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Skincare for Bathing Beauties

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Cannonball!!! When the heat arrives, is your first thought to immediately jump into a beautiful pool? Same, girl. Same. Summers are meant to be spent by the water so you can easily stay cool, float, frolic, and swim.

You’ve probably got your beach bag ready with a new swimsuit, towel, and good book. Before you dive in, let’s spend some time prepping your skin, too. We’re sharing our pre and post-swimming tips for magical mermaids to keep your skin balanced and gorgeous.

My Chemical Romance

Not to rain on your parade, but this is your reminder that pools are riddled with irritants, like chlorine. I’m a weirdo and seriously love the smell of chlorine. Don’t judge. Chlorine is a chemical substance added to pools to protect you from the bacteria growing in them. It can leave skin dry, tight, and raw if you skip some basic skincare tweaks.

Chlorine is the most infamous complexion-wrecking culprit due to its propensity to strip skin of its natural oils as it messes with pH balance. Once you change the pH of the skin, you start to disrupt the skin barrier. It can start to lose water and become dry and irritated.

While chlorine’s harsh effects on the scalp (hello, green hair) get a lot of attention, it turns out that pool chemicals may be equally unkind to your skin if you’re not careful. If you’ve ever felt itchy after swimming in a pool, you know what we’re talking about.

You may be wondering about saltwater pools as an alternative. They do tend to be kinder to skin but are still more foe than friend to a swimmer’s skin. Thankfully, there are some small but effective skincare swaps and swimming etiquette switch-ups that can make a world of difference both in and out of the pool.

Pre-swim Tips

SLATHER UP BEFORE YOU DIVE IN

Now is a good time to consider your boundaries. Before exposing it, prep your skin by creating an extra barrier between your skin and the pool or sea water. Apply a natural moisturizer all over and an emollient on areas prone to irritation. Look for products with glycerin, oils or petrolatum listed on the ingredients. Even just some cream around the eyes where you put your goggles will do the trick.

Troublemaker Note: Not all pools allow moisturizers to be worn by swimmers, as they may interfere with the disinfecting chemicals. Check the rules before lathering up.

KEEP YOUR HAIR HAPPY

Our hair can also be stripped of moisture after spending time in the pool. To prep your hair pre-swim, try wetting your hair with regular water and applying a leave-in conditioner. If that’s too much work, dig into some coconut oil or any natural oil. Massaging the oil on the roots of your hair will hydrate it enough.

Additionally, consider a sweet swimming cap to help protect your hair from coming in direct contact with the water as much as possible!

Post swim Tips

DON’T WAIT TO AIR DRY!

After a cool dip, you may be tempted to just retire to your towel and let the sun dry you off. You may think that air-drying is beneficial for the skin, but that’s simply not the case. Air-drying will lead to more dryness!

The longer that you leave pool water on your skin, the more time it has to have its way with it. Use a mild and hydrating cleanser or body wash to begin restoring the skin’s pH balance from the pool chemicals.

We recommend rinsing off with warm-to-cool, clean water to avoid additional dryness that hot water adds. After rinsing off, dry yourself with a cotton towel reapply a moisturizer to restore hydration to the skin. If you’re planning to stay in the sun after that, it’s time to apply more SPF, of course.

For your hair, It is best to use a clarifying shampoo as this can help in balancing the pH levels of the scalp after coming in contact with chlorine. Don’t scrub your scalp too much as this can cause irritation. Let your last hair rinse be with cold water to protect your roots and seal this off with some leave-in conditioner.

LOCK IN THE MOISTURE

If your skin is still feeling dry or flaky after you get home from the pool, switch to a thicker moisturizer or ointment. Remember, lotions are not as hydrating as creams. After a long day in the sun, apply a thick emollient (ointment) to the skin from the neck down before going to bed. This will further help keep skin barrier intact. The stronger it is, the less damage that pool or sea water can cause.

As for your moisturizer, its role should be to hydrate and lock moisture in. A moisturizer with ceramides, like Serene Marine natural body cream, in it to help replace the fats swimming strips from the skin. Ceramides are lipids that are naturally found in the upper layers of the skin that act as ‘bricks’ between skin cells. They’re vital for a strong barrier and firm skin.

