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In today’s fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves short on sleep. Between work, family, friends, and self-care time, it’s difficult to get your 7 to 8 hours of doctor recommended sleep. Even when you have the time to sleep it’s difficult to quiet your mind enough to actually get some shut-eye. Sleep deprivation plays a massive roll in the dysfunction of many systems in the body. Not only does it affect your attention, focus, and mood, but it can cause an increased risk for respiratory disease, weaken the immune system, and have a negative impact on body weight. Think-inflammation! 

As for your skin, sleep deprivation is extremely taxing. Beauty sleep is a real thing! When you lose sleep, your body produces more cortisol which through a cascade of effects helps to break down collagen and elastin. These two things are necessary for maintaining youthful, brilliant skin. Lack of sleep manifests visibly on the face in a number of ways: bags under the eyes, increasing wrinkles, paleness, sallowness, puffiness, inflammation. 

Fortunately, at SkinFoodBodyLove we are committed to helping you become the healthiest you possible! We know it can be impossible to fit in a full night’s sleep sometimes, so here are a few of our favorite products suggestions to combat the nasty side effects.  

For everyday AM/PM use, use our Prescribed Solutions Glycolic Antioxidant Cleansers. This cleanser contains 7% Glycolic acid and Salicylic acid which both work to exfoliate skin and diminish excess oil. In addition, the botanicals in this wash help to calm the skin while Lutein neutralizes free radicals. Together, these components make this gentle gel wash a strong defense against the effects of sleep deprivation. 

Use the Biopelle KNR Serum every night to repair the damage. This serum works as you sleep using three powerful agents – Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, and Retinol. These all work to lighten and brighten the skin for all around rejuvenation and youthfulness. 

Lastly, to complete your skincare kit, use Prescribed Solutions “Up the Anti” - a powerful skin protecting tint. Skin protection is a crucial step in everyone’s daily routine. This skin protector is suitable for both men and women to wear all day, and will not become chalky on darker skin tones. Ensure that you have full protection from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays and enjoy the benefits of the bronze tint that will give your skin a sun-kissed look!

 

Coleen Janeway, creator of SFB Love is a beauty expert, writer, editor and skinfood chef. Former owner of her own successful medical spa, Ms. Janeway has managed other wellness brands and medical practices in Los Angeles, she has been in the business of health and wellness long enough to understand what is hype and what is truth. Ms. Janeway cuts through the confusing, glittery mess and peels back the layers of superficial to reveal what is real and effective, in turn helping her clients set and achieve attainable goals by simplifying food and skincare.

When it comes to beauty solutions, it helps to get to the root of the problem. In hair care, we mean this literally. Proper scalp care plays a critical part in having healthy, gorgeous hair. Caring for your scalp ensures you will deal with less dryness, greasiness, breakage, flaking, and a myriad of other issues. Adding a few steps to your hair care routine in the shower leads to fewer products and less styling time later on. Fortunately, scalp care is remarkably easy and won’t break the bank. 

Try out these suggestions for your healthiest hair yet:

• Avoid irritation and or flaking of your scalp by making sure your current hair products do not contain any harsh chemicals. Avoid using harsh shampoos frequently as those strip away natural oils and cause scalp dryness. Also, if you can, try to avoid chemical treatments like coloring, perms, and straightening - if you must, go to a professional who will minimize hair damage as much as possible. 
• Buy a scalp brush. It doesn’t have to expensive, there are plenty of great ones available on Amazon for under $10. A scalp brush is perfect for massaging your scalp to get the blood circulating and also has the added benefit of exfoliating the skin. This will help with new hair growth and help with dryness or flakiness. It’s said that the improvement in blood circulation speeds up hair growth. 
• Balance the pH of your scalp and rid yourself of bad bacteria with an apple cider vinegar rinse. It has anti-fungal properties which are perfect for treating many scalp conditions that lead to dandruff. Make sure to dilute with water before applying and rinse afterward.
• Incorporate essential oils into your shampoo, conditioner, and masks. Tea tree oil has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to unclog hair follicles keeping hair clean and growing longer.

At Skin Food Body Love, we are committed to helping you care for your body by looking at the integration of natural beauty and whole body wellness. Here’s to your good health!

 

When it comes to natural beauty products, it seems the most effective items tend to be solutions that have been in use for the longest. Taking a look back through history, you’ll find a tool that’s been in use for centuries: gemstone rollers, or better known as crystal rollers. 

At first glance, crystal rollers don’t look like anything new. Using crystals for skin refinement has gone through waves of popularity over time, so much so you might have seen them in your mom or grandmother’s beauty kit. Originating in China, crystal rollers date back over 700 years but have been pushed to the wayside by western culture. Stones such as jade and rose quartz are heralded in Chinese culture as natural healers because they possess an energy field known to change the energy of the person they’re exposed to. Even aside from the spiritual significance of crystals, the use of rollers aid in a multitude of ways. 

