Caring for your skin with a healthy diet; you are what you eat

Being healthy means having a healthy skin as shown by the skin complexion. Inner beauty radiates from within and is exuded even without makeup. Eating a balanced diet is the easiest way to get your share of good food for the health of your body including your skin.

A very important component of skin health is vitamin A. A regular intake of this vitamin is effective in reducing and preventing acne, wrinkles, and other minor skin problems. The best source of this vitamin is low-fat dairy products. However, care should be taken not to overdose as very high intakes of this vitamin may result to serious health problems especially liver diseases.

A diet rich in antioxidants is also good for the skin as they help fight free radical damage caused by sun over-exposure on the skin. Antioxidants are found in the green, leafy vegetables, and deeply colored fruits like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, etc. They are also present in foods that are rich in carotenoids such as carrots as well as food supplements such as vitamins E and C.

Essential fatty acids ‘omega 3 and omega 6’ are also important for healthy cell membranes. Cell membranes act as barriers to harmful substances and a passage for nutrients in and out of the cells. Wastes also escape out of the cells through these membranes. These membranes hold water in, in form of moisture; the stronger the membranes are, the stronger the barrier and the better the cells can hold moisture hence younger looking and radiant skin. These fatty acids must be consumed in balance for good health as well as good skin. Most people get omega 6 easily, unlike omega 3. The omega 3 fats are found mostly in old-pressed extra virgin olive oil, mackerel, tuna, the superfood called salmon, flax seed oil and walnut.

It is also important to consume diets rich in vitamin C. Exposure of the skin to the sun leads to a drop of vitamin c levels hence constant replenishment of vitamin c levels helps the skin combat the harmful effects of the sun rays on the skin. You get this vital vitamin mostly from vegetables and fruits.

It is therefore very important to be aware of what we eat as it reflects on the skin’s appearance. As the saying goes, ‘you are what you eat’. Most foods that make your body feel good make it look good, too. The best foods recommended for that luminous glow and supple skin are therefore: minimally processed seasonal foods, lean meat, low dairy fat, deep colored fruits and greens and Alaskan salmon. Use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, candy, and caffeinated sodas should be avoided as they are detrimental to your skin as much as they are to your health.

We at SliceofNature care for your health as well as the health of your skin.  

Using shea butter as an after shave

Shea butter is effective as an after shave as it combats dry skin as a result of shaving. It softens and soothes the skin, yielding to a smooth skin free of bumps.

After waxing or shaving, rub a generous amount of shea butter on your palms and apply to the area. It is advisable to shave after or towards the end of a shower or bath. You can pre condition and soften your skin by applying a small amount of shea butter, allow 15 to 20 minutes for your skin to absorb it before having a shave.

Always ensure that you use new, clean and sharp razors to avoid razor burn. You should also avoid shaving the same area over and over and use a good shaving cream too. This will minimize chances of razor burn. 

Slice Of Nature sells great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter.

Slice of Nature Argan Oil Review

We saw this review of our Argan oil by one of our customers on youtube.

Using Shea Butter as an anti aging

From our previous article ‘What is Shea Butter?’ we saw that shea butter nourishes the skin with high levels of Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamins A and E maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy while Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. Hence, they help in preventing premature wrinkles and facial lines. They are also helpful for sun damaged skin.

You can therefore use shea butter on your face as a day moisturizer as well as a night cream. Before application, cleanse the face, towel dry it and apply a small amount of shea butter, a little goes a long way. Massage it in with the tips of your fingers paying special attention to your forehead, the corner of your lips, your nose and the ears. You will notice the glow with continued use. Shea butter is non greasy, non comedogenic and will not clog your pores. 

Slice Of Nature sells great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter.

How to condition your hair with Shea butter

Shea butter is effective as a natural hair conditioning treatment for all hair types. The moisturizing effect improves the appearance of dry, damaged or brittle hair. Its anti-inflammatory effect can soothe and treat scalp conditions such as psoriasis or eczema and provide relief to dry and itchy scalp as well as dandruff.

1. As a leave in conditioner, apply a small amount of shea butter into freshly washed hair. Apply on the scalp and on the hair from root to end. Massage it in to distribute it evenly; you can also use a wide-tooth comb. Style the hair as desired.

