Wrinkle Fighting Super Foods

Who doesn't want to stay looking younger for longer? I know one big concern I have is getting wrinkles as I get older. Now I know I'm only 22 at the moment but with products already being marketed at my age group it is quite clear that prevention is key when fighting wrinkles! I came across an article on the internet that listed a load of different foods that are suppose to have anti-ageing properties and I have picked out my top 10 that are already included within my diet and researched them to find out what makes them anti ageing super foods. 

 

Water

 

This is one of the best anti ageing substances out there and something that is readily available to most of us. I already drink plenty of water so I'm half way there to maintaining my youthful looks! It is recommended that you drink 2 litres of water a day. Water has many different advantages, one of them being anti ageing. It helps to retain your skins moisture and flush out any toxins that could cause your skin to age. Because of this, water is also great for people with acne or even if you just get frequent breakouts! Drinking 2 litres a day is such an easy way to get great, healthy looking skin! And.. to most of us (especially in the UK) water is FREE!!

 

Dark Chocolate

 

Who doesn't like chocolate? I know dark chocolate can be a bit hit and miss at times but in the name of beauty surely it's worth a try? Dark chocolate is loaded with age resisting antioxidants and flavanoids. It is thought that the higher the cocoa content, the more antioxidants. I personally like 'Green & Blacks Espresso Organic Dark Chocolate' with 70% cocoa. Chocolate already contains caffeine but this bar is infused with Arabic coffee, it is thought that caffeine not only has anti ageing properties but it also helps to prevent age related brain problems. 2 benefits in 1! So, next time your down the chocolate aisle in the supermarket, swap your milk chocolate for dark chocolate! Think wrinkles! 

 

 

Grapes

 

My favourite fruit has to be grapes so this is no problem for me. Grapes contain some of the most potent antioxidants in the world and are one of the best anti ageing foods out there! It is recommended that eating grapes alongside taking vitamin C makes the antioxidants even more potent and therefore increases the benefits. The main benefits are protecting the skin from damage caused by toxins and pollutants in the air and encouraging the repair of collagen, this means that the skin keeps its elasticity and in turn means less wrinkles/saggy skin!! Red grapes are known to contain more of the antioxidants so it's definitely worth swapping your white grapes for red!

 

Eggs

How do you like your eggs in the morning? Whether you like them scrambled, fried or poached, eggs are one excellent food to prevent ageing! They include Omega 3 fatty acids, protein, selenium and zinc which are all well known wrinkle fighters but the yolk contains Biotin. Biotin is known for repairing cell damage and therefore, repairing damaged skin. Egg-cellent!!

 

 

Onions & Garlic

 

If you can live with the smelly breath then onions and garlic are amazing at combating wrinkles! They are both known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which all together provide great anti ageing properties, mainly by helping to prevent cell damage, they are also powerful enough to reverse cell death which are both parts of the ageing process. These two super foods are best eaten raw so have your toothbrush to hand!!

 

Carrots

 

  Not only are carrots brilliant for increasing your tan but they are also brilliant at fighting ageing. They are high in Vitamin A and Beta Carotene - both of these are very powerful antioxidants and dramatically boost collagen production and in turn prevents skin damage occurring. Have you ever heard someone say 'eat all your carrots so you can see in the dark'? Carrots are great for improving sight and stopping the deterioration of sight that sometimes occurs with ageing. Add a pile of carrots to your plate and make sure you can always see in the dark! 

Cucumber

 

This may be no surprise to you but cucumber is great at fading those wrinkles. Most of you will have applied slices to your eyes at some point in time but it pays to eat them afterwards! Adding cucumber into your diet will benefit those wrinkles in the long term. Cucumber contains vitamins A & C which are known for their collagen boosting properties, vitamin K, which is essential for bone strength and increasing brain function! Great to have the day before an exam in a nice tuna & cucumber sandwich! And, if that wasn't enough there are also many other compounds in cucumber which destroy harmful toxins. So, why not chop a cucumber up and place it in the fridge for the next time your feeling peckish.

 

Oranges

 

 As you all should know, oranges are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is great at finding and destroying toxins in the body, leading to healthier, younger looking skin. Oranges also are great at reducing blood pressure, improving circulation and reducing the levels of stress hormone. The reduction in blood pressure and the improved circulation are great ways to speed up the destroying of the toxins, meaning you will haveyounger looking skin in no time! Add a few oranges into your 5 a day and your well on the way!

 

Strawberries

 

 
Strawberries and ice cream - one of my favourite desserts of all time and now I can eat them and know I'm preserving my youthful looks. Strawberries are packed full of antioxidants and other anti ageing products which stimulate collagen production. They also contain a natural enzyme which whitens teeth, eliminating the yellowness that sometimes happens as you age and keeping your teeth pearly white!

 

 

 Do you know of any more anti ageing super foods?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handmade Soaps Review

A few weeks ago, a lovely lady from a small business known as 'Handmade Soaps & Aroma Beads' offered me some of her handmade soaps at a discounted rate for me to try and review. She is based in Oxfordshire but has a Facebook page (Click HERE) and a website (Click HERE) selling all of her products and for a small fee she will post to anywhere in the UK. As you can see from the name, she sells an extensive range of handmade soaps and aroma beads. There really is something for everyone and every occasion.

 

All of the soaps came beautifully wrapped and in a cardboard box with foam pieces to protect them in transit. Not one of the soaps I received was broken. This just shows the amount of care and time that goes into making these soaps. They would be ideal for presents or even just to brighten up your bathroom.

