While aloe is a major ingredient in all kinds of sensitive skin products, there is nothing more seductive than a coating of aloe, lavender and banana leaves, offered in this wrap at the Spa at Jimbaran, Four Seasons Resort Bali.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon - fresh aloe
• To cover body - aloe vera gel (store bought)
• A few spritzes - lavender essential oil mixed with distilled water
• 12 pieces- banana leaves (approximately 20 cm x 10 cm)
• 4 - lemons or limes, cut in half
• Few drops - lavender essential oil
• Generous amount - lavender body lotion (or your favorite)

Steps

1. Stir the fresh aloe into the bought aloe gel and smear the mixture over the body, but first rub it between your palms to take off the chill.With a good gel, this feels wonderfully soft and slippery, rather than sticky on the skin.
2. Spritz the lavender essential oil in distilled water over your body for a heady fragrance.
3. Place the banana leaf patches over the top of your body and round your arms, so that all limbs are loosely covered.According to Balinese tradition you should not lie on top of banana leaves as this denotes part of the ritual that prepares a body for cremation.While banana leaves are not beneficial to the skin in themselves, they do help to take the heat from the body.They feel gentle and soothing on the skin without feeling cold.A cotton sarong can be placed on top to keep the leaves in position. Lie still for 20 minutes.
4. As the wrap is conditioning and relaxing the skin, this is the ideal moment for a head massage from
   a friend or loved one!
5. Remove leaves and shower; then douse your body with warm water infused with the juice of the lemons or limes and a few drops of lavender essential oil.Together these rinse and soothe the skin. 6 Finish with lavender body lotion.

Papaya contains certain enzymes, biochemically known as papain (it is used as a meat tenderizer) which soften and revitalize the skin when absorbed. The papain also settles the stomach, making it one of the best things to eat for an upset tummy. It is also perfect as baby food.

At home use ready-to-eat rather than unripe papaya (as the acid is too strong), puree it and spread it everywhere, without rubbing. Allow your body to sweat by rolling yourself up in a plastic sheet for 20 minutes. Wash off and feel the results!

Just as women used to bathe in sour milk to keep her skin smooth, tropical Asian women daub mashed, ripe papaya around their eyes to keep their wrinkles at bay. Due to the fruit’s mild exfoliating properties, the skin loses a layer and wrinkles appear less noticeable. The enzyme contained in papaya works like an alpha hydroxy acid (a natural fruit acid that acts to remove the flaking cells on the skin’s surface) without the tendency to cause skin irritation.

First glance at the bottle, it’s quite interesting with all the facts and brief explanation of how the lotion works on the back of the bottle.  More in-depth information on “gloves in a bottle” can be found here.

If you try to apply the lotion, you may find that it is non-grease, odorless and can quickly absorb into your skin which is much better as compared to some of the skin shielding products that is greases and have unpleasant smell. Even if it works I wouldn’t use it because I find it uncomfortable to apply such greasily stuff on my skin. I continue using the ‘Gloves in a bottle” for a week while handling all the daily chores at home like doing laundry which came in contact with detergent and soap based chemical products. The result is that it really works and prevent irritations from my skin because usually if I came in contact with detergent depends on the Ph level, my skin will feels very dry and itchy due to loss of natural skin moisture and chemical irritation. But after using “gloves in a bottle” I don’t feel the irritation and dryness cause by the detergent anymore.






I would recommend this shielding lotion to anyone who is allergy to chemical based products and those have rough and dry skin. Lastly, I forgotten to mention “Gloves in a bottle” is a safe product to be apply on your skin as it is tested and approved by dermatologist.

Reducing fat intake

Healthy eating guidelines recommend that a maximum of 30 per cent of calories in the diet should come from fat; a low-fat diet for weight loss will typically reduce this to around 20 per cent. However, as usual, the total energy intake is what counts on a low-fat diet just by replacing fatty foods with high-sugar, high-calorie foods, so it is important to keep an eye on the overall balance of the diet, too.

