishes.  That’s because soaking in water and the dishwashing agents can strip-off the skin its natural oil.  Over time, your skin will get wrinkled and dry without proper care.

You can actually care for your hands even while doing the dishes by adding a little almond oil to the dishwater, so when you soak your hands in the water, the oil can seal in the moisture.

Don’t forget to apply a moisturizing hand crème after you’re done with the dishes too.

Overnight care

Here’s an overnight solution to achieve softer hands.  Before bedtime, rub petroleum jelly on your hands, put on a pair of cotton gloves, and leave them on overnight.  Your hands will be incredibly softer in the morning!

Sunscreen

Since your hands are usually bare, you can’t avoid exposing them to the sun.  The harmful UV rays can make them age prematurely and develop skin pigmentations.  You can use the same sunscreen on your body and face to protect your hands from the sun.

To keep you hands looking young and soft, you can use the Diana Stalder Skin Moisturizing Lotion.  It gently moisturizes the skin and it contains an SPF 30 sunscreen that will protect it from the harmful sun rays, preventing the appearance of premature aging.

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But What About My Lips?

Saturday, 2010-01-30

“I’m so happy with the results! My skin is visibly lighter, but what about my lips? Do you have a product for dark lips?”

Every now and then happy customers who have attained a lighter complexion from the Diana Stalder Surely White product line do ask us such a question.

We do not have a product available yet. But do stay tuned!

In the meantime, we’d like to provide some homemade solutions.

You can regularly apply any of the following on your lips, helping keep them moist and eventually gaining back that natural pinkish color:

  • Mixed lemon juice with honey
  • Juice from ground coriander leaves (just a small amount daily will do)
  • Beetroot or beetroot juice
  • Applying glycerin overnight can also do the trick

If you are a smoker, you can start cutting down on smoking or completely quit the habit. The tobacco in cigarettes trigger more melanin production, thus leading to darker lips.

Lips that are dry can appear dark too. Almond or coconut oil are known to be great lip moisturizers.

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Skin Care 101: Three Daily Skin Care Products That Everyone Should Have

Friday, 2010-01-29

There are three skin care products that should be a part of everyone’s daily regimen—sunscreen, facial wash and moisturizer.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the most essential part of your skincare regimen.

UV exposure can lead to premature wrinkles, skin pigmentations or freckles, white spots and even skin cancer. So it’s important to use sunscreen daily and protect your skin from UV exposure.

The Diana Stalder Sunblock Crème protects the skin from harmful UV rays, prevents sun damage and premature aging of the skin.  It is best for normal to dry skin.  For oily skin type, the Diana Stalder Sunblock Gel is perfectly formulated to provide your skin protection for the sun.

Facial Wash

Your skin is exposed to harmful toxins on a daily basis. So cleansing should be a part of your routine. You need to find a cleanser that works well for your particular skin type.  The right product combined with the proper method to wash your face can benefit your skin.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money. The Diana Stalder Facial Wash is formulated to gently cleanse the skin and condition it. It works well with any skin types.

Moisturizer

No matter what skin type, everyone needs to moisturize. Moisturizer seals the moisture in, which gives the skin its natural glow. Without moisture, skin will be dry and dull. There are even specially formulated moisturizing products for the oily skin type.

Moisturizer can also help calm irritated acne-prone skin. But those with acne should use products that are oil-free.

The Diana Stalder Skin Revitalizer is a great moisturizer. It contains vitamins A, C, D and E, which can protect your skin from free radicals. It is particularly effective on normal to dry skin.

For those trying to reduce or remove fine lines, the Diana Stalder Nourishing Crème is the perfect moisturizer.

The Diana Stalder Facial Lotion works well for most skin types. It moisturizes and it has a toning effect that makes your skin appear radiant and younger looking.

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Skin Care 101: Overcleansing

Thursday, 2010-01-28

Good skin care is important. But that does not mean that you need to cleanse too often.  Overcleansing can strip your skin of its natural protective lipid.

The major function of your skin is to keep the dirt away and hold moisture in. But if you over-cleanse your skin, you are stripping your skin of the natural oils that keeps it healthy. This will result to skin that feels dry and tight.

Overcleasing can also lead to skin irritations like rashes, acne or even dermatitis.

Overcleansing can also be brought about by using harsh cleanser that’s not suited for your skin type.

Here are some mild cleansing agents for those with sensitive skin that are prone to overcleansing…

The Diana Stalder Licorice Beauty Bar is very gentle as it deeply cleanses and softens the skin while moisturizing it.  It lightens skin tone, and has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, which can alleviate the appearance of mild rashes.

The Diana Stalder Facial Wash is also composed of natural ingredients that cleanses gently and conditions the skin.

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The Right Way to Wash your Face

Wednesday, 2010-01-27

Yes, there is actually a proper way to wash your face. Which is very important, because A – you want to maximize the benefit you get from your facial soap or facial wash, and B – if you’re doing it wrong all these years, then its about time you learn the right way to do it!

