How to choose sunscreen (at least for myself and children)?

In mid November 2013, I read a scientific finding (by J.L. of my undergraduate almamater) that nano particles such as zinc oxide can possibly cause cancer.

Then, I feel the need to check the ingredients of my sunscreen.

SPF 15 or higher only protects against UVB, but not UVA. According to Dr. David J. Leffell (professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine), the followings (ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide) protect against UVA.

According to the webmd.com, children’s sunscreens use ingredients less likely to irritate the skin, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

It seems that the more complicated a product is, the more hidden or unknown risks it carries.

Is zinc oxide (in sunscreen) good or bad for us?

Dr. Lawrence Gibson (a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic) views that sunscreen is safe (has not been proven to increase the risk of skin cancer, has been proven to reduce the risk of melanoma). Instead of looking at a sunscreen’s SPF, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect you from UVA and UVB rays

If you are pregnant, avoid sunscreens that contain antioxidant retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A or retinol.

Sand, water, snow and concrete reflect sunlight.

Instead of being confused by the choices of sunscreen,
consider the following tips:
# Avoid the sun during peak hours (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), regardless of season (Since UV light can pass through clouds, use sunscreen even when it’s cloudy).
# Choose indoor activities (e.g. indoor swim) during the sun peak hours.
# Wear protective clothing e.g. pants, long sleeve shirts, sunglasses.
# Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
# Use an umbrella.
# Vitamins. Vitamin E can protect against UV-induced DNA damage. Vitamin C helps protect skin from sunburn.
# Do not let any product lull you into a false sense of security about sun exposure.
# Finally, pursue a combinatorial approach (shade, clothing, umbrella / hat, sunscreen, common sense).

Dettol is possibly unsuitable for me

This week, I suffered from itchy skin on legs.
Then, I thought it was because my skin became very oily recently, and I bought Dettol shower.
It seems that my itchiness gets worse.
This is possibly because Dettol has anti-bacterial ingredients, that dry my skin.
Now, I also feel itchy on my hands.

How to cook and use the remaining for beauty?

Today, I attended a demo on how to cook mushroom alfredo fettuccine and water melon salad.

Though I do not plan to prepare those 2 dishes (because the preparation steps are too many for me), I learned useful tips.

To prevent the lost of nutrients, cook using small heat.
Do not use big heat or high pressure.

Olive oil is best not cooked, because upon cooking, the anti-oxidant property of olive oil will be lost.
Extra virgin olive oil can also be applied on the navel of little children if they suffer from stomachache.

Mushrooms
Do not wash them upon buying.
Wash them only immediately before cooking.

Garlic and chopped onion
Instead of heating oil then adding garlic into the pan (which may result in the release of water from garlic), we can add garlic to a bowl containing olive oil and incubate them for a while before stir-frying.
Do not over cook garlic as it will lose its anti-oxidant property.

The more you stir, the longer it takes to cook our food because cold air will go in.
Do not stir garlic too much while cooking.
Do not over stir.

Before cooking rice, soak the rice grain in water for 10 min.
This step will let the rice grain to elongate and the rice will be fluffier.

How to remember which vitamins are anti-oxidant?
vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin E
ACE as of the ACE in the poker card.

If possible, do not use salt and sugar in cooking.

Lemon
To get lemon juice, rub 1st before cutting.
To squeeze, penetrate a fork into a half-cut lemon, move up and down. This will prevent you from muscle ache. No need to spend money on orange squeezer.
Lemon may not be good for facial because it makes our skin becomes more absorptive to UV sunlight, so increases pigmentation.

Blanching is a cooking process wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.

The secret of Hong Kong soup:
Instead of putting all ingredients into a pot of water and bring all to boil,
1. blanch vegetables, meat.
2. put them into a pot of boiling water, then brew.

You can also blanch in bicarbonate of soda.
Bicarbonate will soften the outer skin of vegetables, and it is the secret of getting crunchy prawn.
Use the remaining soda on your hand to get smooth skin, e.g. to scrub the elbow skin to improve the flow of Qi.

How to prepare salad leaves?
Do not cut with knife as you may tear the chlorophyll.
Instead, use hand to tear e.g. lettuce.

Pomegranate
How to buy pomegranate? choose the one with 6 cuttings.
How to open pomegranate? soak it in a bowl of iced water (to prevent the oxidation of vitamin C), the fruit skin will float on top and be easy to throw.
How to wash pomegranate-stained apron? use vinegar and salt water.

While you are boiling water, you can steam your face (do facial). Do not forget to apply moisturizer after that.

Cooking can be a relaxing activity.
For me, the most satisfying parts are when I can decorate my food, take photos of them, and when Darling and I are happily eating them.
Honestly, I dislike washing dishes and find preparation takes time, e.g. washing, cutting.
I have tried to outsource washing to my spouse or our cleaning lady.
I have also tried to ask more home-cooked food from my mother in-law.
I am grateful.

In the country where I am living now, there is a high prevalence of colon cancer, so I must include more fiber into the diet of our family.

I am grateful for a free lunch today with blackcurrant drink. I ate many cereal prawns!

