Posts Tagged: skincare

Skin Facts: Coffee or Tea? I’ll Take it All! – Lauren Lang

Oh, which do I choose... Can I have both?

Ever thought about putting coffee and tea on your face and body? My usual form of coffee or tea intake comes in the style of iced coffees and teas, adding to the 400million cups that are drank per day in the states. Although I might think twice (or thrice) about splashing a bit of that (possibly overpriced) latte or tea on my face before breakfast or bed, I wouldn’t rule out some pretty potent ingredients they contain to put on my skin!

COFFEE: Coffee has been used in other cultures, particularly in Indonesian body scrubs, for a number of years. For example, ‘Boreh’ (a combination scrub of coffee grounds mixed with spices) was developed by farmers in Bali to stimulate circulation and warm the skin; great after a hard day of work, or if you’re feeling the chills. Recent developments have seen the use ofcaffeine (a powerful antioxidant) in products such as eye crèmes and other cellulite appearance reducing body cremes.

Benefits of caffeine can give us a more youthful, healthy look! Here are some ways how:

- Increasing circulation: Helps reduce bags under the eyes in eye cremes, and stimulates healthy blood flow in body scrubs, helping remove toxins. Our Invigorating Coffee Scrub, also stimulates circulation in the skin whilst offering some tightening benefits for younger looking skin. Smell AND feel good – why not!
- Anti-inflammatory & diuretic effect: Good for creams that claim to reduce the appearance of cellulite (because sorry ladies, no amount of skin cream alone can break down this type of fat cells…)
- Helps constricts blood vessels which can reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, and can also give the skin a smooth, glowing appearance.
- Contains antioxidants, which also help reducing toxins in the skin

Now on to my British favorite – TEA: You guys have ‘Lipton’, us Brits have ‘Tetley’, Tea was first originated in China and has been said to date back to the 10th century BC! Tea can be much more beneficial for your skin than you might think. Green tea contains powerful polyphenolic antioxidants called catechins, which have been proven to fight viruses, slow aging, and have a beneficial effect on health. Some benefits of tea on the skin include the following, all which make skin look more youthful:

- Antioxidant protection: the catechins and vitamin c in a lot of green tea can help fight free radicals (which can lead to faster skin aging). Our Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner contains all black, green, and white teas.
- Tones skin/refines pores: You can even use real tea for this – an Indonesian traditional secret handed down from mother-to-daughter till today: After cleansing and rinsing, splash your face with your leftover tea (at room temperature, please!) to tone and brighten skin.
- Rejuvenates skin cells: Gives skin a brighter, healthier look. Some studies show it even extends the life span of the skin cells as they near the end of their life cycle; doesn’t do a miracle job on your face overnight, but every little thing counts!
- And don’t forget Kombucha, a fermented sweet black tea with organic compounds that help slow down your skin’s aging process, keeping it plumper and smoother for longer! Read about this fun beverage here and about all its health benefits. Also, the main anti-aging ingredient in Kombucha can also be found in our Sweet Black Tea & Rice Facial Moisturizer, the oil-free version, and our Sweet Black Tea Eye Creme.

So next time you’re feeling a little under the weather, or fancy treating your skin and body to some naturalness, remember that your daily dose of coffee and tea can do more for you wake you up from that sleepy state!

For more coffee and tea facts visit: http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/coffee_tea_facts.html

And if you like cool coffee foam art, this is a fun site! http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food-Recipes/Cool-Cappuccino-Foam-Art.html

Beauty & Skincare / Events / Health & Fitness / Lifestyle / Products / Uncategorized — 3 Comments
21
Jun 11

Exfoliate to Radiate! – JUARA Intern Lauren Lang

Summer is here. The sun is shining, the beaches are calling, the iced tea is being sipped and you’re feeling great. You might be prepared for summer….but is your skin?! Exfoliation – a term that most of us (and I’ll ashamedly admit to this) pull a face at. It takes time, it takes effort, and quite frankly we’d rather use that time to enjoy the 90-degree heat.

But what if I told you that your skin is harboring hundreds of dead skin cells called ‘Stratum Corneum’ – even the name makes it sound positively disgusting.

What is it?

Put simply, old skin sheds itself on a regular basis, making way for new skin. Unfortunately not all of this skin is removed and a build up begins to form; the average build up of stratum corneum contains between 15-20 dead cell layers. Eww.

Benefits!

So apart from the obvious benefit of removing this cheeky invasion of cells, here’s a few other benefits to why exfoliating is essential for a glowing summer face (and don’t be lazy, I expect amazing spring, autumn and winter skin too!)

