Fix Dry Hair With the Miracle of Moroccan Argan Oil

On an exciting trip to Marrakech, I decided to make the most of being there, and stocked up on some Moroccan oil. I thought I'd try out the 'real' stuff and see if it was any different...

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My hair is naturally coarse - the strands are thick and fairly stiff, and often have a life of their own. I also don't have very oily hair so it is quite dry as a result. I don't over-use conditioner though as that can dull the hair shaft making hair lack its natural shine.

Ta-dah! Moroccan Argan Oil Saves the Day!

The first time I used it was the other day when I went swimming with my newphew. Chlorine wrecks my hair for days after, so I covered it in the argan oil from root to tip, avoiding the actual scalp (about a teaspoon, maybe a bit less) and went swimming as normal. After shampooing at the end, my hair dried so silky and 'heavy' rather than its usual frizz!



I have now washed my hair a second time since, and it is still feeling silky and weighty (in a good way - heavy hair is un-porous and holds water in, it does not let it out from the cuticle).



So get your paws on some genuine argan oil (it is usually Moroccan), slap it onto that head, shampoo and condition, and voila! Silky smooth!

Top Personalised Beauty Tips for Making the Most of Your Looks and Dealing with Weight Issues

Hair & Beauty, and Dealing with Weight & Shape Issues: Enhance What You've Got and Be More You!

 

Hairstyles and Face Shapes

Everyone's face and bone structure differs, and some people's faces fit into one of the following categories quite clearly, and yet for others it is harder to define. The advice below is a guide only, and ideal hairstyles depend on hair type and other factors as well as face shape.


Heart-Shaped Face

Characterised by a slightly pointed and narrow chin, and a wider top half of the face, possibly with high cheekbones.

Consider: Hairstyles with a fringe down to (or past) the eyebrows if your forehead is more prominent. Also hairstyles which add some width to the jawline - such as a bobbed style, or inverted graduation.

Avoid: Hairstyles which cover the jawline (such as a short graduation) as they will accentuate the wider top half of the face.


Round Face

Characterised by a short length from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin, a rounded chin and jawline.

Consider: Hairstyles which add length to the face, or limit the width. For a wider face, hairstyles which come on to the face at the sides may compliment you.

Avoid: Hairstyles with a fringe. A round face shape is usually short in length, but will look too short with a fringe, especially if you have a small forehead.


Square Face

Characterised by an angular jawline and width at the jaw.

Consider: Hairstyles with a graduation which frames the face and softens and angular bone structures. This sort of style can really flatter a 'chiseled' look.

Avoid: A blunt angular fringe if you have a square-ish jawline. It may cause you to look quite severe.


Long Face

Characterised by a much longer length than width and often a very slim jawline.

Consider: A fringe which reaches the eyebrows, to enhance the width of your face.

Avoid: A long style which either comes on to the face, or is one-length and covers your cheeks/cheekbones. This would enhance the length of your face further.


Oval Face

Characterised by a longer length than width, and no prominent widths at the jawline or otherwise.

There are no hairstyles which are specifically reccommended for an oval face shape, however a short graduation to frame the face might be flattering, or choppy layers might enhance your face shape.  

Body Image & Dressing for Your Body Shape

Sometimes we just have to accept our body shape!

If you're overweight you can lose weight, but if you have a wider or longer bone structure you can't lose bone! (E.g. having wider hips, or having long legs). Knowing what contributes to your body shape in terms of your weight and bone structure is vital for self-esteem and 'locus of control' (what you perceive you can and can't control).


Lacking Height

Avoid: Mid-length skirts which hang from the hips. These are not really your friend because the length of the skirt is of course shorter than your legs, and your legs are already not particularly long as it is. This accentuates the lack of length and can create a 'dumpy' look. That said, if the skirt starts at the waist (higher up) and is A-line or puffy, it can be much more flattering.