What you can eat

As we have seen, some fats are essential for good health while an excess of others can be harmful. The fats in a low-fat diet should primarily be ‘good’ monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, such as those that are found in olive oil or oily fish, for example. Saturated fats, which are found in foods such as fatty meat and poultry skin or full-fat dairy products, should be kept to a minimum, as should ‘trans fats’- hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are most often found in processed foods.
Low-fats diets will control the amount of fat in different ways- for example, by recommending eating only foods that have 4 grams of fats or less per 100g, or by having a system for counting or measuring foods.

Typical day’s eating

Breakfast

• Wholemeal toast with scraping of low-fat spread 28g cereal with skimmed milk
• Fresh fruit

Lunch

• Jacket potato (no butter) with baked beans
• Large salad with fat-free dressing
• Very low-fat fruit yogurt

Dinner

• Grilled salmon steak
• Mediterranean vegetables oven-roasted with 1 dsp olive oil
• Couscous made up with water
• Large fruit salad with low-fat ice cream

Drinks

• Water, diet drinks, tea/coffee with skimmed milk

Snacks

• piece of fruit
• low-fat cereal bar

Must Know

Pros

1. In line with current thinking on nutrition.
2. Can help heart health and weight management
3. Can be filling
4. Fits in with everyday life so can be followed long term

1. Low-fat labels can be confusing as low-fat dies not mean low-calorie
2. Eating out can be a challenge.
3. It is unwise to cut out fat completely from the diet.

Bope.net new entries will be continue on the 1st of November, as i ‘m currently on my holiday trip in Australia for 2 weeks since 21st this month yuppie.... .Dear readers and visitor sorry for the delay.

First, cover your hair with a shower cap or a towel to get it out of the way. After removing all traces of make-up, mix cornmeal or oatmeal with a little moisturizer or water; alternatively, use beauty grains, available at most cosmetic counters. Massage the paste gently into your face, avoiding areas with broken capillaries (tiny blood vessels). This light exfoliation gets rid of old skin cells as well as stimulating collagen production deep in the skin’s dermis. Rinse well and pat dry.

Next, dip cotton make up remover pads in cold herbal tea and place them over the eyes. Lie back and leave the pads on for a few minutes to reduce puffiness. Apply eye cream or a dab of honey under the eyes to lighten dark circles.
To the rest of your face, apply a commercial mask for your skin type, or use a lemon juice mixed with either plain yogurt or beaten egg whites. Recline with this mixture on for about 15 minutes (or as package directs). Rinse well. Finally, apply your favorite moisturizer to damp skin.

Moisturizing Facial

Fill a bowl with boiling water and add a chamomile tea bag. Lean over the bowl and cover your head with a towel to form a tent over the bowl. Ensure your face is about 10 inches from the bowl and wait five to eight minutes.

Using cleansing milk, gently massage your face, moving fingers in small circular patterns from the throat to the chin and then chin to jaw line and over the cheeks in upward motions. Massage in circles around the eyes, moving inward to the nose, then from the center of the forehead outward.
Splash face with lukewarm water and pat dry.

For dry skin

Use a hydrating mask loaded with natural moisturizers. Mix half and half (a few tablespoons each) crushed avocado and papaya with one tablespoon of honey.

For oily skin

Use a clay-based mask to soak up excess facial oils and draw out impurities. Blend a tablespoon each of olive oil, honey and moisturizer with a pureed lemon and a few drops of Vitamins E and A and an egg yolk.
Apply either mask over face and neck, avoiding eyes. After 15 to 20 minutes, use lukewarm water to remove the mask and spritz your face with mineral water. Blot dry and apply moisturizer.