Creams with glycerin are also worth looking out for when reading your labels. Glycerin is a humectant that further boosts hydration levels.

DON’T FORGET YOUR FACE!

Remember to rinse your face right after the pool, too! Hydration before and after a pool day is key. Luckily, swimming doesn’t usually lead to breakouts on your face. However, it may be as dry and irritating for the face as for the rest of your body.

Layering can be an effective plan of action when it comes to your face. If your skin’s especially dry, try a serum containing hyaluronic acid which can hold 1000 times its weight in water. It increases the hydration of the outer layer of the skin. And, bonus, it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

PRO TIP: Our Cactus Crush and Serene Marine natural creams contain botanical hyaluronic acid, so go ahead and try these light creams on your face!

BONUS: Nail care

Constant contact with Chlorine makes the nails brittle and damages the healthy, top layer of your natural nails. To pay extra attention to your nails, avoid using acetone nail enamel removers too often. Use regular olive oil or cuticle oil to massage your cuticles every night and protect them with a hydrating basecoat before a manicure.

Using a hand cream with hyaluronic acid and softening rosewater, like Rose Glow hand cream, after the pool and after hand-washing keeps the delicate skin hydrated, soft, and plump.

MERMAID VIBES

There you have it! Just follow these simple methods so your skin and hair remain their healthiest as you soak up the summer vibes! Be a mermaid but take a pass on those scales.

Top 5 Ingredients to Fight Cellulite

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The warmer weather has arrived and we’re all ready to get outside and show a little extra skin. If something like cellulite is holding you back, we’re here to share the top ingredients to fight cellulite as well as some solutions to help your odds in this battle.

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is a cosmetic skin condition in which the skin on the thighs, hips, abdomen, or other parts of the body have a dimpled, lumpy appearance. It is caused by a buildup of fat underneath the skin and it’s often the result of hormones, pregnancy, genetics, weight gain, poor diet, and/or an unhealthy lifestyle. While cellulite can affect men, it is far more common in women as it affects 80% to 90% of them.

I’m sure you have seen different potions and lotions out there promising miracles. The best firming creams are made up of ingredients that reduce inflammation, protect the skin against harmful UV rays, and restore skin cells to their natural state. Beauty companies have tried for many years to crack the code of firming creams, but they struggle to do so naturally.

A Natural Solution

We’ve made it our mission to create dry skin focused products featuring concentrated natural ingredients sourced from the fierce Sonoran Desert to help combat aging, tighten, and firm your skin. We’ve combined tried and tested natural ingredients to create Buzz Chill natural body cream in order to combat the appearance of cellulite while helping to firm your skin.

Tried and Tested Firming Ingredients:

Caffeine and Coffee

Caffeine has been celebrated for its circulation-boosting benefits. When caffeine is used in cellulite creams, it has anti-inflammatory benefits. It reduces some tissue swelling which can create that cobblestone appearance of the classic cellulite look.

Caffeine will also help to improve the appearance of smoother looking skin. The caffeine-cellulite connection is important because caffeine is known for stimulating circulation, which is another important component for promoting the look of smoother skin.

Guaraná

Guaraná is an herb which contains five times the caffeine of coffee and is ideal for boosting energy, supporting natural circulation, and smoothing the skin. It is a vascoconstrictor, which means it reduces puffiness and smooths the skin, creating a youthful glow.

Guaraná has anti-aging and toning properties and is often used as a treatment for stretch marks given its theophylline and caffeine components. It’s antioxidant and antimicrobial properties make it a common additive in cosmetic products. It has been known to aid blood flow to your skin, reduce damage linked to aging and minimize undesirable features, such as saggy skin and wrinkles.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C as the most important vitamin in terms of collagen production. Did you know that Vitamin C deficiency leads to the creation of weak collagen, which in turn leads to looser connections between the skin and underlying structures? These loose connections give cellulite its textured look.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that revitalizes and promotes a natural regeneration for the skin. Vitamin C is also a powerful protectant against the harmful UV rays of the sun, and it occurs naturally in many fruits, like nutrient rich Sonoran Lemons.

