The Magic Of Mindfulness

So, I recently read a magazine article on the practice on mindfulness and decided to give it a try. Based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness in meditation, it is the focusing of attention and awareness. Now don't worry if you are religious, although this comes from Buddhist roots, mindfulness is often taught independently of religion so you can still give it a try!
Put into layman's terms, mindfulness essentially gives your brain a rest and it can ease feelings of stress and anxiety.

The aim of mindfulness is to teach you to focus your brain on tuning out distractions and it claims that the easiest way to do this is a five or ten minute breathing exercise in the morning. In quite a similar setting to meditation, the idea is to sit with a straight, relaxing back and feet flat on the floor. Gazing straight ahead or with eyes closed, bring your attention to your breathing and wherever you feel it most. When thoughts crop up, which they undoubtedly will, refocus your mind onto your breath.
The great thing about this is that there isn't a specific way in which you have to do it. Experiment with the time of day that works best for you. Which room do you prefer to do it in? How long can you last before deciding what's for tea really can't wait any longer?

At first I will admit that this was impossible for me to do for longer than about 30 seconds but it does get easier and I can definitely notice the health benefits. The thing to remember is to just take it at your own pace, start at 2 minutes and build it up.

Some other ideas you can try, if you're finding the meditation-type mindfulness difficult, are:

• Have a mindful shower- Focus on the warmth of the water, and appreciate the smells of your soaps and shampoos.
• Take time to enjoy your lunch- Eat slowly, enjoy the tastes and focus on what you're eating rather than checking your computer or phone. 
• Savour a cup of tea and just relax. 
• Before you go to sleep as you lie in bed do a mental tour of your body. Focus on different feelings and areas of tension, imagine your breath soothing them. Doing this can lead to a better nights sleep! 

So there you have it :) I hope you enjoyed this and that it was helpful! Let me know if you try it and if it works for you. 

Thanks for reading,
Charlotte xx

My Eczema Skin Care Routine

Hello again :)

I'm going to be going through the products I use to keep my eczema under control and, although I don't necessarily like all products, they do work.

 Aqueous Cream is my holy grail. I use it to wash with as well as to moisturise. It's a very thick cream and has no perfume to it. I use it to moisturise all over my skin as well as my face and it leaves my skin feeling very soft. For a large tub like this I paid £4.09 and I get mine from BOOTS. 

This was a bit of a bonus buy really. I wanted a cream to go in my bag for my hands as they get very dry outside, especially in the winter. All the other creams that I had tried contained perfumes and made my eczema flare up horribly. This was from the 99p store and has worked wonders. I did try it on my face and it dried my cheeks out further so I have stuck to just using it on my hands and I am very happy with it!

I get Betnovate from my doctors and it is a mild steroid cream. I don't use it very often as I personally feel that it does not have any effect on my eczema and it is not something that I would get again. I have used it countless times of inflamed eczema patches and find it does not clear it up, on dry skin however it does have a small effect.

Mometasone is a strong steroid cream that is for eczema that is flared up and very angry. It is not recommended that you use it on your face as this is a very strong cream and is too harsh for the sensitive skin on the face. This is a miracle worker and with the tiniest amount heals even the worst patches of eczema.

So there you have it. It's not perfect and it's certainly not a cure but it works ok for me.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon,
Charlotte xxx

Beautiful Skin - Inside Out!

We all know how important it is to have a great skin care routine. Cleanser, toner and moisturiser are usually the bare minimum now with so many other products sneaking their ways into our everyday regimes. It's all well and good using these products and hoping that they will make us look 10 years younger and as fresh as a daisy but without eating properly and concentrating on the basics, how well will they really work? 

I'm going back to the very basics, before all the magical creams, and take a look at what we can do ourselves to look beautiful. 