Consider: Trousers and skirts starting from the waist. This creates length in the leg which is very flattering. Also tops with a cinched or narrow waist will create length in the lower half of the body. Heels can obviously add height but very high heels (especially chunky) can sometimes look overpowering on a very small frame, depending on the outfit of course.


Lacking Curves

Avoid: Straight-cut dresses and tops. These will enhance the straightness of your figure and it can look boyish, although it can look sporty and youthful. Tops and dresses with a narrowing at the ribs or above the waist can be quite unflattering to a modest bottom, and modest/narrow hips as they don't cling in the right areas. If you have a small frame try to avoid too much baggy clothing at once. If you have on a baggy hoodie for example it will look better with skinny jeans, not combats or boyfriend jeans. Too much baggy and you will look like you shrunk in the wash!

Consider: Tops and dresses with a narrowing at the waist. This will enhance the hips and compliment your narrow waist. Skinny jeans look good on skinny legs!


Being Very Curvy

Avoid: Leggings that are too tight - if you are overweight leggings can be unflattering unless you are quite toned. Leggings can however look very good on shapely legs. Try not to wear skirts or trousers which hang very high from the waist if you are big-busted - it can enhance and distort your top half. Stripes enhance sizes and roundness so avoid stripy tops unless you're comfortable with your curvy shape.

Consider: Dark colours will flatter you if you feel overweight but why should you stick to the shadows? Wear colours that compliment your skin tone and take the focus off any weight issues. 

Baggy tops won't cling as much, and cardigans help to give you a little more fabric to play with, but again, why should you have to hide away?!


Weight Loss/Losing Weight

If you are trying to lose weight you must first accept what you cannot change, so you have a clear idea of what you can achieve. For example if you are lacking in height and have wider hips, your body shape will never be 'willowy' but it could be 'curvy,' petite' or 'shapely' - both have their pros and cons just like everything. You must think about which parts of your body will look different if you lose weight, and which parts will stay the same, or not change as easily. Learn to accept it and expect it, and build it into your weight loss plan.

It can help to buy some nice clothes in a size down, to give you motivation to fit into them, but make sure they aren't items you need to wear by a certain event or date as this may cause pressure and stress. Weight loss should be steady and not sudden, and it should be done by a mixtue of exercise and healthy eating, not obsessive bingeing and purging for example.

Skin Types and Skin Care

Oily Skin

Oily skin often looks shiny, and is prone to spots due to the over-production of our natural oil 'sebum' by the sebaceous glands in our skin. The T-zone is very often the most oily area, even if you have generally dry skin (forehead and nose area). For oily skin or oily areas:

• Avoid too much washing. This sounds counter-intuitive, but the more you wash your face, the more your skin produces the oil you have just stripped away.
• Wash regularly no more than twice a day, and establish a routine.
• Don't use harsh products on your face - try to wash your face with just hot water, and use a gentle cleanser maybe once a day. Avoid any cleanser which leaves your face feeling tight or dry.
• Exfoliate gently once or twice a week.
• Use a light moisturiser for oily skin. If that still doesn't help, put your moisturiser on when you have a damp face (or hands when you rub it in). This will thin the moisturiser and leave less of it on your skin.
• Have a few days a week without any make-up. This lets your skin establish a natural balance without any interferance from greasy make-up, or make-up remover
• Don't touch your face with your hands throughout the day. The dirt and grime will clog pores and add to the problem.
• Wash hands thoroughly before washing face.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is often flaky when rubbed, feels tight and can age faster due to the lack of lubrication from natural oils and the damage from movement and loss of elasticity. For dry skin or dry areas:

• Always moisturise. If face feels tight it is lacking moisture badly
• Don't over-moisturise. this will cause the skin to stop producing its own natural oils. (Once a day for daycream, and once in the evening for nightcream is ideal).
• Exfoliate twice a week, but be very gentle. Dry skin is more fragile.
• Eat more green leafy veg to make your skin produce more oil. Spinach is very effective.
• Use an oil-based moisturiser instead of a water one in wintry conditions which can dry skin out (so can central heating)
• Wash face regularly. Not too much, but keeping on top of it may stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (natural oil). Twice a day is enough.

