How to make the world a better place, your way

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Walk along the road, go to the park or visit the local woods, and we are pretty sure you will see litter on the street, mess in the gutter and writing on the walls.

A sign of the times – maybe?

Something you can change – definitely.

We have some ideas on how small actions taken by each of us, can make a big impact for all of us in the world we call home.

Plogging
Don’t know what plogging is, where have you been? Well, the Scandinavian’s have come into their own again, as they conied this phrase by combined picking up litter as you run. Doing this means that as well as getting fit and active, this helps you clean up where you live and as you only need your trainers, a bag for life and some gloves to get started, what’s stopping you?

Catch the rain
Water butts are great because the rain water you collect keeps your garden healthy during the dry summer months without draining other resources. If you don’t have the space for a water butt, reuse bath water or collect the water when you’re in the shower and not only will you have green grass but lower bills.

How about a town makeover
Whether it’s a collapsed fence, stagnant pond or graffiti-covered wall, if you offer some time and TLC you can make your corner of the world look better. If you want to give something a new lease of life, get permission from your local council first, then get family, friends and neighbours involved and bring people together, for the better.

Cut down your emissions
Reducing the amount you use your car can really help to cut your carbon footprint, and it isn’t that hard to do. Instead of drving the car to go to the local shops, walk instead, share your commute to work with people who live close by and why not holiday in the UK, rather than taking a plane somewhere else in the world?

Give back
Life is busy, but giving your time to someone in need can be rewarding for you and very much appreciated by them. Helping an elderly friend with their library books, tackling the weeds in your neighbour’s garden, or helping out at the food bank might only be an hour to you, but it could offer a life line to someone else. By doing a quick online search you will find something that will work for you, and no matter where you volunteer, you will make a difference to others.

Buy less
If you want to produce less rubbish, why not simply buy less stuff? When you do shop, go for packaging that can be recycled, freeze what you aren’t going to have time to eat and before you splash the cash, make sure you really need what you are about to purchase, there are only so many jumpers and pairs of jeans you can wear.

Donate
Old and unwanted clothes, furniture and food might not seem much to you, but you will find that homeless shelters and charity shops will be more than happy to take them from you and there will be someone out there will give them a much loved home.

Grow your own
Flowers, plants and trees look pretty but they also remove CO2 from the air and replace it with oxygen, which is what we need. Why not think about taking up gardening, be that at home or in a local space, community garden, old people’s home or school and before you know it, you’ll be creating a welcoming environment and giving back to the world at the same time.

Grow your own
If you’re fed up of having to buy your fruit and veg in plastic bags, why not grow your own? By doing this, you will cut your plastic use, your food will be fresh and organic and if you freeze what you grow, you will have fertiliser free produce on tap.

Team Pure Beauty

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Top tips for keeping calm

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anger, angry, assertive, bestie, bitterness, brisk walk, calm, calm reserves, calmer, children, concerns, confrontational, controlling, cool, crazy, cuppa, curb it, cure, day, depletes, disaster, emotion, escalate, exercise, Exercise = calm, feel good endorphins, fix, forgive and forget, funny, garden, gardening, GP, grown-ups, healthy, heart rate, heat of the moment, heightened emotions, help, hurting, irritated, lighter side, listen, listening to calming music, long baths, look after yourself, meditate, meditation, mess, moment, music, netball, normal, olive branch, positive, prevention, quiet, regret, report, short breaks, simple tips, speak, stronger, subsided, swim, talk, thing, thoughts, time, timeout, traffic, walk away, writing a journal

Keeping calm can be a challenge when time is tight and someone then cuts you up in traffic, closes a door on you or doesn’t deliver their report by an already extended deadline. Anger is a normal, even healthy emotion, but only if you deal with it in a positive way. We have some simple tips that could help you, help yourself.

Think before you speak
In the heat of the moment, it’s really easy to say something you will regret later, so take a moment or two to collect your thoughts before saying anything. Hopefully others will do the same, and the situation won’t escalate into a disaster.

