metta « Learn About Natural Skin Care and Health in JUARA Skincare’s Blog

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Rice 101: The Scoop on Skin Benefits. – Metta Murdaya

Greetings from JUARA Girl Metta in a rice paddy in Borobudur, Indonesia

So you think you know about rice? What’s your favorite? Brown, white, black or basmati? Short grain, long grain, jasmine, or sticky? The list goes on and on from types to preparations and flavorings… BUT – how much do you know about what it does on your skin?

Rice is a staple of so many cultures’ diets that given its prevalence around the world, it’s no surprise that it has made its way into skin treatments. Overall, we know rice is good for your skin, but what it does really depends on what part of the rice makes its way into your skincare products. Let’s go on a quick exploration on the different parts of rice and what it does for your skin.

Rice bran oil: Rich in Vitamins B and E, rice bran oil increases elasticity of your skin and keeps it hydrated and soft. Rice bran oil is unique in that it contains different kinds (vs just one kind of) Vitamin B and Vitamin E, making it a more complex and wholesome ingredient for your skin. You can find it in our naturally anti-aging Sweet Black Tea & Rice Facial Moisturizer, and our Sweet Black Tea Eye Creme.

Rice starch: Women in Indonesia traditionally wash rice grains in water and then use the milky rice water to rinse their faces to get smooth, soft, supple skin. The rice starch that coats the outside of the rice husks have an extraordinary ability to hold in moisture, and its benefits are felt immediately on the skin. This oil-free humectant helps hold moisture to skin, and can be found in our sulfate-free JUARA Rice Facial Cleanser and JUARA Rice Facial Scrub. Why is in there? Rice starch is the secret ingredient that will keep your skin smooth and soft after you wash it, and helps prevent overdrying , which can lead to irritation and that uncomfortable, taut feel.
*LIMITED TIME SPECIAL: Get the JUARA Rice Facial Scrub + Rice Facial Cleanser for a special value price HERE!*

Rice bran extract: This ingredient helps calm skin and reduce redness. You can find this in our Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner. Though it’s not in the name of our product, this powerhouse of an ingredient makes our toner perfect after washing your face as it not only hydrates but also soothes and calms – especially if you have redness, irritation, or even (or especially, actually!) sunburns on your skin – both on body or face. It also double-duties as an alcohol-free aftershave, soaking the skin with delicious oil-free hydration while soothing the shave. Plus, no cotton ball needed! Just pump into hands, and apply to face.

Do you have favorite products that also include rice?

Beauty & Skincare / Eating & Drinking / indonesia / Lifestyle — No Comments
10
Dec 10

Ginger – Whacked, Shaken or Stirred? – Metta Murdaya

When I get the signs of a cold, have an upset tummy, or just need a little soothing but zingy pick-me-up drink, I drink ginger tea. Ginger is a wonder ingredient common in Asian food, beverages, and beauty treatments because of its great medicinal properties. In Indonesia, we consider it a ‘heaty’ ingredient that warms you up (great when you have a cold), helps digestion with its anti-bacterial properties, and can also be used in body-wraps used in spa treatments. When you’re done with these treatments, ginger tea mixed with palm sugar is also served as a traditional beverage. But I want to know – why does the ginger tea in Indonesia just taste so much more fragrant and richer than when I make it at home in NY?

I‘m in Indonesia now, and I learned an Indonesian secret in how they make their ginger tea super aromatic and delicious, so if you’re a ginger tea fan, listen up.
Normally, I make ginger tea by slicing ginger and boiling it in water, but the secret for really bringing out the aroma and depth of the flavor is to cook and whack it. That’s right. Cook and whack it! First, you have to pan-sear the whole (or large chunks of) ginger until parts of the skin are black. Don’t use oil; you’re basically just roasting the skin in a dry pan. Now peel the ginger skin off the best you can. Then, instead of slicing it into bits, whack the whole ginger chunk until it’s smashed near flat, like when you smash a garlic clove with the side of a knife. Then boil away in a saucepan covering the ginger with only a few inches of water. I personally err on the side of strong tea that I can always weaken with more water if needed. Sweeten with honey, sugar, or palm sugar – which tastes like a combination of flowers and brown sugar with a tiny pinch of salt. Delicious.
My theory is that the pan cooking heats the ginger to release the aroma more, and whacking it brings out the juices, but whatever the reason, it works.

Here’s another fun, inexpensive use of ginger in a beverage that I concocted: For a JUARA event at Fashion Week in NY this year, we made JUARA cocktails. One of them was a ginger tea cocktail in which I sliced a whole ginger (very thinly, no smashing needed) and put it in a full bottle of vodka (minus the volume of the ginger.) Leave 3 days, and voila – you have an instant ginger vodka infusion. It looks really pretty with the ginger slices floating, and tastes oh-so-spicy good. Chill and mix with tea, and you’ve got a ginger-tea cocktail. I also like mixing ginger slices in my Kombucha for a little variety, and am looking for other fun uses in drinks!

At JUARA, we use it in our oil-free Sweet Black Tea & Ginger Mattefying Moisturizer, where the ginger works as an oil-control/anti-shine ingredient, so if you want to try that out, check it out here.