 

Eyebrow Shapes and Facial Grooming

Eyebrows must not be over-plucked! Don't underestimate the effect your eyebrows have on your face. Try not to pluck from the top of the brow, however the odd hair can be plucked if it will not create a bald area/patch or affect how the hairs around it will look. If you pluck from the top, the eyebrows can look stuck-on, and artificial. It is also impossible to keep a natural and consistent shape.

Eyebrows should arch naturally - follow the natural arch. They should start in line with the edges of the nostrils, but this is a guideline only. People have different shaped noses, so if in doubt don't over-pluck. Eyebrows should end in line with the outer corner of the eye (if you hold a straight line from the edge of the nostril to the outer edge of the eye).

NEVER:

Pluck from the top unless doing one-off hairs
Shave anywhere on the face (women)
Pluck a hair growing from a mole - cut it instead to avoid causing abnormal cells to form
Use products (especially perfumed) or warm water on the face after any facial waxing for 24 hours

Best Things For The Soul: How to Get Happy!

Best Things For the Soul...

Exercise

Any physical activity which gets the heart pumping (cardio) releases neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for motivation and reward. This in turn makes you feel positive, and we all know how important motivation is and how it affects us. If you feel motivated you feel a desire to do something, you might feel inspired or enthusiastic also.

Getting your blood pumping is also vital for circulation, which has a knock-on effect to other things, such as making your skin and hair healthier (as more oxygen and nutrients reach the cells etc).

Going for a walk or a jog is a good free way to get your blood pumping. Dance is also very good, and the creative aspect of dance also helps you express yourself which is really healthy.

Art & Crafts

Producing or viewing art is good for you. Producing it is good for expressing and exploring your emotions, and viewing it is good for a bit of inspiration. Either way, thinking outside the box is good for you, and anything from splashing a bit of colour around, to producing a masterpiece is enjoyable and good for you.

Crafts are also good, a little bit of sewing or jewellery-making never hurt anyone... Apart from using a needle maybe!

The thing about arts and crafts is that if you've got alot of thinking, or mulling things over to do, it enables that without compromising your thought processes, because it uses the motor skills and spacial awareness, and doesn't use the language part of the brain - leaving it free to wonder, and talk if you've got company.

Cooking

Good manual work like kneeding bread, and mashing potatoes can be a good physical task to allow you to express any pent-up aggression! It also feels good to make fresh, home-made food, and it feels even better to eat it.

Cooking is also a good practical task which doesn't require language or verbal thought-processes (as above).

Pets and Children

Animals and children have the ability to provide us with an enormous amount of perspective. The cuteness and cuddliness seem to make seemingly complicated troubles and woes ebb away. The instinct we have for protecting and caring for children and pets often takes on a powerful nature, over-taking our need to analyse and over-think everyday troubles.

Pets and children are also good for greiving and berieved people because they offer a little bit of escapeism - they have an agenda of their own and it can be refreshing to interact with them on a basic and totally different level than when you are talking to understanding adults.

Sleep

Sleep is a fundamental human need, and without it we become emotionally, psychologically and physiologically dysfunctional. Just look at any sleep-deprivation study and it will tell you what you need to know. Sleep is our body's way of healing, our mind's way of consolidating, our brain's way of re-generating. This is absolutley key to mental stability and emotional wellbeing.

After a good night's sleep, even the most complicated and deeply-etched troubles can seem far clearer and simpler. Okay they don't go away, but they do seem simpler, and if you've ever been consumed with worry or stress, you will know that this alone is valuable.