Talk when you are calm
Once you have time to think about things, and your anger has subsided, it is easier to be assertive, and not confrontational. Talk over your concerns without hurting others or controlling them, and life will be easier and calmer and you will stay calm.

Take some timeout
We often think that timeout is just for children, but it is helpful for grown-ups too. Having short breaks during the day offers you a little bit of quiet and can stop you getting angry and irritated. Have a cuppa, walk in the garden, sit and meditate, or just listen to some music and you can catch up with yourself – prevention is better than cure when it comes to heightened emotions.

Exercise = calm
Taking time out to exercise is a brilliant way to look after yourself, and to keep calm. A brisk walk or run, a swim, game of netball or even an afternoon spent gardening, can get your heart rate going and those feel good endorphins will make you feel happy and calm rather than cross and bothered.

Look for solutions
It might seem easier to focus on what depletes your calm reserves, but a better use of your time would be looking to resolving the issues bothering you. Does your son’s mess drive you crazy? Then walk away and close the door, he can clean it up. Is your bestie always late when you meet up? Then take a book and catch up with some reading and make the most of the quiet. Anger doesn’t fix anything, but it can make you feel worse, so curb it and will be calmer and happier.

Don’t bear a grudge
You might not want to forgive and forget, but bitterness can make you feel even worse. Why not be the better person and reach out an olive branch and that way you might learn from the situation and grow calmer and stronger, rather than being angrier than ever.

Have a laugh
If you can to see the lighter side of what is going on, if you search harder enough even that mouldy sandwich on a plate left by your partner under the sofa, might seem funny…….might!

Try to relax
As well as taking some exercise, you can work on your anger by relaxing a little bit more than usual. Meditation, long baths, listening to calming music, writing a journal, doing some yoga or watching a funny movie could help take your mind of your worries and help you to relax.

Seek help if you need to
While anger is a normal emotion, if you are finding it hard to keep things in check and your calm has disappeared, speak to your GP and look at what help is out there so that you and others are safe and well.

Team Pure Beauty

How to feed your skin with Vitamin E

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Active HydraMesh Technology, antioxidant, Avellana Seed oil, cleansing, combination, complexion, creams, Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm, Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream 2.0, deserve, dirt, elements, Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, essential fatty acids, excess surface oils, Eyes, fine lines, free radical activity, fresh, goodness, green tea, hand creams, hands, healthy, healthy serving, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hyperpigmentation, important, Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol Plus Mask, Jan Marini Luminate Eye Gel, jasmine, lecithin, lime blossom, Litsea, locks in, lotions, lush, luxurious cream, magnolia, make-up, Milk Protein, moisturisers, mouth, new formulation, nourishing, nutrient, oil, Omega 7, polish skin, pollutant build up, products, protect, protecting, purest, Red Seaweed, removes, repair, retinol, samples, Shea butter, silky barrier, skin brighteners, smooth skin, soft, sooth, sun damage, sunscreens, sweet smelling, toners, under eye circles, vanilla, versatile, vulnerable skin, wrinkles

Vitamin E is both a nutrient and an antioxidant, and the oil in its purest form is extremely versatile and nourishing and a great way to feed your skin. You can find Vitamin E in many creams, lotions, hand creams and cleaners as well as sunscreens, moisturisers and skin brighteners.

We have had a look at some of the products we stock that could help you get the skin your deserve because they come with a healthy serving of Vitamin E.

Cleansing your skin is really important, and we would suggest trying the Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser if you have combination or congested skin. This lush product removes pollutant build up, dirt and make-up and thanks to extracts of Lime Blossom, Lecithin and that all important Vitamin E, it also helps to balance excess surface oils and soothe your skin.

We love the Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream 2.0 and the new formulation means it is better than ever for your complexion. Incorporating Active HydraMesh Technology™ this cream can hydrate your skin for up to 48 hours as well as protecting it from the elements. Vitamin E is just one of the antioxidants that helps reduce free radical activity, and because this cream locks in moisture and protects your skin’s beneficial bacteria, you are left with healthy, soft, smooth skin that you will love.