A Snow White of China: Xinyuan Zhang 张辛苑

Her name is … Xinyuan Zhang 张辛苑
dubbed as the number one beauty in China
loved for her good girl image, a combination of classic and cute features
a model since 18 years old
born in Hubei in 1990
becomes famous by posting her photos through social media
has oval shaped face
has snow-white skin complexion
has black long straight silky hair
Do these attributes remind you on Snow White? I love Snow White!

We think she looks like Yifei Liu 刘亦菲, and her eyebrows remind me of the singer A Mei (Chang Hui-mei).
In a close-up photo of her, with a braid across her head, she looks like the Frida Kahlo of East Asia; Zhang’s features are more delicate and Kahlo’s features are showing more strength, yet both are beautiful!

More photos are here:
www.tumblr.com/tagged/zhang-xinyuan
The collection of her Maldive photos

PS:
1. I hope and believe that my daughter or my daughter-in-law will be as beautiful as her!
2. Both Liu Yifei and Zhang Xinyuan were born in Hubei, perhaps we should go to Hubei to admire beautiful ladies!

Thank you egg

Benefits:
1. source of nutrients, delicious food: sunny side up, scrambled egg, soft-boiled egg with pepper.
2. facial mask (cheaper than most facial masks).
3. burn treatment.

Nothing beats the aroma and energy of sunny side up for breakfast!
Mum cooked super delicious egg breakfast for Dad and me in Edinburgh. Happy memory!

First Aid for burn:
1. spray cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced which stops the continued burning of all layers of the skin.
2. spread the egg whites onto the affected area.

Why is egg so effective?
Egg white contains collagen.

Blueroselady’s egg mask (recipe from December 2009):
1. Wash our tired face with soap
2. Spray rice water
3. Apply the egg white over our face, don’t forget the wrinkled parts below our eyes
4. Wait till we feel tightens
5. Rinse with water
6. Spray rice water
7. Apply the egg yolk
8. Rinse with water, more water until clean
9. Spray rice water

Wedding preparation

The so-called traditional white gown is actually NEW THING started by Queen Victoria (19th century). After all, 1 had to be well-off to afford a dress that was only worn once, and easily dirtied.

Scrubbing : get rid of dead skin cells, boost circulation.

Use sunblock. SPF30 if you are indoors, SPF50 if you are outdoors.

Perhaps should consider make-up removal? Cleanser (even those with foam) alone is insufficient to remove residue from makeup grime.

NEVER POP A PIMPLE. You run the risk of an infection or a bigger area of discoloration.
Dot a doctor-prescribed, Retin A-baed cream, or a spot cream with salicyclic acid and leave it on overnight to reduce inflammation.
Try wrapping an ice cube in a towel and hold it to the zit for ~20-30 sec.
EMERGENCY TIPS: If a pimple pops up a few days before your wedding, have your doctor shoot it down. A stereoid injection always work.

Gently dry-brush lips once a week with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Stop licking your lips – evaporation dries up lips quickly.

A celery-green apple combination is a wonderful detoxifier.

If you go for peeling, do apply sunblock generously after.
If you go for a facial, remind the beautician not to squeeze in case there is not enough time for marks to heal.

Drink plenty of water to clear your system. No bread, no rice, no bread …

Get enought sleep, drink lots of water and up your vitamin C intake 1 week before your wedding day.

The right HUE or TOOL makes a difference.
Too-thick lashes make eyes look small.
Thin brows age you, making you look harsher.
Plump-up already-think eyebrows with a brown eyeshadow.
Shimmery nails makes accidental smudges less obvious.

Send each of your bridesmaids-to-be a bouquet with a card or invite the group for a meal. Being a bridesmaid is a big commitment. So give her time to think about it, and a way to graciously decline if she must.
How to choose bridemaid(s)? someone who makes you feel confident, happy, and more importantly, someone you can trust to help you out on your big day.
Tentatively, choose unofficial wedding helpers or sisters.
Brides pay for the bridesmaids dresses, groom pays for groomsmen suits.
If there are certain accessories you would like your bridesmaids to wear, it is a nice gesture to pay, then give to them as gifts.
Do bridesmaids have to wear matching dresses? You need to consider the feelings of your bridesmaids. You could choose the colour and fbraic that suit all your bridesmaids, and they pick the style of the dress.
You can enlist the help of friends or relatives to ferry your bridesmaids around or consider renting a minivan to ferry your bridesmaids around. You can also get a big car, groom will not object because he will be riding in a car with a posse of beautiful women.

Every girl needs at least one gal pal to share things she cannot with her hubby – and there will be stuff you cannot share with him.

Travel solo for a weekend getaway, if not a long trip.
Learn new things. Self-sufficient girls will not become desperate housewives.

Married life should never start with a financial burden.
Take a good look at why you are getting married. Until death do us part, means one day, you might have to bury this person.
Promise yourself that once you are married, some things should stay private e.g. doing your biz in the toilet with the door locked.
Try to get through a week without talking about your wedding plans to anyone.
Make a list of all your married friends couple habits that you dont like, as a reminder not to adopt these yourself.

Dont forget friends birthdays.
A month before the big day, treat your bridesmaids, friends, and anyone who has been helping you with the preparation to a nice dinner. They will be even more helpful as the wedding approaches if they know you appreciate their efforts.
Have a last DATE with your man while he is still your boyfriend. Like just met.

Accessories: 4 pearl necklaces around neck are nice.

See also: “Tips: bridal actual day beauty and make-up preparation”

Food for detox

Why detox? Radiant skin, beautiful lady

Here are some suggestions:

ELIMINATE fast foods, red meats, pork, junk foods, sugary drinks.
stay away from sugary, and caffeinated drinks as much as possible.
Avoid fried food.

EAT:
broccoli, red and green vegetables, cauliflower, beets, onions and garlic.

Vegetables
All fresh vegetables. Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables.

Rice
All forms of rice, including rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta. Brown rice is typically preferred.

Other Grains
Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. They can be purchased at a health food store or in some grocery stores.

Beans
Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soaking time. Other good options include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

Nuts and Seeds
Unsalted nuts or seeds can be sprinkled over salads or eaten as a snack. Good options include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Nut butters are permitted. Peanuts and peanut butter are usually not recommended.

Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is a preferred oil.

Tea
Herbal teas, green tea.

Other Beverages
Water, lemon water, pure unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk

Daily Detox Do’s

* Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, warm or room temperature.
* Take the time to chew food well, especially grains.

My skin care, hair care, make up

I do believe that women are eager to beautify themselves to make themselves, their loved ones, even strangers, happy.

While I was sorting Darling and my stuff, I thought how wonderful it is if we could have skin care and make up that are not too many, but meet all our requirements. Less is more.

Let me share how I do it, hopefully they are useful for you:

My mother recommended Olay total effects 7-in-1 anti ageing cream (SPF 15) by P and G Thailand.
Rice water toner
Organic Naturel hom mali brown rice (Thai) $4.3
Sasa spray container $2.25
Soak the rice in water -> store the water in container and put in fridge -> ready to use daily

For time being, I don’t use lipstick for my lips are radiating fleshy red especially post- spicy-meal or exercise. I have a Google lipbalm, useful for winter, though it has been very long time ago I need a lipbalm. London 2004, but after that I have not required any lipbalm till now.

I need not cotton bud. What I do, I twist a tissue paper into a coton-bud alike shape, and use it for cleaning ear, nose dirts.

Once-in-a-while:
# nail polish + removal + cotton. I have “The Face Shop WH003”. Even my nails are short (I could not keep long finger nails), I love to see them shiny while I am typing on the keyboard.

Useful:
# Johnson’s baby powder: over the body after shower, on the face after foundation.

Essential for party / banquet :
# Acuvue Define
# mascara
# eyeshadow (min color: white / cream, light brown, dark brown, black)
# eyelashes
# eye lashes curler: I use hair dryer to heat it for longer-lasting curly eyelashes.
# Sunblock (for traveling)

Essential for daily:
# mascara: Maybelline Lash discovery mini-brush mascara.
# Olay (Toner -> Olay)
# Oxy 5: 5% benzoyl peroxide.
# Johnson’s baby bedtime lotion: I use it as moisturizer at night for face and once-in-a-while for body.
# Hair dryer

Blueroselady beauty tips

We all want ourselves / our girlfriends to look like a Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese-alike meinu/chiobu.

Below are my makeup steps learnt from various sources:
By compressing eyes with ice cubes / cold water, we are refreshing ourselves.
Wear contact lenses with iris lining to look innocent.
Foundation
Eyes are the windows to the soul. I spend most time here. White till nearby our eyebrow. Darker color (but not till near the eyebrow).
Hair-dryer to heat the eyelashes curler, check with our fingers that it is not too hot.
Use eye pencil to draw line 1st, then eyeliner. Whiten the end of eyes nearby our nose.
Apply white / pearl eye shadow in the middle of nose until the tip of the nose, followed by coffee-color at the side, so it appears darker.
Attach fake eyelashes, cut into 1/2 for the bottom part.
Lip: lipgloss to give the feeling of ‘want to bite a kiss’.

In a nutshell:
compress eyes with ice cubes / cold water.
contact lens (colors / greater iris lining).
Foundation
Eyes (eye shadows + fake eyelashes + sti)
Nose: pearl / white in the middle. coffee at the side.

We can use toothpaste applied overnight on skin to ease our pimples!

Beauty tips: from head to toes

I use:
# Dove shampoo
# any kind of shower gel as long as they are milky and cheap

When buying shoes for attending a former toilet mate’s wedding, we learnt:
Use wax (candle) for new shoes, so that our feet skin will not be hurt by the friction.

Salt in our kitchen for our tongue and skin
To scrub off dead skin from our hands, necks, and faces.
For each 1 cup of sea salt, add 0.5 cup of baby oil + a bit of water.
Add essential oils / vanilla extract / rosewater if we have it.

What is two-way cake?
a foundation applicable with either a dry or wet sponge

I check:
# MakeupAlley
# flowerpod