Rose quartz rollers are used for circulation issues. They are said to have a warming effect assisted by the rolling pressure motion. Jade rollers have grounding properties and are used for healing, restoration, and purification. By pressing the roller onto your face, this works the muscles and blood vessels to boost circulation, relax muscles, release toxins, and drain lymphatic fluid. If you put the roller in the freezer or fridge, the cooling effect will boost all of these benefits as well as provide redness and pain relief from acne. 

To incorporate crystal rollers into your routine, simply follow a few rules of application:

• Always apply in an upward motion and release pressure when rolling back downwards.
• Use rollers at night before bed after all makeup has been removed and hydrating creams have been applied. Many people find the act of rolling to be relaxing for the mind and can help with falling asleep quickly.
• Only buy rollers that say they are real and natural stone - make sure you aren’t being duped with a dyed glass replica.
• Use a mini-roller under eyes right after waking up to reduce under-eye puffiness.

CBD is taking the world by storm. It’s virtually inescapable as legislation catches up with this wonderful, natural healing method. The beauty world is leading the way with mainstreaming CBD, incorporating the oil into creams, balms, and oils for all sorts of natural beauty solutions. However, with new products hitting the market daily, it’s difficult to know what you should buy and how to use it. This edit will help you make informed decisions best for your personalized beauty routine.  Both men and women will benefit from CBD and natural beauty products.

At Skin Food Body Love, we pride ourselves in choosing natural and effective solutions. CBD, cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant, derived mostly from hemp. Research has shown CBD has a wide range of effects on many of our bodies important systems affecting two types of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) throughout the body and brain. Instead of directly attaching to receptors, like THC, CBD actually influences a cascade of effects that cause your body’s natural cannabinoids to attach to those receptors. CBD mainly affects CB2 receptors in the immune system, which in turn has the ability to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain. These reduction effects translate over into a wide range of conditions, like treating acne, seizures, and possibly some cancers. 

CBD’s effect on inflammation is exactly why it is so perfect for beauty products. As you probably already know, inflammation is at the core of most skincare concerns – it’s the body’s natural response to infection, aging, and toxins. Instead of taking a cocktail of medicines to ward off these unsightly symptoms, CBD oil provides a natural way to nip common problems in the bud (no pun intended). CBD can regulate the sebaceous glands and avoid overproduction of oil, clearing up breakouts. Don’t lather your skin in acids and potentially irritating creams, try out CBD oil first. 

A close relative of CBD oil is hemp oil. Extracted from the seeds of the hemp, it has a lower concentration of CBD and has been legal for much longer.  Although it may have less CBD, hemp oil packs a punch when it comes to your health and beauty routine. Cooking using hemp oil has gained popularity thanks to the nutty flavor it provides. Additionally, hemp oil is rich in vitamins and has hydrating properties. At Skin Food Body Love, we carry Cannabliss Organic, a line of natural hemp oil infused skin care products. Try out our Organic Starter Kit, which includes 5ml samples of Revitalizing Serum, Age-Defying Moisturizing Lotion, and our most popular seller the Hemp Salve. These can be used in combination with each other to deeply moisturize skin without leaving a greasy feeling behind. Use the salve on problem areas for dryness, like tired hands and feet, elbows, and knees. Why not try something new? You are going to see and feel the difference. Be on the cutting edge of hemp and CBD oil infused products.

Coleen Janeway is a beauty expert, writer, editor and skinfood chef. Former owner of a successful medical spa, Ms. Janeway has managed other wellness brands and medical practices in Los Angeles and the US, she has been in the business of health and wellness long enough to understand what is hype and what is truth. Ms. Janeway cuts through the confusing, glittery mess and peels back the layers of superficial to reveal what is real and effective, in turn helping her clients set and achieve attainable goals by simplifying food and skincare.

Everyday household items for skin and hair care solutions

Using these everyday life hacks may boost the natural beauty and health of your skin and hair. Kitchen staples are my go to and can be combined or used alone in different combinations to reach your desired beauty need. 

Olive oil

Made up of fatty acids and antioxidants, olive oil is a widely used in the DIY beauty world. Used in hair, olive oil protects each strand by coating it in a protective layer. It may also reduce the appearance of damaged hair. For scalp use you can mix with lemon juice (1:1:1, lemon juice: olive oil: water), this solution can eradicate flakes and moisturize a dry scalp. Olive oil serves as the perfect base for any hair mask you may want to create, simply allow the mixture to sit for about ten minutes (blow dry, if desired) and wash it out to reveal beautiful luscious locks.