Vitamin E is also found in the Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol Plus Mask which is great when it comes to dealing with the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation. Packed with Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Shea Butter and Vitamin E, when applied to the face for just ten minutes, twice a week, you are left with fresh, polish skin that is glowing and healthy.

If dry, ageing skin is a problem for you, we would suggest trying the Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm because the blend of ingredients in this firming complex, help to protect, repair and strengthen your skin. Vitamin E, along with Vitamins A and C have been mixed with Red Seaweed and Green Tea to protect vulnerable skin and prevent the moisture loss that can be so ageing around your eyes and mouth.

Dry hands are a problem for many of us and it isn’t surprising given what we subject them to on a daily basis. For hands that are soft and smooth, as well as sweet-smelling, the Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream is just the ticket. This luxurious cream contains Milk Protein, Avellana Seed Oil, Omega 7, Vitamin E, Camellia, Virgin Plum and Macadamia Oils which together form a silky barrier that locks in moisture. Thanks to Litsea, Jasmine, Magnolia and Vanilla, this cream smells amazing and we think you will be hooked from the very first application.

We are big fans of the Jan Marini Luminate Eye Gel and for good reason. This little pot of goodness not only brightens skin but also helps to reduce the appearance of under eye circles, fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin E is just one of the ingredients in this gel which will get to work hydrating the eye area, making it look smoother, healthier and brighter.

If you would like more information, or are interested in samples so you can try new products out before investing in them, get in touch today and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty

How to keep your smile shining

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avoid, bad breath, bright, care, coffee, dental tape, dentin, dentist, discoloration, don’t smoke, enamel, essential part, expose, floss, fluoride toothpaste, food, goodness, gum disease, gums to recede, hard-to-reach areas, health and wellbeing, healthy, help, identify problems, inflamed, kits, limit, lower layer, meal times, mouth cancer, mouthwash, overbrush, poor oral health, professional teeth whitening treatments, questions, Red wine, remove, residual fluoride, sensitivity, shiny, sip, six monthly check-ups, slide, smoke, smoking, special toothpaste, specialist cleaning, spit out, stained, sticky residue, sugar intake, sugary foods, sugary foods and drinks, tea, teeth twice a day, tooth decay, trapped, treatment, twice a day, uncomfortable, uncomfortable bloating, wash away, water, whiten, yellow tone

A bright, healthy-looking smile can make a great first impression and also improves your self-confidence and overall mood.

While we all do out best to look after our teeth, they can easily become stained as a result of smoking, poor oral hygiene, and consuming certain sugary foods and drinks like tea, coffee, and red wine.

We have had a look at how can look after your teeth and ensure your smile shines the way you know it can.

Brush your teeth twice a day, everyday
Brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day with a good quality fluoride toothpaste will help to remove the problem plaque that can cause bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, and discolouration. Brush your teeth in a circular motion, paying attention to each tooth on all sides. Once you have finished, spit out any toothpaste residue, but don’t rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash as this will wash away the goodness of the fluoride in your toothpaste.

Don’t overbrush
Yes, brushing is an essential part of taking care of your teeth, but you need to make sure you do not overbrush as this can harm your enamel and expose the lower layers of your teeth, known as dentin. It is dentin that has a yellow tone, and it is impossible to whiten even with special toothpaste or professional teeth whitening treatments and kits. Brushing too hard can also cause your gums to recede which can make your teeth look longer, lead to increased sensitivity and, in extreme cases, tooth loss. These are things you all want to avoid, so if you have any questions about brushing, ask your dentist and they will be happy to help.

Floss, floss, floss
Remember to floss between your teeth at least once or twice a day as this can help prevent gums becoming inflamed, uncomfortable or bleeding when you brush. Use a clean section of floss or dental tape per tooth, slide it in between the teeth, and gently move it up and down to remove trapped food particles.