Friends & Family

Friends and family who make us feel good about ourselves, and whom we can be nothing but ourselves around are extremely good for us. With the stresses and demands of life, we can sometimes forget ourselves. Not who we are, but we can come close. Especially when we start a new job or course, and have to make new friends, or experience a break-up, or lose a loved-one.

When someone experiences change on such a level, they can be swept away with how they are expected to think or behave, and find themselves questioning themselves. Familiar friends and family have the wonderful ability to remind us what we are worth, and what we are about.

Nature & Environment

A natural environment can give you a great sense of perspective and refresh your mindset. It must be in our genetic make-up. All this technology and infrastructure of the modern world just has an edge of the unnatural about it. Getting outdoors, breathing in some fresh air and surrounding yourself with a clean, natural environment helps to give you a sense of perspective about the world and your place in it.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Relationship Advice Based on Psychology: How to Have A Healthy Relationship

Before thinking about romantic relationships in any detail, it is important to look at the reasons people have for wanting to have, or staying in relationships...
















Below are unhealthy and healthy reasons for wanting a romantic relationship. Everyone has a relationship for a mixture of these reasons, however if your primary reasons for having a certain relationship are unhealthy, or you have more unhealthy reasons than healthy ones, it is time to think a little deeper about where your relationship is headed. If you’re not in one, maybe think about how and where you’re looking for relationships… 

Unhealthy reasons for wanting a relationship:

• To feel less lonely
• To feel more appreciated
• To feel safer
• To be needed
• To be successful
• To gain self-esteem
• To gain confidence
• To have physical/sexual attention

These motivations for relationships are based on a lack of something or feeling that something is missing from your life. These motivations would exist before you have even met someone. Motivation for starting a relationship should not be superficial or self-centred. Too many of these reasons can lead to unhealthy relationships. For example if you want to be less lonely you may find you're placing most of your hopes for company on this one person. It can lead to unhealthy and unequal dependance.

You have to learn to love and accept who you are, before you can understand and appreciate someone else's love for you properly.

Healthy reasons for wanting a relationship

• Spending time with someone special who brings out the best in you
• Sharing emotions
• Sharing memories
• Committing yourself to someone you appreciate and care for
• Knowing someone intimately and loving them flaws-and-all
• Sharing experiences good and bad
• Supporting each-other
• Growing with one special person in all aspects of life
• Building familiarity
• Building mutual respect

Ideal Relationships

One of the most healthy relationship attitudes is that your spouse is free. They choose to be with you. You respect each-other and accept each other for who you both are.

Healthy relationships don't involve game-playing or manipulation. There is, however, a need for mutual interest, and both partners should be showing their commitment (perhaps in different ways) but you should be meeting each-other half way.

According to Psychological theorists, the love that you have in a serious relationship has three main 'components' - commitment, passion and intimacy. You need all three for a lasting relationship. Without committment you don't have loyalty and trust, without passion you don't have the drive and intensity, and without intimacy you don't have the familiarity and sharing.

Trust is vital for a healthy relationship - you need to know that you can trust your partner to be loyal and honest with you. As well as that (and harder to achieve) is faith - implicit trust and belief without proof. This is more of an instinct and you need to be very honest with yourself and your partner if this is missing, or not yet developed.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Being Assertive and Dealing With Confidence Issues With Effective Assertive Communication

What is Assertiveness?

Tweet: Assertiveness is the gateway to getting respect and getting what you want. 

There are four main approaches to communicating with people during any sort of conflict or confrontation, of which Assertiveness is the ideal approach. These are listed and described below for you to understand what assertiveness is, and is not.

Aggressive

People can become aggressive when feeling angry or defensive, and feeling threatened. Unnecessarily rude or intimidating behaviour, or even physical expression are all types of aggression, but even blaming your feelings or problems on someone else can be aggressive.

Examples might be: Shouting, swearing, shoving, name-calling etc. From abruptly saying ‘no’ to your boss, to shoving a kid to the floor in the playground, these are all aggressive behaviours.