Coffee + Sugar Scrub 

You’ve probably seen these two ingredients gracing the beauty aisles, so simple and fun to make your own. Both coffee and sugar are wonderful exfoliants, especially because they are able to break down naturally, rather than those environment-harming micro-beads. Coffee is high in antioxidants, and when rubbed on the skin they can fight the signs of aging at the source. Coffee also has been proven to help with the appearance of cellulite. Try this sugar  body scrub recipe below:

Body Scrub 

-6 tablespoons ground coffee

-4 tablespoons olive oil 

-2 tablespoons sugar 

Mix and store in a jar. Use as a scrub as needed all over the body.

( lasts up to 7 days in an airtight container)

 

Apple Cider Vinegar

If you haven’t incorporated ACV into your diet and beauty routine, you have some catching up to do! ACV is shown to improve digestion, kill bacteria, and help with nixing stubborn belly fat. Did you know, ACV can be used as a toner, to restore pH, and to provide sunburn relief? 

 

One of my favorite “Dry Hair remedies”

-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (preferably organic, with “the mother” – strains of good bacteria)

-4 tablespoons water

-6 tablespoons honey

-2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix evenly and apply to hair and scalp. Leave hair mask on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cool to lukewarm water. Say hello to beautiful hair!

 

Coleen Janeway is a beauty expert, writer, editor and skinfood chef. Former owner of her own successful medical spa, Ms. Janeway has managed other wellness brands and medical practices in Los Angeles, she has been in the business of health and wellness long enough to understand what is hype and what is truth. Ms. Janeway cuts through the confusing, glittery mess and peels back the layers of superficial to reveal what is real and effective, in turn helping her clients set and achieve attainable goals by simplifying food and skincare.

 

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In a market littered with ineffective and potentially unsafe products, Coleen Janeway saw an opportunity to use her beauty and health expertise to inform consumers. Coleen personally spent years seeking out the best ingredients that actually work, finally finding the simplest combination of effective ingredients to give you the results you’re looking for – laying the foundation for Skin Food Body Love.

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Our natural mushroom supplements include a variety of the most effective and highly researched ingredients. While many of these mushrooms are known for their immune system boosting and anti-aging effects, each one has its own benefits and unique history of use. Not only have organic mushrooms been used for thousands of years due to their immense health benefits, they are now being researched by top scientists around the world. The benefits of these mushrooms is so widely agreed upon and researched that even the FDA has come forward to back them.

Lion’s Mane is one of our favorite ingredients in most natural mushroom supplements (including our own)! The use of Lion’s Mane as a supplement can be traced back to Ancient China, and has gained a lot of traction in the modern world. The list of benefits from using this natural ingredient is neverending. Lion’s Mane has been scientifically tested and proven to help in a range of issues, from weight loss to cancer prevention. It is even known to improve cognitive function and be a neurological protective, among many other benefits.

Another common ingredient in natural mushroom supplements is one called Reishi, also known as “The Mushroom of Immortality”. Similar to Lion’s Mane, the use of the rare Reishi mushroom can be traced back as far as 4000 years, where it was reserved only for royalty. Reishi mushroom are a natural antioxidant and immune system buffer. It can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, detoxify your body, and is well known for its anti-aging effects.

As odd as the name sounds, Turkey Tail is a top ingredient in the natural mushroom supplements. No, we are not talking about a real live Turkey. We are referring to what is called the Turkey Tail Mushroom, and is one of the most researched mushrooms around due to its known benefits. Not only does it aid in the bodies’ natural functions, the Turkey Tail Mushroom is known to help combat diseases ranging from breast cancer to HPV. Turkey Tail extract is even currently being tested by the FDA on cancer patients due to its immune system boosting effects.

The next ingredient we love is known as Chaga. Chaga is one of those rare gems known as a superfood. It is nutrient dense, containing minerals, vitamins, and a large dose of antioxidants. The effects of Chaga range from lowering cholesterol and blood sugar to preventing and fighting cancer by specifically targeting cancer cells and boosting the immune system while not attacking healthy cells.

Last but not least on our list of benefits from the ingredients in our organic mushroom supplements is Cordyceps, dubbed the “Medical Mushroom”. Similar to the other mushrooms on our list, the use of Cordyceps can be traced back many years and is now being highly researched. The known benefits of Cordyceps include boosting exercise performance, helping manage Type 2 Diabetes, improving heart health, improve liver function, and fight respiratory infections.

Coleen Janeway is a beauty expert, writer, editor and skinfood chef. Among formerly owning her own medical spa and overseeing other successful wellness brands and medical practices in Los Angeles, she has been in the business of health and wellness long enough to understand what is hype and what is truth. Ms. Janeway cuts through the confusing, glittery mess and peels back the layers of superficial to reveal what is real and effective, in turn helping her clients set and achieve attainable goals by simplifying food and skincare.

Browse our entire selection of natural skin care products at SkinFoodBodyLove.com, or see all Om natural mushroom supplements below: