Post-holiday skin rescue plan

You've just arrived back from that holiday in the sun! You're looking good and feeling relaxed, but what with the drying effects of the sea and exposure to the sun, your skin could be dryer than normal. Try the following tips to help nourish the skin and keep that summer glow for as long as possible!
Re-hydrate your skin from the inside, by drinking plenty of water. The recommended daily amount is 2 litres of pure water.
Hot water and long showers or baths can remove the skin's natural oils, leaving it dry and dull. When washing try to use warm water rather than hot and limit your bath or shower time to 15 mins.
Avoid strong soaps and cleansing products containing alcohol. Instead choose gentle shower and bath products, preferably with oils added to them to replenish the skin.
After your bath or shower apply a good moisturizer to slightly damp skin, this will trap an extra layer of moisture on the skin to further nourish.
Exfoliate your skin once a week. This will allow your tan to fade gradually and evenly.
Treat yourself to a moisturizing body treatment, such as a body wrap or even a massage which will use oils on the skin, as well as relaxing your mind and body!
Finally the skin is an indication of your general health, so keep as healthy as possible by eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep and making time for regular exercise and relaxation.

About the Author

Becca Teers is an Holistic & Beauty Therapist with over 12 years experience in the health & beauty field. She is the founder & owner of Therapy, a Beauty & Holistic Therapy Salon in East Dulwich, London.

Herbal Beauty Home Recipes

As body, mind and soul are inter-related, the natural physical beauty will lead the way to inner beauty and then ultimately to the secret of beauty! A beautiful face has the power to win the hearts of millions as well as create history. On the one hand, it is filled with light-hearted beauty facts and recipes which can be a lot of fun. It could be considered a very in-depth scientific and health-related topic, that at times may be quite controversial. Herbal skin care cleanses the impurities, rejuvenates by providing nourishment, relaxes the facial muscles by messaging with herbal oils, and hydrates the skin.

Apple Mask For Normal Skin -1 apple - quartered, cored, 2 Tbls. honey and 1/2 tsp. ground sage. Chop apple in food processor. Add honey and sage to apple. Mix well.Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat mixture onto face with a light tapping motion, tapping until honey feels tacky. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse.
Herbal Bath - This bath herb blend is perfect for relaxing at the end of a long day. The valerian contributes to a nice, sleepy, calming effect.
Cucumber Avocado Facial Mask - ½ cup chopped cucumber, ½ cup chopped avocado, 1 egg white and 2 tsp. powdered milk. Apply 2 tablespoons of the cucumber avocado mask to your face and neck in circular upward motions. Leave the mask on for 30 minutes, or until dry. To remove the mask simply rinse your face and neck with warm water, followed by a cold water rinse. Finally, pat dry your face and neck.
Green Tea Toner - teaspoon powdered green tea and 1/2 cup witch hazel Mix green tea with witch hazel until thoroughly mixed. Apply toner mixture with cotton pad to face. Do not rinse.
Grapefruit and Citrus Mask for Oily Skin -½ grapefruit, ½ lemon juice, ½ cored apple, 1-2 egg whites, 30 to 40 seedless grapes. Take the ingredients together in a blender and mix. Apply evenly on face and neck and leave for twenty minutes. Thoroughly rinse off with lukewarm water. Grapefruit cleans the pores while lemon juice acts as an astringent. The egg whites tighten the facial skin. This face pack clarifies the face and controls extra oil. Use this pack at least once a week.
Almonds mayonnaise scrub - 1/4 C. almonds, 1/8 tsp. mayonnaise. Grind almonds in blender until they form fine almond meal. Whirl in mayonnaise. Gentle rub scrub onto your face, and leave in place 10 minutes. Rinse. Use a toner thereafter. Shelf Life: Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks.
Hair Shine - Stir 1 teaspoon honey into 4 cups (1 quart) warm water. Blondes may wish to add a squeeze of lemon. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair. Do not rinse out. Dry as normal.
Sun Salvation - juice from 1/2 lime (or lemon), 1 TB honey (optional) and 1/4 C olive oil. Shake ingredients together in small container, store in fridge, should last a few days. Apply to face and neck, leave on, blot off later. Orange juice can also be used. Make sure to wear sunscreen if you're in the sun after using citrus acid on skin, because it makes skin photo sensitive.
Fruity Lip Gloss - 1 Table spoon solid shortening , 1 Table spoon fruit-flavored powdered drink mix , 35 mm film container. Mix shortening & drink mix together in a microwave safe bowl till smooth! Place in microwave on high for 30 seconds until mix becomes a liquid! Pour into clean film container, or any other small airtight container! Place mix into fridge for 20-30 minutes or till firm!

Nursing Home Ratings

Nursing home ratings provide information about the quality of nursing homes throughout the United States. Nursing home ratings may be available through government, private company, or consumer watchdog groups and have specific criteria on which nursing home ratings are based. Nursing home ratings can be a valuable tool to patients and families who are in the process of choosing a nursing home facility.
Nursing home ratings can provide crucial information about a number of aspects related to a nursing home facility. Nursing home ratings also provide a standard by which nursing home facility comparisons can be made. Nursing home ratings are important as the risk of nursing home abuse is widespread in our nation.
At least thirty percent of all nursing homes in the United States have been found guilty of committing significant acts of nursing home abuse against the patients under their care. One nursing home ratings system indicates that only twelve percent of all nursing homes have been inspected by the government and not found in breech of federal law.
The Federal Nursing Home Care Reform Act of 1987 is a comprehensive law which created a set of minimum standards of care that nursing home facilities must meet. Under this law, each state is responsible for inspecting all state nursing homes every nine to fifteen months. These unannounced investigations are designed to measure staffing, quality of care, and cleanliness standards in the nursing homes. There are at least 150 different points on which a facility is graded during a state inspection. The results of state inspections are considered public information and are used to determine nursing home ratings.
Nursing home ratings can take a number of factors into account when evaluating the quality of a nursing home. Some nursing home ratings systems provide interested parties with information about state inspection results, complaint investigations, repeating problems, and other general information about a nursing home facility. Inspections and compliant reports from government sources indicate the type of abuse committed, the extent of the abuse, and what is being done to remedy the problem, all of which can be factored into nursing home ratings.
Some nursing home ratings groups have also compiled lists of nursing homes to be wary of as well as those that have received outstanding nursing home ratings. These can be accessed by any individual who seeks this information.
Many nursing home ratings are available to the public for free. Other nursing home ratings reports compiled by private organizations may request a small fee for access to their more comprehensive nursing home ratings reports. If you would like to receive information about nursing home ratings, your state's nursing home investigation agency may be a good place to start.