Passive 

People often become passive, timid or introverted when they feel inferior or want to take a back-seat. This is often seen as being a 'pushover.' It may not even be due to a feeling of inferiority, it could even just be laziness. However in terms of dealing with conflict or confrontation, passive behaviour is being submissive, agreeable, and/or accepting. This is good to some extent, however someone who is being passive is not likely to stand up for what they believe in or make sure things go their way.

Examples might be: Giving in and letting someone else get their way when you deserved yours, agreeing to do a task for someone that you shouldn’t have to do, or saying ‘sorry’ when you did nothing wrong.

Passive-Aggressive

People become passive-aggressive or sneaky when they feel angry or threatened but they don't want to make it obvious in-case of confrontation or they don't want to take responsibility for it. They are caught between wanting to be heard or have their say, but not feeling confident enough about how to go about it directly and honestly. This is often seen as being 'catty.' 

Examples might be: Making hints about how you feel but not saying it directly, making jokes that aren’t really jokes – they are meant, deliberately doing something that will goad (or ‘wind-up’) another person, talking behind someone’s back (about them), or writing something on face-book that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Even blame and avoiding responsibility can be passive-aggressive. 

Assertive

Assertiveness is being direct and honest whilst still being polite, fair and considerate. Without assertiveness people's relationships can become very 'catty,' rumours can start, and misunderstandings can take place.

When people are assertive, they are decisive and composed. They directly say what it is they need and how they feel, and they take ownership of their emotions and experiences.

For example, imagine a group of your friends have forgotten to invite you to an important evening do. If you were being assertive you wouldn’t say ‘you made me feel left-out’ or ‘you didn’t care about my feelings’ because that puts the blame on other people – you’re assuming how they felt and what they did. If you’re being assertive you would say something like ‘I felt a bit left-out’ or ‘I felt a bit disappointed because I wanted to come.’ You know how you felt, so in stating it, you’re offering the truth, and the discussion can continue from there.

Assertiveness relates to confidence - knowing that you're making a valid point, truly believing in what you're saying, or even knowing how the other person is going to respond. If there's an issue, to be assertive you need to talk to that person to sort it out in a civilised manner.

Assertive people are not always right – but they admit when they are wrong and they take responsibility for their own actions. This isn’t easy, and does involve confrontation, but someone assertive expects this confrontation and deals with it instead of doing anything to avoid it.

It is important to remember that assertiveness is not part of a personality. Yes some people are generally assertive, but no one is assertive all of the time. Certain situations and certain people make us feel more threatened and more inferior, so then we resort back to being a little aggressive or even passive, or passive-aggressive.

Why is Assertiveness Sometimes so Difficult to Achieve?

It is our instinct to stick up for ourselves when we feel ‘wronged’ and to hide away when we feel threatened. These animal instincts lead to aggression and passive behaviour respectively. When these collide we can become passive-aggressive. A threatened cat will scratch, a frightened hedgehog will curl up into a ball. It’s sometimes an instinct we can’t fight, but we can be aware of it and consciously try to change it.

Assertiveness is a sophisticated and complex attitude and is unique to humans. We consciously decide to be assertive. It is normal to resort back to our animal instincts and it is important to know that everyone makes mistakes when confronted with conflict, disagreement, or any unfamiliar situation. It is the realisation of that mistake and the desire to rectify it through a civilised and constructive discussion that leads us on the path to assertiveness.

For more information and help with working on your assertiveness check back regularly for an update on my consultancy services. Alternatively contact me on the email address below for information. I am keen to build a service around what you want, so any feedback is valuable.

Email: lise.griffiths86@gmail.com

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Improve Your Self Confidence & Self-Esteem With This Reliable, Psychological Help & Advice

Self-Confidence is Being Sure of Yourself, Familiar or Even Comfortable

Confidence is being sure of something. You can be sure that you're right about something, you can be sure that you're going to enjoy something, you can also be 'sure of yourself' in general. This last point is the general idea of ‘self-confidence.'