Reduces dryness and gray dullness by removes grease and dead skin cells on your skin.

Gives your skin an amazing radiant glow and leaves you feeling fresh and more youthful looking in your ‘new’ skin.

Improves blood circulation and boosts the flow of oxygen.

Can improve performance of product applied after (like that expensive night cream you’re rationing out) by increasing its absorption into the newly exfoliated skin.

So ‘when and with what’….?

Most experts recommend exfoliating twice a week (stratum corneum – enough said!) We recommend different products for your face vs your body as your face may be more sensitive and require different treatments.

For your face, I’d recommend the Rice Facial Scrub containing fine exfoliating beads, which helps say Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye to those dead skin cells. This gently foaming cleanser + scrub also removes dirt and m ake-up leaving your skin smooth and fresh with a healthy glow! For your body, I also recommend my absolute favorite product Invigorating Coffee Scrub which is made with fresh Indonesian coffee beans and finer walnut shell grains for dual-action exfoliation. This gently exfoliates and awakens the skin leaving it fresh and awakened and with the most amazing chocolate coffee smell. Plus it also cleanses with soap-free surfactants which means it won’t dry out your skin. Remember this isn’t just for ladies, men love it too!

If you prefer a creamier option, try the Candlenut Body Polish which exfoliates and moisturizes together in one single application. A sister product to the coffee scrub, this one doesn’t so much cleanse as it hydrates deeply while exfoliating. Perfect to use before a self tanner, or on dry skin when you’re about to go out an notice dry patches on arms or legs you just want to rid of! Plus, you’re going to smell sweeter than summer!

Tell me how!

Now you’re equipped with knowledge and products, here’s the many different ways you can exfoliate!

Manual – Usually in the form of a sponge, a facial scrub or a tool, such as a Clarisonic that manually sloughs off the dead skin.

Chemical – Mostly provided over the counter, these types of exfoliation often contain acids and help loosen the skin layers. Most often recognized as ‘peels’.

Superficial/Deep Microdermabrasion – These two types of exfoliation help remove damaged skin cells, giving your skin an overall youthful appearance and is most usually performed by a professional.

So now you know and above are some options on how to exfoliate… SUMMER SKIN HERE I COME!

Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness / indonesia / JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals — No Comments
20
May 11

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Cold? Meet Herbal Magic in a Ketchup Packet – Metta Murdaya

My cold cure in a ketchup packet.

About 2 days before I was supposed to get on a flight to be the maid-of-honor of JUARA girl Tami’s destination wedding (read: lots of duties!), I woke up in the morning feeling like a truck had rolled on me – and forgot to roll off. I took stock: Sore muscles, Runny nose, sneezing, headache and sinus pressure, sore throat: CHECK. As I was curled up shamelessly and miserably on the doctor’s examination table later that day, he breaks it to me that I have a really nasty, mean, vengeance seeking cold virus. Since there was nothing he could really prescribe that would kill a virus, I got sent home with a prescription for some OTC sinus relieving medicine and a ‘just rest and good luck!’ Not even a ‘take an aspirin and call me in the morning.’ Gee.
But he did not know of my secret weapon in my medicine cabinet, my staple friend: the good ol’ Indonesian Singkir Angin herbal tonic in a concentrated single-dose packet. It’s from the company called Nyonya Meneer (Madam Meneer) today a 4th generation jamu (Indonesian herbal tonic) company started by woman healer (Mrs. Meneer herself) in her home. It’s basically like a liquid Ricola shot with a bazillion good-for-you herbs specifically formulated to help get rid of colds, achey bodies, and general malaise. The one I have is specifically good as it includes echinacea to help boos the immune system. It’s sweet, tasty, and minty and sold in single servings packets, it’s so easy to keep at home and at the office.
So what else is in this wonder drug cutely packaged in oversized ketchup sachets? Here’s a cute little commercial for it.
Although different brands may have variations, the core ingredients are the same. It contains fennel extract which helps relieve colds and pain associated with cold illnesses, combined with clove leaves, ginger, mint and menthol, valerian, echinacea and ginseng to basically soothe the symptoms of the cold while calming your digestive system, helping you be relaxed and comfortable while your body heals. Naturally sweetened with honey, which is also anti-bacterial, it’s not just the ingredients used, but the combination together that makes this a synergistically more powerful concoction, traditionally drunk in Indonesia for centuries. This recipe from the old healers of Indonesia hasn’t been passed down for centuries for no reason, their combo works!
Just tear it open and take a single chug when feeling down, it’s my happy place when I get sick. I take it and give it to all my sick friends and feel OK doing so because I know the ingredients are natural and safe. My sister came up with a brilliant way to drink it – pour the contents into a cup, (there’s only like, 2 tablespoons worth,) add a little hot water in it and, and feel the aroma of sweet menthol cutting right through your sinuses like a ray of clear sunshine through the clouds. The most important part: Did I make it to the wedding? With rest, several Singkir Angin sachets a day, I did! I felt pretty good, good enough to make through all the late-night parties and no one even knew I was a total wreck just a few days before. Amazing what a few little plants can do!