Olive oil

Olive oil has long been known for its beauty benefits Olive oil is a natural emollient that provides a long-lasting shield of moisture to keep skin smooth and supple.

The nutrients in EVOO have been shown to tighten and firm up textured cellulite patches. As with wrinkles, olive oil can “attack” cellulite at a cellular level. Massaging olive oil into affected areas daily should show an improvement in the firmness of your skin.

Vitamin E

Similar to Vitamin C, Vitamin E naturally protects the skin from UV rays. Vitamin E is crucial to our health and wellness, both inside and out. It naturally reduces inflammation, protects the skin against inflammation, and smooths skin imperfections.  

BONUS: Organic Shea Butter

Organic Shea Butter adds penetrating moisture to skin. It has an abundance of vitamin A, which helps to repair damaged collagen fibers. This leads to the appearance of plumper, firmer skin. It is also rich in an acid called cinnimac, which helps with proper blood flow to the skin.

Anti-cellulite Ingredients In Action

Buzz Chill firming cream contains all these superstar ingredients! We recommend using the lemony fresh cream liberally by applying daily all over your body. For areas of concern, massage the product in with a roller ball or deep tissue massage. This will help speed the breakup of cellulite. Buzz Chill works on its own but if you work to break up the cellulite while applying it you will see more dramatic results.

Daily dry brushing can also be super beneficial in your quest to minimize dimpling. It’s one of the best things you can do to stimulate circulation, which in turn flushes out excess fluid and swelling that can exacerbate the look of cellulite. In other words, pair dry brushing with a hydrating cream for a one-two punch. Dry brush pre-shower, then apply Buzz Chill which magically transforms into a lightweight oil immediately post-shower.

Using this naturally fragrant cream all over will help to revive, lift, and tone your skin over time. Enjoy the season and firm up your plans for a spectacular summer!

Prickly Pear For Smooth Skin

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Don’t be a prick! Unless you’re a prickly pear cactus. In that case, prick it up and do anything you need in order to protect your inner beauty by whatever means necessary. We’re sharing why prickly pear is so great for you and your skin.

It’s harvest time in Arizona. It’s time to give prickly pear its moment in the sun, which is pretty easy in this desert life. This fierce superfood holds concentrated plant richness with amazing health benefits created by holding it down in the desert’s harsh environment. We harvest the juicy leaves from native cacti to create succulent selfcare for all.

Don’t squeeze a cactus!

They are gorgeous to look at, but you know better than to just grab a prickly pear cactus, right? If you’re curious about a prickly pear’s ripeness, watch the fruit color change from green to a solid red or yellow color. This is the most important indicator, and often only indicator, as to the fruit’s ripeness. If the fruit feels firm, it is another indicator that the fruits are fully ripe. Again…don’t squeeze a prickly pear while still thorny.

According to our friends at Arizona Cactus Ranch, harvesting prickly pears is best done in the late summer when the fruit has turned to a deep magenta color and has no green remaining. The peak season for prickly pears is late summer through early winter.

The Prickly Pear Glow

Prickly pear is great for all skin types and especially great to help hydrate, smooth and revitalize. The oil of prickly pear helps to address signs of aging and provides immediate skin-softening that finishes with a dewy glow.

Prickly pear contains the highest level of betalains in the world. What are betalains? These phytonutrients are found in rich colored fruits (like pomegranate) and have amazing anti-inflammatory properties that have been known to help promote skin elasticity and can help stimulate collagen production. If your skin is prone to skin conditions that cause redness or swelling, betalains can help alleviate these symptoms.

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing in skincare?

Since prickly pear is a very alkaline ingredient, it does have to be formulated to work well with your skin’s barrier. Fortunately for you, the Cactus Crush pure body cream is a well-balanced formula. Your skin will get all the amazing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of prickly pear cactus plus other plant rich ingredients.

Desert-Derived + Sustainable

The desert harvested prickly pear we use is more sustainable than argan oil. We buy it from a local farm right here outside of Tucson, Arizona Cactus Farm, where they’re actually planting the cactus. Prickly pear cacti are also grown outdoors, so you’re getting all the benefits of the intense Arizona weather and in the concentrated nutrients it provides. No pesticides are used on this sustainable farm.