Wrinkle Remover

Beaten egg whites are a miracle mix when it comes to disguising wrinkles for a few hours. Using a small pointed paintbrush, simply fill in small lines with the egg-white mixture. Let dry before carefully applying make-up.
Using the egg-white mixture as a mask also helps disguise wrinkles, and the protein in the eggs is good for your skin. Apply mixture to face and neck. Allow to harden for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Soothing face fix

Mash one ripe avocado and spread it all over your face. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse. The natural oil from the avocado moisturizes and rejuvenates those overexposed facial skin cells.

Daily bathing usually get rid of a lot of the dead cells; so does shaving (that’s why men seem to age more slowly than woman- constant facial exfoliation). But if you use a natural sea sponge or a loofah to scrub your skin, you’ll do a more thorough job.

Not only is exfoliating good for your skin, it also feels pretty nice. If your shower is fitted with a fancy shower head, here’s your chance to use the different settings. Even if your shower head is army issue, let the water beat down on tense body parts, such as neck, shoulders and lower back. If the head is attached to a hose, take advantage of it and spray the soles of your feet.

The basic rules of exfoliating are (1) use a mild abrasive, such as a loofah combined with a grainy paste and (2) replace the moisture you took away with a good moisturizer. Try these homemade solutions.

Loofah Body Polish

• Start a hot shower running to let the bathroom get good and steamy, while you mix two cups of mineral salts, sea salts (fine) or Epsom salts, with one-half cup of avocado oil, olive oil or light body lotion to make a thin paste.


• Standing in the shower, apply a handful of paste to your skin, legs, over the buttocks, stomach, arms and chest, paying special attention to rough spots on knees, elbows and heels. (Do not use on face or other sensitive areas.)


• Rinse off in warm shower and pat dry.


• Apply your favorite body lotion or avocado lotion to seal in moisture and protect the skin.

Herbal Body Wrap

Herbal wraps detoxify the body by causing you to sweat out impurities. Some spas continue the wrap for an hour, but that’s too debilitating when doing it on your own. Try 20 minutes.

Start by filling a sink with hot herbal tea – enough to thoroughly soak an old sheet. (because of the heat, you may need to wear rubber gloves to get your hands in there.) Wring out the tea and wrap the hot sheet around your body mummy-style, leaving head and arms out. Wrap a length of plastic wrap around the sheet. Lie down on a towel, and wrap it around you as well.

Lie back and relax with a cool compress on your forehead, taking sips of cold water. After 20 minutes (set an egg timer if you think you might fall asleep), unfurl your layers and follow up with a warm shower.

Mud Spa

One of the newest trends in spa therapies is really among the oldest. As early as 120 B.C., the Romans mined the curative powers of mud from glacial lake beds. Renaissance physicians praised its healing properties, and today it still does wonders for rheumatism and a number of skin conditions such as eczema. Buttering nutrient-rich mud all over your body, or sinking into a tub full of primordial ooze does two things: first, the hot temperature gets you sweating and softens your pores; then the centuries-old organic matter draws out moisture and toxins as it dries. For the reason, mud is particularly good at absorbing oils from greasy skin. However, you can use mud as a hydrating mask by keeping the goop goopy. Preventing it from drying seals the moisture in.

Mud used in spa treatments, which geologically speaking is actually clay, is chock-full of plant extracts, inorganic substances such as salicylic acid, organic substances such as pectin, tannin and cellulose, as well as trace elements of silver, copper, gold and number of vitamins. Clay is the product of thousands of years of erosion- ultra-fine rocks particles that settle in layers. This molecular structure allows the clay-based mud to absorb your skin’s water, oil and any impurities therein like a sponge.

Sitting in a mud bath is the ultimate in relaxation- it’s a rare opportunity to lounge without aggravating any pressure points. More common are mud facials or body masks, where the mud is slathered all over your body, left to dry, then blasted off with a high power hose. At home you can try a number of mud products gleaned from mud supplies all over the world.

You can find mud facials in cosmetic sections. (Follow manufacturers’ instructions.) But don’t try your garden-variety dirt. Studies have shown that some mud can breed infection or, at the very least, skin irritation.