People experience this feeling of self-confidence at different times and in different situations. It is caused by different things, and happens to some people a lot more easily than others. One thing is for sure though, there is not a soul on the planet who is simply ‘confident.’ Confidence is a state of mind, it can even be an attitude.

The Psychology of personality tells us quite accurately that some people can be pre-disposed to being outgoing or ‘extroverted’ - finding it natural and easy to express themselves with others, but it does not mean that they ‘are confident.’ Confidence is a by-product of a set of circumstances and it is something everyone can, and will achieve. You just need the right familiarity, comfort, and most of all you need to work out what it is that you want to feel and be confident about.

Other People and Your Self-Confidence

When people say to me ‘I just want to be more confident’ or ‘I want to improve my confidence,’ the first thought that goes through my head is ‘with what?’ More often than not, the answer to that question is people. ‘I want to be more confident with people’. This points to a general lack of confidence with your social skills, your personality, or how you come across.

Let’s say you’re starting a new job and you’re afraid to ‘be yourself’ because of what judgements or conclusions people might make from your behaviour. You think of something really funny to say - you know it’s not inappropriate - but you don’t know if anyone will laugh. Or you have a question to ask about one of your new tasks, but you don’t want to sound stupid. You’re immediately assuming that you’re going to make a bad impression, and that you have to fit in with what your new colleagues perceive as normal.

This is quite understandable as you are the ‘newbie’ but who says anyone new automatically fits in as ‘normal’? You’re new to the job and you don’t know anyone for goodness sake! How can you fit in and know everything straight away? If you stick to the shadows and play it safe, you make no impression at all, and even risk coming across as rude or arrogant. If you be yourself and ask questions, and express yourself you will seem much more ‘human’ and your new colleagues will be able to relate to you. Conversations will start a lot easier and you will be accepted – ta-dah!

Different people have different effects on how we feel about ourselves. Think of the enormous difference between how you feel with an awkward work colleague (or your boss even) and how you feel with your best friend. Chances are, you think differently, and even behave differently. When you’re around certain familiar people whom you feel respected by, you are much more likely to feel confident.

When you're feeling this way, you might be happy to speak out and say what you think, or happy to ask questions and express yourself a little more. This might be because you are 'sure' of the outcome and you're not scared or worried about what might happen. You know that if you tell a joke, it will be funny. You know that if you say something really silly you won’t be laughed at through ridicule, but it will be through endearment instead.

You might also feel confident with people who depend on you or respect you easily (such as children, or novices in your area of expertise) because you feel in control and authoritative, or assertive (which is covered on the Assertiveness page).

Self-Confidence as a Pre-Disposition

As mentioned previously, people with an extroverted personality tend to express themselves more. It might be that you are like this with some people and not others. It might even be that you choose not to be like this.

One thing is certain though – When people are very aware of and positive about how others see them, they are often more confident to speak out, try new things and express themselves.

This is because they don't have unrealistic fears about what might happen to them if they do. This attitude comes more naturally to some people than others, but it doesn’t mean you can’t train yourself to think this way. If you are a naturally submissive person, you might tend to accept authority easily. If you are aware of this you can train yourself to think ‘No, I am right. There is no reason for person X’s opinion to be more valid than mine’ or ‘What’s the worst that can happen if I speak out and voice this question? No one can tell me off or be offended, because I mean no offence.’

Authority and Your Self-Confidence

It is common for someone feeling 'shy’ or intimidated to underestimate their own authority or their own rights. They might fear that they will cause offence, or make everyone dislike them because of one comment for example. It is common to feel like this with new people because we don’t know them, or how they might react. We can’t second-guess what they are thinking. However if you have something to say which you firmly believe or understand, you will find it much easier to explain and stick by, so you won’t be as afraid to say it.