Use mouthwash in the morning
Mouthwash helps to kill bacteria, even in hard-to-reach areas. Use a mouthwash at least once a day, but not immediately after brushing, as this will wash away the residual fluoride from your toothpaste that helps keep teeth healthy.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks
It is a good idea to try to limit your sugar intake as much as possible for the sake of your teeth, as well as your overall health and wellbeing. If you do have it, eat it at meal times and sip plenty of water to help wash away some of the sticky residue sugar leaves behind.

Don’t smoke
Smoking can lead to bad breath, gum disease, mouth cancer, and tooth discolouration, so give it up, today and you will be so pleased you did.

Go to the dentist
It is vital that you have regular, six monthly check-ups at the dentist. Your dentist can identify problems in their early stages and advise on appropriate treatment so that your teeth and gums remain in excellent condition. Also see the hygienist as their specialist cleaning and care helps to keep your teeth, gums and mouth healthy, and your smile bright and shiny.

Team Pure Beauty

How to make self care a priority in 2019

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achievements at work, alarm clock, bath, bed, bike ride, budget, bunch of flowers, burn out, busy life, cat, cheerleader, coat, coffee, cold, connect, digital free, ead a book, enjoy, Facebook, facial, family, family pressures, focus, fresh air, friends, good, happy, healthy, ignoring, information, kind, lift your mood, list, look, lunchtime, mental health, mirror, natural endorphins, negatively impact, others, outside, overwhelm, partner, Pat on the Back, pen and paper, phone, puts you down, reflection, river, run, self-esteem, sense of achievement, smart appearance, smile, sociable, social media, solitude, spring, step, Switch off, talk, technology, tick, Trello, voice, walk, watch a movie, weight loss, work, work colleagues, you are worth it

Demands at work, family pressures and the endless bombardment of information from social media means that making time for ourselves becomes increasingly difficult. The thing is, if you don’t do this, you will burn out and then you will be no good to anyone at all – harsh but true.

We have looked at some simple ways that you can build some time into your busy life to ensure you get the care you need to be happy and healthy.

Make a list
Whether you use a pen and paper, write on a blackboard or tap into Trello, make a list of what you need to do. As well as giving you a focus and ensuring you don’t forget to take the cat to the vet, a list can take away that feeling of overwhelm and give you a sense of achievement as you tick things off.

Spend time alone
Many of us spend a lot of our time with family, friends and work colleagues, and while it is good to be sociable, you need some time alone too. On that to do list, add in a slot where you can read a book, watch a movie or just have a bath and enjoy a little solitude.

Stop the chatter
You are kind to others when you talk to them, but do you extend the same care to yourself? You need to be your own cheerleader and that means ignoring the voice that puts you down and instead, focus on the good! Whether it’s your smart appearance, achievements at work or recent weight loss, give yourself a pat on the back and when you look in the mirror, smile at your reflection, because ‘you are worth it’.

Switch off
Technology and social media have a lot to answer for. While they might make it easier for us to connect, they can also totally take over our lives and negatively impact our mental health and self-esteem. We aren’t saying knock it on the head altogether, but don’t take your phone to bed with you (buy an alarm clock), you won’t miss out if you aren’t checking Facebook every three minutes and if you can, go digital free for an hour a day, working up to a whole day if you can.

Treat yourself
Whether it is going for a coffee with friends, having a relaxing facial or buying yourself a bunch of flowers on the way home from work, do something that is just for you. These things won’t blow the budget but they can really help to lift your mood and will put a spring in your step.

Get outside
Being inside isn’t good for us all the time. Get your coat on and get outside in the fresh air, however cold it is. A brisk walk at lunchtime, a run along the river or a bike ride with your partner will blow away the cobwebs and give you a blast of the natural endorphins that make you feel good! Put aside sometime each week to being outside and we are pretty sure your mental health will thank you for it.

Remember, 2019 is all about self-care!

Team Pure Beauty