For more information/articles on Jamu and Indonesian herbal/beauty tradition, search “JAMU” on this blogsite! Do you have any favorite at-home cold remedies?

Beauty & Skincare — No Comments
8
Nov 10

Dark Under-Eye Circles: How did I get them and how can I get rid of them? -Guest Post: Ali Donato

One of the worst things to be told is, “You Look Tired.” We’ve all had them at one point on our lives- dark under eye circles. Most people think they are caused by a lack of sleep. There are actually many other reasons why we get these dark circles. Causes of dark under eye circles include:
- Allergies
- Heredity
- Lifestyle Factors (smoking/drinking)
- Nasal congestion
- Sun exposure

One way of ridding yourself of dark circles is going down the surgical route, but most of us would like to avoid that if possible. Here are some things that you can do at home to reduce the appearance of the circles.

Eat right: The key to great skin is a balanced diet. Avoid salty foods, as this causes your body to retain water, which contributes to bloating and puffiness under your eyes. Along with this, you need to make sure you drink a lot of water, to flush out toxins in your body.
Use a cold compress: A cold compress or even cooled, used teabags will temporarily reduce swelling and discoloration.
Sleep: A lack of sleep makes you look paler, hence displaying your circles more, so make sure you get a good amount of sleep and keep your head elevated so fluid doesn’t pool up in your lower eyelids.
Saline spray: Nasal congestion could cause you to have under eye circles. An over-the-counter nasal spray can help prevent blood vessel dilation.
Concealer: Finding the right concealer to cover up your under eye circles can be a tough task. Go to Sephora or a department store and test out different shades and types of concealers to find which best suits your face. A rule of thumb is to choose a concealer one shade lighter than your foundation. If you have very dark circles, you can even go two shades lighter. Be careful though, because a concealer that is too light will give you a “raccoon” look!
Vitamin K: Find an eye cream that contains Vitamin K. These will help strengthen capillary walls so the dark circles will be less visible.

Although getting completely rid of your under eye circles is very difficult, there are things you can be doing at home to change their dominance on your face so they are less noticeable, which is ultimately what you want! Here are two products that I personally like:

Lancome’s EFFACERNES – Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer that covers dark circles and the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.
Korres Evening Primrose Eye Cream – A great eye cream with Vitamin K.

Another way to distract attention from dark circles is to make your whole face brighter and more radiant overall, which reduces the “You Look Tired” comments. Try JUARA Skincare’s Sweet Black Tea and Rice Facial Moisturizer. The JUARA Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask is also a good one to give you an overall glow (while it detoxes and purifies.) An extra bonus – since Turmeric is such a great antioxidant, to that theme, we’re donating 10% of sales of this mask to support Breast Cancer Awareness to Cancer & Careers through December 2010. It’s an organization that helps women in the workplace with cancer so let’s support them!

Do you have special tricks, tips, or products you love that help with dark under-eye circles? Do share!

Beauty & Skincare / Health & Fitness / Products — 2 Comments
23
Sep 10

Treating adult acne the natural way – Yoshiko Roth-Hidalgo

When you are past your teens and still or again battling break-outs, you are in good company. One in five women between the ages of 25 and 40 suffers from adult acne. Adult acne is not different from teenage acne in that the same key factors are involved: Hormonal activity which has an effect on our oil glands, blocked pores, acne bacteria and inflammation. What makes adult acne tricky is that the skin of a person in his/ her 30s or 40s is different from teenage skin. Some people suffering from adult acne may not have oily skin, their skin might be more sensitive, and they are likely concerned about fighting skin aging.

One way to fight adult acne is with over-the-counter medicated products, but there are also a number of natural remedies that can effectively prevent and treat break-outs. Whether your skin is too sensitive to chemical acne-fighting agents or you are simply interested in alternative options, here are some tips and product recommendations for how to fight adult acne the natural way.

Nature’s solutions
A number of natural and botanical-based ingredients help with the causes and symptons of acne, including:

Naturally antibacterial and antiseptic: Willow bark, tea tree oil, ginger, green, white and black tea extracts.