2. For deep conditioning and to revitalize your hair, apply a generous amount of she butter to your scalp and hair; apply from root to ends and massage it in. Wrap your hair with a warm towel for 30 minutes, you can sit it under a hood dryer for 10 minutes. Style as usual.

3. You can also use shea butter as a moisturizer. Rub a small amount of shea butter on your palms and apply to your hair with special attention to dry ends. You can do this two to three times a week and apply to your scalp once a week.

4. As a hair sunscreen, apply a small amount of shea butter to your hair before swimming to protect it from chlorine. Also apply before spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun. After swimming, remember to shampoo and condition your hair.

Liquid  East African nilotica shea butter is very rich in both olien (liquid part of shea butter) and sterean (fatty part of shea butter) making it easy to apply to hair and of most benefit to the hair. Slice Of Nature sells great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined liquid nilotica Shea butter.

How to condition dry or cracked feet and hands using shea butter

Shea butter is known to soothe rough, dry or chapped skin as well as keep it moisturized

Ø      To get rid of cracked heels, prepare a warm footbath and soak your feet for 10 minutes. For your palms, soak your hands in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Ø      Scrub off the dead skin on your palms and heels with a bath stone, use a sponge in between the toes and fingers.

Ø      Change the warm water and add a teaspoonful of shea butter (a scoop).

Ø      Soak again for another 10 minutes.

Ø      Dry the hands or feet and moisturize immediately with shea butter. Take time to rub it in on the palms and heels.

Ø      Repeat this routine 2 to 3 times a week.

Ø      Remember to moisturize your hands and feet with shea butter after every contact with water to prevent loss of moisture from you skin. 

SliceOfNature sells this great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter at extremely competitive prices. 

How to condition brittle nails and massage body parts using Argan oil.

Yes, if you have brittle nails, you can strengthen them with this great oil. Argan oil has also been used for centuries as a massage oil. 

Ø     To strengthen brittle nails, soak your nails for 15 minutes in a solution made of equal parts of lemon juice and argan oil. For best results, remove nail polish before soaking. 

Ø      To provide relief to aching joints due to rheumatism and arthritis, use argan oil as massage oil. It can also be massaged on to body parts to relax tired muscles.  

Sliceofnature Argan oil is raw, virgin and unaltered.

How to manage minor skin conditions using Argan Oil

Argan Oil has been documented to correct and manage many skin conditions.

Ø      In case of an acne outbreak, rub a drop of argan on the affected area gently after cleansing.

Ø      To get rid of cold sores, rub a small drop of argan oil on the sore gently as soon as irritation starts. Repeat the regimen often until the sore disappears.  

Ø      To moisturize dry skin patches on your body, massage argan oil sparingly on the affected parts before taking a bath. Allow 15 minutes for the skin to absorb the oil. You can then soak in a warm bath and moisturize your skin normally after the bath. 

Sliceofnature Argan oil is raw, virgin and unaltered.

How to condition your hair with Argan oil.

In our previous article 'What is Argan Oil?' we saw that used on hair, Argan oil adds a remarkable shine to dull hair, restores and prevents damage to hair due to styling and outdoor activities. It also controls frizz on natural hair. It is therefore important to learn how to use it for optimum benefits to your hair. 

Ø      To nourish dull and damaged hair, apply on hair as a mask from root to tip. Allow at least 30 minutes for the hair to absorb the oil. Shampoo and rinse your hair normally. 

Ø      As a leave in treatment for Caucasian hair, shampoo your hair then apply Argan oil from root to tip. Massage it in and set your hair as desired. 

Ø      For African American hair, treat as above but also great for application in between shampoos. 

Ø      For braided hair, apply on scalp. Also great conditioner for human hair weaves.

SliceOfNature Argan oil is raw, virgin and unaltered.

Using Argan oil as an anti aging

Argan oil is a great moisturizer for your skin and therefore a great anti aging.

Ø       As a day moisturizer, cleanse the face and apply Argan oil sparingly on the face and neck in circular motions. Allow 15 minutes for the skin to absorb it then apply makeup.

Ø      For night time moisturizing and nourishing, apply a small amount of Argan oil after cleansing. 

SliceofNature Argan oil is raw, virgin and unaltered.

Why moisturize our skin at night?

Most people understand the importance of using a daily moisturizer and keeping their skin clean but not many know about the importance of using night creams designed for an intensive moisturizing treatment. We are glad that you are not one of them, going by the very fact that you are reading this article.  

The main reason why it is important to use night creams is that they help in the regenerative process of our skin which is very slow for people above 40 years. During the night, our skin is free from the harmful UV sun rays and it is while sleeping at night that our bodies begin the regenerative process which helps in creation of new skin cells. 

The skin looses a great deal of moisture as it ages. Night face moisturizers will therefore help keep the skin at the right level of moisture to avoid wrinkles and the fine lines that come with aging. When the skin becomes dry, it becomes more prone to these types of problems and looses the elasticity that it once had when we were younger. 

Why do we recommend Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is known to nourish the skin with high levels of Vitamins A, E and F. These are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin and help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. The Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. Liquid East African nilotica shea butter is especially very rich in both olein (liquid part of shea butter) and sterean (fatty part of shea butter) giving it the intense moisturizer property and is great used as a face night cream. 

Slice Of Nature sells great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter.

What is Argan Oil?

Argan oil is a rare oil extracted from the kernels of Argan tree which is an endemic tree found in Morocco. It is loaded with essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, which is the precursor of vitamin E. This makes it well-known for its anti-aging, moisturizing and antioxidant properties. It has been scientifically proved that argan oil is able to correct the age related deficiencies in skin that cause dehydration and loss of skin elasticity. It is found to contain 700 mg per kilogram of tocopherols that is twice the amount found in olive oil. 

Application of argan oil has been known to reduce acne and chicken pox scars as well as treat acne, eczema and psoriasis. It helps in reducing wrinkles and softening the skin making it a popular anti-aging skin care product as it counters the effect of age and weather. 

People with brittle nails can make their nails stronger by application of argan oil. Used on hair, it adds a remarkable shine to dull hair. It restores and prevents damage to hair due to styling and outdoor activities, and also improves elasticity and reduces hair loss due to breakage. It is also known to sooth and provide relief from pain due to rheumatism and arthritis hence very suitable for use as a massage oil. Argan oil has a sebum regulating action on oily skin that reduces the oiliness hence suitable for all skin types. 

Neither solvents nor heat is used in our argan oil extraction. It is cold pressed and does not go through further processing after pressing which means a high nutritive quality. SliceOfNature Argan Oil is raw, virgin and unaltered. 

East Africa or West Africa shea butter?

There is confusion as to which shea butter is better, East Africa Nilotica shea butter (Vitellaria Nilotica) or West Africa shea butter (Vitellaria Paradoxa). 

East African Shea Butter is different in that it is higher in olein (the liquid part of the shea butter) hence highly recommended for sensitive skin, aging skin, bruised skin, burns, wounds, dry flaky peeling skin and baby's skin. It is softer hence spreads easily and needs no rubbing compared to the West African variety. It also has higher absorption rate due to lower saturated fatty acids. East African Shea Butter has less vitamin A and less sterol than the West African Shea butter.  

For a natural vitamin A cream for use on stretch marks, scars, blemishes and wrinkles, we recommend West African Shea Butter.  However, if you are looking for natural, intense moisturizer, East African Shea Butter is the way to go. 

East Africa Nilotica Shea butter is extremely difficult to get, we are one of only a handful sellers in the world who are able to obtain this Shea butter. 

SliceOfNature sells these great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter at extremely competitive prices. 

What is shea butter?

Shea butter is the natural fat extracted from the fruit/nut of the shea-karite tree known by many generations to protect and rejuvenate the hair and skin. The shea tree naturally grows in the wild and is only found in the tropics of Africa. 

Shea Butter nourishes the skin with high levels of Vitamins A, E and F that provide relief from everything from just dry skin to many minor dermatological diseases. Vitamins A and E maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy.  They are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin and help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. 

Use of shea butter has proven it is very useful in treating minor skin conditions like eczema and/or psoriasis and works as well as steroids at a fraction of the cost and without the side effects.

Slice Of Nature sells great high quality organic, pure, raw and unrefined Shea butter.