EAT YOUR WAY TO BEAUTIFUL SKIN

1. We all know how important it is to drink plenty but to get glowing skin we should be aiming to get about 6 glasses a day! And that does not include coke or coffee. 
2. Fruit and Vegetables!!!!! I can hear you all now, "5 a day, yes yes we know!" But did you know that carrots, broccoli, apricots, strawberries, watercress and oranges are all skin superfoods, so get them down you as often as you can! 
3. Chocolate hasn't been linked to having problem skin, so you can still indulge in your little choc-attacks. Within reason people! 
4. Skipping meals is a big no-go when it comes to healthy skin so make sure you're sticking to a regular, balanced diet. 

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN IN SUMMER

Winter is on it's way out (thank goodness) and Summer is just around the corner so here's some things to remember for when the sun comes out.

1. Slap on that suntan lotion! Do it before you get dressed as part of your normal moisturising routine. 
2. Don't forget about the skin on your lips. They are so prone to burning and people often miss them out so invest in a lipsalve with SPF.
3. If you can stay out of then sun between 12 and 3. You're all shouting at me again, "We know this!" but how many of you actually do it?! 
4. Buy a fashionable summer hat, one that you really like, and WEAR IT! 

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN IN WINTER

Although we may be seeing a tad more of the sun now, Winter is still lingering and so we need to be protecting our skin from the cold weather. 

1. Cold weather and freezing winds dry out the skin and make us itch so make sure you're covering up and trying to keep as much of your skin away from the elements. 
2. If you're layering up in this weather then make sure the layer closest to your skin is a light cotton as this keeps the skin warm and dry and is less likely to irritate it. 
3. I know you're all dying to hop into a nice hot shower or bath when you get in but the water dries out your skin! I'm afraid that if you want beautiful skin you're gonna have to turn the heat down just a little bit, and keep your time in the water to a bare minimum! 

So there you have it, just a few tips and tricks to save our skin without the expensive products. However, integrating these pointers with your usual regime will most definitely give you the best skin you have ever had! 

Thank you for reading and I'll see you soon,
Charlotte xx

Body Shop Vitamin E Range

Now, as an eczema sufferer, I'm not really one to buy products from The Body Shop as I have to be really careful and selective about the things that I put on my skin, especially on my face. I had, however, read somewhere that Vitamin E was supposed to be really beneficial for those with eczema and so I decided to give it a go. 

The Body Shop isn't always cheap and so my Mum said that she would buy me some Vit E stuff to try out for Christmas. (Side Note: I have since been into Body Shop and seen that this set was on offer for around £18 so not too expensive!) 

In the set you get 3 products: a Cream Cleanser, a Hydrating Toner and a Moisture Cream. 

First thing that I noticed, and loved, was this little step-by-step guide on how to use the kit. Now I know that not every needs to learn how to cleanse, tone and moisturise but I thought that this was a great little addition for beginners and it was super simple to follow. 

The cleanser does exactly what it's supposed to. Unclogs pores, removes make up and cleans all the dirt from your skin. It's very gentle and contains shea butter and oils. Despite this it does not leave the skin feeling greasy, even on somebody with a very oily complextion. 

The toner finishes off the whole cleaning process but getting rid of any left over make up, cleanser and nasties that may be on your skin. Again this one was very gentle, it smelt pleasant and it was alcohol-free; BONUS! 

Last but not least is the moisturiser. This had a lovely, soft texture to it and felt really refreshing on the skin. It did not leave the skin looking greasy like some moisturisers and my skin drank it up very quickly. 

Overall I really like this set, it's gentle and smells lovely. However, as I said earlier, I tried these products as part of my search to find an eczema friendly routine and I'm afraid to say that this is not it. I started off by using the products twice a day and at first it worked out just fine. After about a week however my skin started to get very dry and red patches started to show on my cheeks. I immediately stopped using these products and went on a very basic water and aqueous cream routine until my skin healed up. 

I have since restarted using the products as a once a week treat and it seems to be working out really well. My skin is looking better than ever and I have a lovely, healthy glow. I would not say that these are bad products, however I would advise that if you have eczema (or any other skin condition) then use them sparingly. 

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon,
Charlotte x

P.s. The little owl featured in my pictures was also from The Body Shop, isn't he cute?!