 

I have tested each soap in the same way and used each one for the same length of time.

1) Berry Cupcake Soap (Comes In A Pink Gift Box) - The design of this soap is AMAZING! It looks good enough to eat. It looks so good that I didn't want to use it! The only parts that aren't soap are the butterflies and the little roses. It's a very pretty girly soap and would make an ideal present. It even comes in a lovely gift box! It has a sweet, summery, berry scent that is strong enough to translate to the skin after washing but it is not too overpowering. It also made my bathroom smell lovely! The soap itself lathers very well and leaves your skin feeling clean but without the sticky residue that some soaps can leave. It also isn't drying but instead leaves the skin feeling really soft, almost as though you have put moisturiser on your hands! There are 3 more scents in the berry cupcake range, Lemongrass, Lavender & Sea Breeze. I haven't tried any of the other scents but I imagine them to be just as brilliant! These soaps are priced at £2.99 each which I think it great value for something so pretty AND handmade!

2) Baby Flower Lotus Soap - This soap comes in two colours, pink & blue, they are each scented with baby powder! I love love love the scent of baby powder! I have had this soap in my hand for the past 10 minutes just smelling it! The scent is such a happy scent and makes me want to smile: -) The design is so sweet, it is a lotus flower with a tiny baby curled up in the middle. This would make a perfect gift for someone who has just had a baby.. pink for a girl & blue for a boy! The soap has an amazing lather and as the petals of the lotus flower are '3D' it acts as a great hand massager. Each time I used this I stood at the sink for ages giving my hands a nice massage. As with the other soaps, it left my hands feeling lovely and clean without drying them or leaving any residue. The best thing about this soap to me is the scent and the fact that it lingers for a long time after using! For £1.85 this is an absolute bargain! I would even just buy this soap to smell!!



 3) Cocktail Soap Complete With Soap Ice Cubes - The cocktail soaps come in 3 scents, Orange, Lemon & Strawberry. I was sent the Orange one to try. Each of them come complete with ice cubes (made out of soap) and a cocktail umbrella and straw (not soapy). This soap has a very strong scent of Orange (well what else were you expecting it to smell of?) and once again the scent lingers on the hands after washing. It doesn't smell as if you have just peeled an orange though which is great as although I like that scent I don't think I would want a soap to leave my hands smelling like that. It does, however, smell of a more summery, fresher, cleaner orange. What I like about this soap is the fact that even after a few uses it doesn't disintegrate and it looks as good as it did when it was removed from the packaging. It lathers just as well as the others and leaves your hands clean and soft. Each cocktail soap costs £3.49 and comes in a gift bag.


  
4) Grumpy Looking Bee Soap - This soap contains real honey and cocoa butter. The smell of the honey doesn't come through straight away but after a few uses you can smell it strongly. If you don't like honey then this isn't the soap for you. But, for those of you who do like honey, this is a great soap which leaves the skin feeling super soft and cared for. This is a great novelty soap and would be great for kids. What better way to encourage your kids to wash their hands than a grumpy bee? This soap had the best lather out of all the ones I tested. This is for sale for £2.50 which is a great price for the amount of soap you get!  

5) Flower Pot Soap - The flower pot soap comes in two different colours, pink & yellow, complete with green moss and a sprinkle of glitter to add a dewy effect. I have the yellow one out of this range. This is a gorgeous soap and looks stunning placed on the bathroom sink. It has a beautiful floral fragrance that makes the bathroom smell lovely, it also makes your skin smell lovely too and as with all of the others the smell lingers. It is very moisturising to the skin and doesn't leave any nasty residue behind. It is also easy to use - by this I mean that it isn't so slippery that you keep dropping it in the sink. It also holds its shape very well and even during the hot weather we have been having in the UK recently it hasn't melted at all. The flower pot soaps are priced at £3.99 each.

 

6) Cookie Soap - This is another soap that I could sit smelling for hours on end. It smells of strawberry jam which reminds me of a Jammy Dodger and I absolutely love Jammy Dodgers!! The smell translates to the skin and lingers. It is such a beautiful fruity, sweet scent. It is an addictive smell and I promise you that you will wash your hands so much more just so you can get your fix of strawberry jam! The design of the cookie soap is brilliant, it is made to look as though it has marshmallow and jam in the middle, of course all of which is soap! The bumps on both sides of the cookie soap also act as a good massage bar. This soap looks and smells good enough to eat and I have had to restrain from biting in to it! As a soap, the lather is brilliant and it leaves your hands feeling super soft, massaged (from the bumps), smelling fruity and not at all dry or sticky. The cookie soap sells for £2.29. 

The amount of love and care that has gone into making these soaps is unbelievable. Some of the designs must take a long time to perfect. I cannot fault any of the soaps that I have tried from this small business and I think they are all great value for money. They are all very high quality and it is clear that a lot of work has gone into making each and every one. There are so many different soaps to choose from and not forgetting aroma beads. The lady at 'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads' is very friendly and will always answer any questions you have swiftly.

Please take a look at this wonderful business and help support small businesses in the UK.

 

'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads' currently have an offer on. If you spend £15 then you will get FREE delivery to anywhere in the UK AND a FREE gift!!!!  

 

How To Find 'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads'

 

Website - CLICK HERE

Facebook Page - CLICK HERE

  
 

 

Laura

Xx

 

These soaps were purchased using my own money but at a discounted rate.