Some people feel very intimidated by a person in authority such as a boss. It can help to reason to yourself why they are in charge, and what they are in charge of. This might help you remember that they are not out to get you, thy just have a business to run for example.

Self-Esteem is the Value We Attach to Ourselves

It is a measure of what we think we are worth, how important we feel, and how much we feel we deserve to be happy and succeed. Someone with low self-esteem is generally unhappy with themselves and does not believe they are good enough or worth enough. This can be based on many aspects of how a person sees themselves (such as their looks, or academic weaknesses etc). It can be caused by a variety of experiences, most of which involve other people (family, school bullies, work colleagues etc).

Self-Esteem and its Relationship with Confidence

Self-esteem is linked to self-respect because someone who values themselves will usually respect themselves. Having good self-esteem, or valuing yourself does not always make you appear confident.

Some people are confident to speak out and express themselves, however inside they may not value themselves very highly, and therefore have low self-esteem, but higher confidence. Some people who are like this may find it easier to find self-worth or self-esteem from how they think others see them (e.g. by showing off, creating a version of themselves which comes across as 'confident' to others, or showing a general 'bravado'...)

Some people are quiet and dislike being the centre of attention, but they can still value themselves highly or have respect for themselves - therefore having high self-esteem and showing lower confidence. Self-esteem is important for achieving well. with good self-esteem you can believe in yourself and this will make you try harder and you won't give up as easily. You won't say to yourself 'well I knew it wouldn't work anyway' or the good old classic: 'I can't.'

High self-esteem and high confidence are the optimum combination to aim for. With both, you will be able to walk into an interview and ditch your nerves. You can simply roll your eyes and smile when someone beeps you for making a meal of a parallel parking manoeuvre. You can finally wear that piece of clothing in your wardrobe that you take out once a month and stow away again because it's 'too bold.'

What Self Confidence and Self-Esteem Are Not

Confidence and self-esteem are not the same as being arrogant, 'cocky' or big-headed. Arrogance is making others feel small or 'showing off' to make an impression to others, at the expense of dignity or modesty. Having high self-esteem makes you quietly proud and strong, not arrogant. When you have high self-esteem there is no need to show-off because all your self-worth comes from knowing that you're good at something, or valued - not from other people knowing it.

For more information and help with building your confidence and/or self-esteem check back regularly for an update on my consultancy service. Alternatively contact me on the email address below for information. I am keen to build a service around what you want, so any feedback is valuable.

Email: lise.griffiths86@gmail.com

Top Skincare Advice: Problems With Skin and How to Avoid Them

Enlarged Pores

Use toner everyday but don't forget to moisturise well afterwards as it can dry your skin out because the pores close and your skin produces or allows less sebum (natural oil) to naturally moisturise you. 

Cool water on the face or a hydrating spray will close the pores, while heat opens them up.

Some people have larger pores naturally.  Pore size is genetic also. 

Oily Skin

Avoid over-washing and over-stimulating sebum (oil) production. 

Wash your face with a mild and gentle cleanser and do it regularly twice a day and no more. 

Avoid touching your skin with your hands when you don't need to.

Flaky Skin

Exfoliate with a good facial exfoliator. Doing this with a rough cloth is also good but these can harbour germs so wash them at a high temperature regularly.  Moisturise well as this will keep the top layer of dead skin from drying out to fast. Avoid to much Central heating or air conditioning as dry air doesn't help dry skin.

Spotty Skin

Spots are a build up of natural oil on your skin. Wash regularly but not more than twice a day.  Avoid harsh cleansers as they dry the top layer of skin but not the trapped sebum or oil beneath. 

Squeeze white spots only. Do this when the skin has been soaked in warm water to open the pore and avoid any pinching as you will damage capillaries and this causes permanent redness in time.

This sounds mental but saliva actually helps get rid of spots. It must be the enzymes or something! A dab every few hours will do the trick and do it before bed.