Can Prickly Pear Change Your Life?

We think it can. If you would like to try your first Prickly Pear offering, we have a recommendation:
Cactus Crush natural body cream for crepe skin. It is a synergistic blend of botanicals that target all the contributing causes of crepe skin to immediately reduce its appearance and help stop its long-term progression. Oh, and it smells good enough to eat! 

We are obsessed with this best-selling vegan body cream, but don’t take our word for it. Here is a review from a customer in Santa Fe:
“Apparently my skin is thirsty, and nothing quenches quite like Cactus Crush! I didn’t know what crepe skin was when I bought it. It was the rich texture and fresh fragrance that did the trick. Now I realize that I feel better when my skin feels good. I love that I can have prickly pear cactus and hyaluronic acid in a body cream!”

Prickly Pear Is Good For Your Skin

We didn’t stop with just one skincare super star. Here are the other key ingredients that make Cactus Crush a fan favorite:

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid naturally helps draw moisture from the environment into the skin and to helps smooth out crepe texture. Studies have also shown that long term use can help build collagen.

Vitamin B5  – Regenerates skin and helps support skin structures to retain skin resilience and elasticity.

Organic Sugar Cane helps increase cellular turn over which makes crepe skin lines look less deep by gently removing the top outer layers of dead skin.

Prick Life

In addition to succulent self care, go ahead and introduce prickly pear in your life in different ways.

You’ve probably seen it in cocktails (hello, Prickly Pear Margarita) but take a shot of prickly pear juice straight or mix it into a smoothie! Juiceries sell drinks with prickly pear in them because the prickly pear borders on being a superfood. Smart venues like Topo Arizona sell delicious prickly pear soft serve because it tastes like a dream!

We’re so fortunate to have so many powerful and beautiful ingredients at our fingertips in Tucson. We invite you to add prickly pear into your routine! It’s so easy to crush hard on this desert beauty body cream. We know you will too.

Buzz Chill Firming Cream and Cellulite Treatment

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Life can be bumpy. But we’re not about to let a few lumps get in the way of celebrating the gorgeous skin we are in! Can we talk cellulite? If you’re like me, that word can spark some feelings. In our effort to smooth things out we are shining a light on our skin smoothing Buzz Chill firming cream.  

Buzz Chill is a fresh and clean natural guarana cream for cellulite made for firming and strengthening skin. With bright lemon and exhilarating guarana + coffee, it makes waking up a little more fun. When you give yourself a deep massage, you’ll stimulate your blood vessels and break up that cellulite and kick start a detox for your skin.

The Scoop on Cellulite

First off, we are all about body positivity and empowering you to love your size, skin tone, skin texture, cellulite, stretch marks, and every other perfectly imperfect part of you. Let’s accept that we all get cellulite, we have cellulite, and we know we’ll never be able to banish it completely.

Cellulite is defined as a dimpled appearance—caused by fat pushing against connective tissue in the skin. It happens to everyone, and can be caused by anything from genetics, to weight gain, to aging. There is no quick fix for cellulite. But many of you have shared curiosity on ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite and want to know if an anti-cellulite cream will help. Let’s start with what we can control.

Cellulite and Nutrition

One piece of the cellulite puzzle is nutrition. For the most part, when we put good things in, we get good things out. Asking yourself “is this food inflammatory?” is a great way to decide if a food is going to help or accelerate the condition.

There are three major kinds of inflammatory foods: those high in processed sugar, those high in salt, and those refined carbs.

  • Sugar: most often found in soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and jellies.
  • Salt: canned foods, cold cuts, frozen meals, and salted nuts are among the most sodium saturated foods.
  • Refined Carbohydrates: these are generally ingredients and foods that have been stripped of nutrition and processed to be white like pasta, flour, rice, baked goods, and many breakfast cereals.

Some foods are essential for our skin and they can help our collagen production, anti-aging, and skin firming in the same way natural skincare treatment would. Let’s turn to why a firming cream serves as a cellulite treatment. Hint: It’s all about the ingredients!

Guarana + Lemon + Coffee, Oh My!