Use warm water

The right water temperature is vital when washing your face.

It’s highly recommended that you wash your face with warm water. This will expand your pores just enough, so your soap or facial wash will be able to soak through. Gently massage the lather into your face, do this for a minute or less*. That should be enough to remove any clogged dirt. Finish off by rinsing your face with cold water.

Hot water is very harmful. Do you ever notice that your skin turns red, splotchy and starts to peel right after a hot shower during winter? This is because hot water rids the surface of your skin its natural oils and dry up your skin cells, making it more susceptible to sun damage and dirt clogged pores. While cold water closes the pores, so your soap or facial wash product won’t be able to seep in and do its job.

Finding the perfect facial soap

Depending on your skin type or what you’re trying to achieve, you can choose the perfect soap to care for your face.

The Diana Stalder Glutathione Soap is an effective overall whitening soap. It caters to almost any skin type. In addition to whitening the skin, glutathione is also the best anti-oxidant. It will nurture your skin and keep it looking young.

For those with dry skin, the Diana Stalder Papaya Kojic Soap is an effective skin moisturizer. Besides the micro-exfoliation (micro-peeling) effect, it also contains a special blend of extracts that nourishes the skin naturally.

To lighten acne scars, dark spots or other forms of melasma, most users find the Diana Stalder Black Soap to be most effective. While the Diana Stalder Licorice Beauty Bar works best for those with very sensitive skin.

For weekly exfoliation, you can use the Diana Stalder Facial Scrub. The facial scrub contains granules designed to gently scrub away dead skin cells and remove dirt and excess oil. It cleanses and conditions skin, giving it a radiant glow.

*Some product recommends that you leave the lather on for more than a minute for maximum benefit.

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Unsafe Skin Lightening Products

Saturday, 2010-01-23

In connection to our previous post on the dangers of hydroquinone (HQ) and mercury, here’s further evidence on the importance of using only trusted and regulated products.

Recently, the New York Times published an article about how illegal, unsafe skin lightening creams are easily accessible to the consumers.  Skin lightening creams containing dangerous ingredients like steroids in very strong doses, corticosteroids such as clobetasol propionate, HQ, and even mercury can be purchased online or in beauty product stores.

Numerous stores in cities such as New York, Miami and Chicago are actually aware they are selling items that should either be doctor prescribed or containing illegal substances.  A majority of the victims are women of Hispanic, Indian and African decent, trying to lighten or even out their skin color.

As the article points out, sometimes safe and legal versions of the genuine product are available, however illegal counterfeit versions being sold under the names Fair & White, L’Abidjanaise and Hyprogel can often be found with dangerous, illegal ingredients.  According to dermatologists, these products can present serious side effects from severe acne to more serious problems like damaging the nervous system.

We take your safety very seriously at SouthGain.  This is why we sell only genuine products that do not contain HQ, mercury, steroids or other dangerous ingredients.

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Money Order vs. Credit Card Payments

Wednesday, 2010-01-20

For U.S. customers who are unable to use PayPal or credit card to purchase, we are happy to accept money orders (as long as they’re in USD and drawn on a U.S. bank or other financial institution).

For some buyers though, they simply prefer money order because of a misinformed notion that it is safer.

THE TRUTH IS, credit cards and PayPal offer buyers security from fraudulent sellers.  These payment methods are far superior because they are SAFER, FASTER, MORE CONVENIENT and LESS EXPENSIVE.

You can learn more about secure online shopping at PrivacyRights.org.

As you might know, eBay and other sites have stopped allowing sellers to accept money orders, or at least advertise that they accept them, because they are very risky for the buyer.

ANOTHER PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE for safe online purchasing is getting a  Visa or MasterCard prepaid card or gift card.  You can buy these cards with cash at your local store, then use them just like ordinary credit cards for online or other transactions.

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When Should I Start an Anti-Aging Regimen?

Monday, 2010-01-18

According to skin experts, our skin actually starts to lose its ability to retain water when we reach our mid-20s.  From mid- to late-20s, there is less oxygen in our blood, thus less oxygen is also transported to our skin cells.  Our skin will then start to loose its healthy color and its natural glow.  It will not be long before wrinkles and age spots will start showing on your face and skin.

So, in short, it’s really never too early to start an anti-aging regimen.

Daily application of an effective moisturizer and regular use of a sunscreen is a great way to start caring for your skin.  The Diana Stalder Skin Moisturizing Lotion can serve as both a moisturizer and a sunblock.  While it’s formulated to keep the skin moisturized, it also contains an SPF 30 sunscreen, which prevents premature aging by protecting the skin against harmful sun rays.

Another product that you can add to your anti-aging regimen is the Diana Stalder Skin Revitalizer.  This product contains vitamins A, C, D and E, which is vital to protect your skin from free radicals.  Regular use can leave your skin looking younger, clearer, and feeling softer.

Your anti-aging skin care regimen should also include adopting a healthier lifestyle.  That means a healthy diet, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep.

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Posted by pgesmundo

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