Anyone have any creative uses for ginger in beverages, food, or beauty treatments?

Beauty & Skincare / Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness / JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals — 2 Comments
18
Oct 10

Turmeric: The Ancient Wonder Ingredient – Metta Murdaya

Tasty and Good for you!

So there’s this ‘new’ ingredient that’s popping up in the US in health supplements, skincare, and exotic dishes that’s raved about as uber healthy with anti-cancer properties: Turmeric. We often nod “oh, yes, that plant.” But what is it, and why is it so awesome? Oh, let me count the ways. For one, it’s one of Indonesia’s most revered spices/ingredients used in its herbal medicinal tradition and beauty rituals for centuries, but that’s not all. Hopefully this brief overview will leave you the most interesting person at your next dinner party when you can quip up on the wonders of this spice – and leave people wanting to try it out!

What is it? Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is a 5000 year old herb in the ginger family, and is known to grow wild in Southern Asia including India (oldest origin), Indonesia, Indochina, nearby Asian countries, and even in Hawaii. It is less fibrous than ginger, and has a nutty, slightly funky herbal/gingery smell to it and a nice, peppery and warm flavor.

What is it used for? Many things. Its roots are used in cooking as a spice, medicine, and even dye to color fabric/food. Known for its bright yellow color that can stain, turmeric has been used as a food colorant and dye for cloth historically as a less expensive alternative to saffron. Indonesian and Indian cuisine frequent this ingredient, especially in curries, because it is not only yummy but healthy! In Indonesia, we use Turmeric in hundreds of healthy concoctions from a princess spa ritual to brighten skin to drunken medicines to help cleanse blood and liver. In Bali, a traditional healer mixed turmeric with sandalwood and water to create a paste he massaged in my sprained ankle to help reduce swelling and induce rapid healing! (For those of you who saw Eat, Pray, Love, yes – those healers do exist, I can personally attest to it!) Turmeric is also widely used in Indian Ayurvedic systems, most widely used to purify blood.

What’s the magic ingredient? Curcumin is the power ingredient in Turmeric that has many of the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and blood purifying properties. Though studies conducted are still in the early stage, curcumin has shown positive effect on preventing cancer through its ability to suppress the proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells and to inhibit harmful molecules and enzymes. Topically, like in our Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask, the curcumin in our turmeric complex brightens skin and naturally fights discoloration and age spots naturally. It gives your skin a natural glow – just try it! 15 minutes and you’ll notice a difference.

What does it do, in a nutshell? Overall, turmeric is an amazing antioxidant, thanks to an ingredient in it – curcurmin. Turmeric can detoxify the liver, reduce cholesterol, brighten skin complexion (see our Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask), is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, and does a whole lot more. So take your dose or turmeric – in capsules like a health supplement, fresh, or in a spice powder, in Jamu (Indonesian tonics), or in our JUARA Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask. Enjoy!

Beauty & Skincare / Family & Friends / indonesia / Lifestyle / Products / Videos — No Comments
28
May 10

Meet Vanessa, Indonesia’s JUARA Ambassador – Metta Murdaya

Meet Vanessa, who has been a JUARA fan and advocate in Indonesia and loves spreading the word. When I was just in Indonesia this last month, I took a few minutes with her to share why people across the world like it, especially from where our line is inspired from. Different cultures, different climates, different seasons – but it looks like we all have some things in common, ladies!

If you are or have friends who are from a different country, what skincare products or treatments do you/they like? Do share, we love learning new things!

PS – We have a FREE SHIPPING on ALL ORDERS Special this Memorial Day Weekend. Friday, May 28 through Monday, May 31, 2010. Happy Shopping at JUARA!

JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals — 2 Comments
26
Mar 10

JAMU-JUARA Inspiration #2: Crash Course in Popular Jamu – Metta Murdaya

Here’s a bit more into JAMU itself – I talk about 2 of the MANY kinds of jamu that are considered ‘daily jamu’ for overall health and well-being. Get ready because after these JAMUs, on the next installment of the JAMU series, I’ll be getting into more interesting ones, such as ones that cure particular ailments and also help on relationship issues… yep, as in you and your significant other. Oh, the power of herbs and a little bit of creativity…

Also, feel free to check out our JUARA YouTube channel for more JUARA videos, where all the how-to’s on our products and other brand stuff is housed if you want to see it all in one place!

JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals / Videos — No Comments
23
Feb 10

JAMU – JUARA’s Inspiration: #1 Intro

Hi, here’s a little less about JUARA and more about JAMU, the Indonesian herbal tradition from where JUARA was inspired. This will be the start of a series of videos covering a smattering of JAMU related topics – hope you enjoy a little history lesson in yummy little tidbits. Watch out, there’ll be a quiz at the end! Just kidding… Of course, if you do want to dig in deeper, there are more formal books and research materials from which I learned the information, so I’ll be more than happy to refer those to you too, but in the meantime, here’s to episode 1!

Learn About Natural Skin Care and Health in JUARA Skincare’s BlogJUARA Skincare founders talk about life, work, and the musings of running a skincare company.