When we created Buzz Chill firming cream, we combined Guarana, Coffee, Lemon and Quince leaf to form the most advanced, dare we say best cellulite cream, on the market. This caffeine body cream contains all the ingredients that have been shown to positively impact the appearance of cellulite. It also contains grapefruit oil which is known to inhibit appetite.

Where does the “Buzz” Come From?

Guarana and Coffee all work to stimulate blood flow and help detox skin. Experts have found that caffeine is able to facilitate the breakdown of fat by stimulating enzymes that do just that. Additionally, caffeine is shown to temporarily constrict blood vessels. Constricting blood vessels decreases blood flow, reducing the appearance of inflammation or, essentially, smoothing the skin.

  • Guarana has among the highest concentrations of caffeine in any plant. Guarana also dilates blood vessels to stimulate blood flow to the areas where you’d like more skin contouring. This helps make the bands that bind fat more elastic which reduces the appearance of dimpling. The guarana found in our Buzz Chill firming cream contains five times the caffeine of coffee and is ideal for boosting energy, supporting natural circulation, and smoothing the skin.
  • Coffee stimulates the breakdown of fat cells. Caffeine in coffee helps to dilate blood vessels. It leaves no space for fat deposits to push through the skin and hence makes cellulite less noticeable. This, in turn, makes the skin firmer, reducing the appearance of visible cellulite. The skin may also tighten from the stimulating effects of caffeine by improving blood flow and eliminating excess water.

What gives the Chill?

  • In addition to providing a natural mood boost, lemon helps tighten and detox skin. Lemons are natural detoxifiers, which rid the body of cellulite-causing toxins and trapped fluids. It can help eliminate toxins from the body and reduce the appearance of dimpled skin.
  • Quince Leaf is often praised for its ability to help smooth and contour skin. It soothes the skin, reduces the inflammatory response, and protects the skin from irritation. It also helps with inflammation. The high levels of vitamin C also help to control inflammation and improve the health and appearance of your skin.

Summer is coming so it’s time to show a little skin, stay cool, and shine some light on your body. Buzz Chill firming cream is the fresh pick-me-up you need to make every day glow. And, be sure to check out our other natural body creams made to tighten, hydrate, and help crepe skin. Be confident and sprinkle kindness everywhere you go.

Drink In The New Year

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It’s a new year and, if you’re like me, you have all these ideas on goals and resolutions. Last year took a lot out of us, so let’s start easy. What if we focused on something simple? Something supremely doable. Something like keeping your skin hydrated?

Serene Marine body cream with hyaluronic acid

We can all have dry skin throughout the year, but it can get much worse during winter months. The dry air indoors combined with the wind and cold weather outside make it much more difficult to maintain your moisture. If you’re like me, there have also been some way-too-hot showers that make skin dry and itchy.

Dry vs. Dehydrated

First, consider if you are drinking enough water. Winter’s dry air continuously pulls moisture from our skin. You want to replenish this as often as possible. Do it through drinking several glasses of water with a little lemon in them, or from your favorite green tea or even a natural sparkling water.

If your skin is not performing to the best of its ability, it is probably dehydrated. But did you know there is a difference between dry and dehydrated skin? It’s true.

You need both water and oil to have the healthiest, most hydrated skin. Is your skin itchy, dull, or maybe have increased fine lines? This indicates that your skin is lacking water. However, if it’s dry, scaly, flaky and irritated, it is lacking oil.

No need to stay thirsty, my friends!

Hydrating creams bind water to the skin. Fueled by natural ingredients like hyaluronic acid, they will draw water from the environment and from the product itself to bind it to the skin. Botanical hyaluronic acid is found in our luxe hand cream and natural body creams. Products like these give skin cells a proverbial drink of water.

Oil will seal the moisture already on your skin but won’t draw moisture to the skin. Make sure your creams start with pure moisturizing ingredients like Organic Aloe, Shea Butter, and Virgin Coconut Butter. We recommend applying your natural body cream within a couple minutes out of your bath or shower. This step keeps skin feeling soft and smooth. Seal in all that dewy moisture you were just gifted!

Small steps like this can make a huge difference in how your skin functions. We want you to feel your very best, so switch up your self-care routine and keep on glowing!