Hair Masks

It’s easy to try to cover up bad hair. Take a hat or scarf, or any one of scads of hair products from sculpting mousses to freezing sprays. But fancy shampoos, conditioners and hair dressings are expensive. Before you shell out the big bucks, we have some intriguing low-tech solutions.

Masks aren’t just good for your skin, they’re also an excellent way to condition and revitalize hair. But don’t merely slap the hair mask on. Just as the face is often ignored during massages, so too is the scalp. Head massages, as every good hairdresser knows, can relieve tension-induced headaches and help you relax. Use your fingers to work the mask into every square inch on your scalp.

For Dry Hair

• Mix an avocado, an egg white and two generous tablespoons of baby oil in a blender. Apply on wet or dry hair, then wrap your head in plastic wrap for about 20 minutes. Sit in the sun or under a heat cap, then wash it out with warm water. Shampoo and condition.


• Mash a well-ripened banana with an equal part of tofu and apply to shampooed air. The rich proteins help strengthen and moisturize weak hair. Slip on a bathing cap or plastic bag and step into a steamy shower, running the hot water over your head for about 20 minutes. Rinse well.

For Oily Hair

If your hair tends towards the oily side, there are a couple of tacks you can take. First, how often do you wash your hair? Shampooing every day can cause your scalp’s sebaceous glands to overcompensate for hair that’s been stripped of its natural oils. Try gradually weaning yourself from a daily shampoo. If you have chronis-bed-head, you can style your hair by misting with a spray bottle, or even better, switch to satin pillow cases. (They allow your hair to slide over the pillow, thus keeping its shape an extra day or so.) if that solution doesn’t suit you, you can try the old lemon juice standard. On wet hair, work about a tablespoon of lemon juice into the roots. Let stand for about five minutes, then rinse. Your hair will be squeaky clean.
Soothing Scalp Massage

• Sitting in a comfortable chair, gently massage scalp for 15 minutes.
• Knead scalp with fingertips spread apart and stationary working from front to back, following the path of circulation.
• For an invigorating treatment, apply lavender-sage oil and massage into hair with special emphasis on the ends.
• Cover head for 10 to 15 minutes with a shower cap, then shampoo.

What are they?

Meal replacement diets can be bought from supermarkets and usually come with information packs including recipes, meal plans, exercise and motivational tips to help people stick to the plan. Some meal replacement products are used in very low-calorie diets (VLCDs), which should be followed for a short time with medical approval and under supervision.

VLCDs(starting with a calories allowance of around 500 a day) may be recommended for people who have a severe weight problem, with associated health risks, and who have had difficulty losing weight in more conventional ways. Evidence on VLCDs sugguests that while inital rapid weight loss is quicker than with other methods, the long-term results are similar to less drastic methods. However, over the counter meal replacement diets are not VLCDs and can be followed without supervision.

The organization Dietitans working in obesity management concluded last year that there is enough evidence to support the use of meal replacements for people who have difficulty controlling portion sizes and/or preparing meals, and who have failed with more traditional dieting methods. Most of the research, though, has been done with people following clinical controlled trails rather than in everyday life.

Stick to the plan

Commercial meal replacement plans need to be followed exactly to ensure a healthy diet; do not be tempted to create your own version with milkshakes or cereal bars.

Must Know

Pros
• They are useful for people who eat on the run or who prefer mot to decide what to eat at each meal.
• Clinical trials suggest meal replacement diets can be effective.

Con
• May be difficult to adjust back to ‘normal’ eating once target weight is reached.
• People who prefer eating real food may find replacement products monotonous.

Typical day’s eating

Breakfast
• Meal replacement product

Lunch
• Meal replacement product

Dinner
• Balanced meal of up to 600 calories, to include a dessert or a small glass of wine, if liked

Snacks
• Piece of fruit
• Low-fat yogurt
• Cereal bar