Reduces redness and inflammation: green, white and black tea extracts, aloe

Exfoliates and free blocked pores: Manuka Honey, alpha hydroxyl acids from milk (lactic acid), fruit (fruit acid), apple (malic acid) and sugar (glycolic acid)

Reduces excess oil production: Avocutine, derived from avocados as well as pumpkin seed oil curbs sebum production in the pores.

Cleansers: Keep it gentle
Contrary to a stubborn myth, acne is NOT caused by dirty skin, so stay away from harsh cleansers that strip skin. In fact, dehydration can prompt your skin to produce even more oil and at the same time exacerbate the appearance of roughness, lines and wrinkles. Here are some good options:

Avene Cleanance Soapless Cleanser, 6.76 oz, $17: Contains Pumpkin Seed Oil to reduce excess sebum.

ARCONA Raspberry Acne Bar, 4 oz, $38: Contains lactic acid and fruit enzymes to exfoliate and free pores.

Toner/ Treatment: Look for multi-taskers
Be good to your skin by targeting breakouts as well as aging and other skin issues. If you use a toner, stay away from alcohol-based formulations that unnecessarily strip and dehydrate skin. Here are some good options:

Juara Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner, 4.75 oz, $27: Contains green, white and black tea extract to combat acne bacteria and well as provide antioxidant benefits and reduce redness.

Boscia Willow Bark Breakout Treatment, 0.5 oz, $25: Contains natural antibacterial willow bark as well as Vitamin C and E for antioxidant protection.

Hydrate and fight aging
It’s tempting to not moisturize when you see pimples, but it’s important to keep skin hydrated, no matter what your skin type, even if you have break-outs. If you are concerned oiliness, choose an oil-free moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, which draws vital hydration to the skin without adding oil, while plumping lines and making skin supple.

Juara Sweet Black Tea & Ginger Mattefying Moisturizer, 2 oz, $48: Anti-aging & oil-control benefits in one. Contains fermented sweet black tea to reduce signs of aging, ginger to purify, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and avocutin to reduce excess sebum.

Astara Blue Flame Oil-Free Moisturizer, 2 oz, $42: Hydrates with hyaluronic acid and totara tree essence to purify, while soothing with aloe.

Put break-outs on the spot

Juice Beauty Blemish Be Gone, 0.27 oz, $15: Multiple natural alpha hydroxyl acids free blocked pores while Coenzyme Q10 helps fade discoloration from past breakouts.

Jurlique Blemish Cream, 0.5 oz, $28: Contains tea tree oil for antibacterial benefits. Plus the slightly tinted formulation helps cover up existing blemishes and redness.

bareMinerals RareMinerals Blemish Therapy, 0.07 oz, $28: A unique powder formulation applied with a makeup brush, that treats break-outs with tea tree oil, helps absorb excess oil and covers redness and blemishes.

Any natural acne products that you swear by? Let us know!

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!

Beauty & Skincare / Health & Fitness — 10 Comments
24
May 10

Sun protection for babies: Need-to-know’s for new mothers – Yoshiko Roth-Hidalgo

We all know that babies have sensitive skin. As a new mother to a 4-month-old, I make sure I don’t get anything harsh, chemical or overly perfumed near my daughter’s skin. In fact, my motto so far has been “less is more”. Now that the sun is getting stronger and temperatures are rising, I slather sunscreen on my own face and body daily, but realized after a recent stroll with my daughter that I didn’t really know much about how to protect my baby skin from the sun. Here are the most important need-to-know’s:

1) Keep babies out of the sun whenever possible

Babies have thinner skin and underdeveloped melanin (the body’s own defense against the UV rays) and therefore have to be kept out of the sun whenever possible, especially during peak times 10 AM to 4 PM. This is even more imperative since babies should not use sunscreen before they are 6 months old. Plus babies can’t regulate their body temperature the way adults can and can overheat much more easily and quickly – one more reason to keep them out of the sun.

2) Use protective clothing and umbrellas

Look for clothing and hats with a built-in UPF of 30 or more. A light, white cotton T-shirt is not enough to shield baby’s skin adequately from UV-rays. Thicker fabric is more protective, but you also want to make sure that your baby won’t overheat under thick clothing.

3) Sunscreen before 6 months

Sunscreen, especially chemical sunscreen is a big no-no for babies under 6 months. However, if there is no way to stay out of the sun, sunscreen can be applied in small doses at 3-4 months, but it has to be baby-appropriate sunscreen (read below). For example, your baby is mostly covered by clothing and stroller canopy, but the feet are still exposed. In that case, it makes sense to apply a sunscreen to the exposed areas, as long you also keep an eye out for any skin irritation. Avoid putting on too much sunscreen on the hands. Babies will inevitably put their hands in their mouth and rub their eyes.

4) Choose the right sunscreen

Sunscreens that are safe for toddlers may not be safe yet for infants. Look for sunscreens that rely solely on non-chemical sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, and if you are not sure, speak to your pediatrician, dermatologist or pharmacist. Chemical sunscreens may not only irritate baby’s delicate skin, they are also absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. This is a problem for babies, since they have so much surface area, i.e. skin, relative to their body mass. So relative to their weight, babies can absorb a lot more chemicals through their skin than adults can. I consulted with my pharmacist in Germany to pick the right formula for my 4-month-old daughter. Initially I was interested in La Roche Posay’s Anthelios Dermo-Pediatrics SPF50+ but was advised against it. Even though good for sensitive skin, Mexoryl (which is the sunscreen agent in all Anthelios products), is a chemical sunscreen and therefore not appropriate for baby skin. My pharmacist recommended Eau Thermale Avene’s Sunscreen SPF50 instead, which literally looks like pure zinc paste on my daughter’s skin. Another popular sunscreen for babies is “Blue Lizard Australian Sunscream Baby, SPF 30”.

5) The Vitamin D connection

We all need some sun for the body to make Vitamin D for strong bones and for our immune system, but do babies get enough Vitamin D if they are kept out of the sun? New research shows that infants that are exclusively breast-fed may not get enough Vitamin D. This does not mean that you should expose your baby to the sun – the risks outweigh the benefits by far. But rather, it is recommended to give baby a Vitamin D supplement of 400 I.U. My pediatrician prescribed Enfamil’s Tri-Vi-Sol Drops with Vitamins A, C & D. This should be continued until baby is able to drink at least 32 oz of Vitamin-D fortified infant formula per day. Formula-fed babies seem to get adequate amounts through the fortified formula.

My question to my fellow moms: Which baby sunscreen product and other sun protective items do you recommend?

Beauty & Skincare / Lifestyle — No Comments
29
Apr 10

Animal Testing for Skincare? Not in this Life! – Jill Sung

CATWOMAN!

I didn’t grow up with many pets because my brother was allergic. We tried the usual, “trade him for puppy” trick, but my mom was too smart for that. Fish were our replacement. Big bulbous headed goldfish! More orangy if you ask me. All had names and personalities. Our favorite was Big Momma. Metta, I think, has had every animal on the planet. Perhaps that’s a minor exaggeration…. Yoshiko is animal happy too. I didn’t have a picture with Big Momma, but here’s Metta with her cat. So when it comes to testing on animals, we’re all a big NO!

JUARA is cruelty free and registered with PETA. Not only does that mean we don’t test on animals, it means that we make sure the ingredients we purchase are not tested on animals either. We also don’t contract testing out to other people who might test on animals – although that’s a nice loophole I hear some companies take. We love our animals…and almost got a JUARA cat, but didn’t want visitors to have to worry about allergies.

Then you ask, is JUARA safe? Yes, we’re dermatologist tested, and used non-animal means to test. We’re safe, and we love animals. I love that we can have an effect on what is out in the marketplace. And we look forward to creating even more good for earth and people products. Empowering, you know what I mean? What else empowers you?

Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness — 1 Comment
19
Nov 09

Snack Food for the Busy! – Jill Sung

dried gooseberries Sometimes when my plate is full, and my schedule is too jam-packed, I want to snack, but don’t have the time to make anything. When heading to work, I just grab and go! I’ve done the old standbys like baby carrots (dipped in hummus is tasty), grapes, grape tomatoes, granola, etc. But lately, some nuts and new dried fruits have caught my eye…

“raw” cashews – full of “good fats” with an optimal healthy fat ratio of 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, they are less “fatty” than peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds. Filled with phytosterols, copper and magnesium, cashews have been found in large health studies to kill bacteria often found in the mouth, decrease gallstone disease risk by 25% in women, lower the risk of developing type II diabetes and protect from diabetes complications by supporting healthy levels of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.

Eat 1/4 cup, 1-4 times a week. Less than 200 calories.

gooseberries - each one of these sweet and tart berries has more antioxidant vitamin C than an entire orange! If you can take the tartness, eat alone, or mix with nuts, but these berries are filled with anti-inflammatory bioflavanoids, soluble dietary fiber-filled pectin, and vitamins A and C. I love that these Incan fruits are dried with no added sugar or juices.

Eat 1 oz, 1-4 times a week. ~80 calories per oz.

For other easy snacks, try yogurt with natural preserves or fruit and agave nectar. Until the next nibble! Enjoy!

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.