Are you about to put that sunscreen away and plan on not seeing it until next summer? Stop right there please!  One thing to keep in mind is that just because we won’t be seeing much of the sun, it’s still super important to continue using sunscreen!  Sunscreen should be that beauty product that is part of your daily routine.  Your skin is constantly exposed to sun rays even when you least expect it.  If you plan on hanging on to dewy youthful skin, I strongly recommend that you always use sunscreen.  It is one of the key anti-aging weapons.

Does it look like you traveled to the Sahara Desert and brought back a piece of it because your skin looks similar to it? Now you’ve got work to do like using a gentle body scrub to get rid of the dead skin cells, and allow for new ones to grow.  Depending on how sensitive your skin is, there are lots of body scrubs to choose from.  I have never been a fan of salt scrubs because it’s too harsh for my skin.  It stings and makes my skin red.  This is one of the reasons I wanted to make our body smoother with sugar, sans seeds, or crushed nut shells.  All natural sugar does the job and exfoliates the skin nicely and then melts away.  Coupled that with organic shea butter, argan oil and olive oil, and you’ve got a scrub that is packed with hydrating, moisturizing and anti-aging ingredients.  This is a nice blend to get your skin in tip top shape.

Are you mortified to see what the sun, chlorine and all the environmental impurities did to your skin? I have been in denial for quite some time that summer is over.  I’ve especially ignored anything that mentioned “Back-to-School”.  Of course it’s hard as my daughter needs to get ready for it.  This week she spent 2 straight days in the pool and I was mortified to see her skin…. it was so dry from the sun and chlorine… ugh…!   After taking a bath, she was so tired that she went to bed without using moisturizer.  This morning her skin was so flaky and dry that I had to slather body butter all over her.  She’s young and has such beautiful skin and I want to make sure she keeps it for a long time.

A good moisturizer is your other weapon for anti-aging and for welcoming the coming new season.  Your skin will change with the season.  Often times you will need to find a lotion or butter that is ultra moisturizing to keep up with this change.  Body butters work extremely well in the fall/winter season.  Some people with sensitive skin find that a body butter type of moisturizer helps soothe dry, itchy skin more so than lotion.  Eczema and other skin irritations flare up in colder seasons and if you are one of those people then you need to find an ultra hydrating moisturizer rich in vitamins and nutrients that’s also formulated for sensitive skin.

Do you think there are too many steps to maintain healthy and beautiful skin? Perhaps…, but your skin is WORTH it!   I am constantly running around, so I understand what most of you go through.  When we created our Four Truffles bodycare system we had 4 things in mind – simplicity, healthy, functional and performance.  Whether its Four Truffles bodycare or something else,  take the time to find one and stick to it.  I hope you find the right regimen that suits you and please share some of your thoughts or findings right here.

• - Super hydrating and moisturizing – rich in ingredients packed with vitamins and nutrients that help extend skin’s youthfulness
• - Leaves skin feeling fresh, clean and smelling heavenly
• - Super hydrating and moisturizing – perfect for dry and sensitive skin
• - Doubles up as an excellent shaving cream
• - It’s healthy and good for your skin – sulfate and paraben free, no preservatives, vegan and no animal testing

Here’s what some of people are saying!

This product, I LOVED. It went on smooth and left my skin soft and subtle after I got out of the shower. Not sticky or waxy. I liked the scent of it too. I also used it as a shaving cream and it worked wonders! My shaving went oh so smoothly.   Review by Shiyena, Celebrity Make-up artist

I am a huge fan of body wash.  I use it everyday in the shower.  The creamy body wash is quite luxurious and suds up delicately.  I tried it in a bath too, great for either shower wash or bath tub.  Love the scent very feminine.  Left my body feeling moisturized and clean.  I like the oils and nutrients of all the Four Truffles products have.  You can feel them on your body after – stays moist all day.  Review by Michelle Saunders, Celebrity Manicurist

Again, the smell is divine. I’ve actually replaced my shaving cream with this body wash because it smells so good and leaves my skin so soft.  Review by Cailin Honeycutt, Blogger, thebeautybunny.com

Ever notice that your skin experiences more changes than Lady GaGa at Lollapalooza?  One morning you may wake to glowing, clear skin and then poof! a new day begins with a blasphemous blemish and blotchiness.  What’s up with that?
Each month seems to bring a mixed bag of skin and body care pros and cons so I wanted to share the most vital seasonless skin secret – hydration!  Consistent hydration, inside and out, is key to maintaining healthy, happy skin.
Here are 5 easy ways to help get your skin on track and stay the course:

1.  Manage your water:
Water comprises about 60 percent of the average adult’s body weight and more than 70 percent of non-fat tissue such as skin.
•    Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.  Any non-caffeinated drink counts!
•    Keep your hand washing, showers, baths and spa water at lukewarm temp.  If your skin turns pink or red, the water is too hot.  This is a hard one for me personally so if that rings true for you too, just keep it short and limit to one per day.

2. Avoid soap:
Soaps are drying. Clean-up with a creamy moisturizing cleanser from head to toe:
•    Avène’s Diacneal Gel Cleanser for your face
•    Four Truffles Creamy Body Wash for your body
•    Dove Nourishing Hand Wash for your hands.  This affordable product has a 9.3 rating out of 10 on TotalBeauty.com!

3.  Exfoliate
Moisturizer is much more effective and efficient when applied to exfoliated skin. Use a scrub on your hands, body and face at least twice a week.

4. Moisturize
Apply moisturizer on a daily basis to slightly damp skin. For best results, pat skin dry instead of rubbing with your towel.

5.  Eat Fish & Flax
“Eat fish at least twice a week,” suggests the American Heart Association and your dermatologist!  The oil in salmon and other cold water fish is rich in

omega-3 fatty acids which help replenish moisture in dry skin and hair.
Up to two tablespoons of flaxseed a day also helps replenish skin and hair oils since it’s packed with omnipotent omega-3’s!

Hands and feet often get ignored but they shouldn’t since they very often expose your age!   Here is where you insert a mental image of a plastic surgery addict who is taut and tight from head to ankle but their feet are old and mangy into your mind!  Good motivation, right?

Why do hands and feet age so fast?

The skin on back of your hands and top of your feet has very few oil glands and fat cells so it easily chaps, burns and sags.

What to do?

Treat your hands and feet with as much care as you would your face and body.

· Protect your vulnerable skin with sunscreen year round.  I love OleHENRIKSEN’s hands forward creme because it helps guard against signs of aging by pairing sunscreen with shea butter to deeply nourish and protect

· Create an at-home soak with warm water or milk and drops of argan oil and an essential oil of your choice.

· Exfoliate 2-4 times per week to maintain fresh, smooth skin, prevent age spots and prep skin to receive moisture.  For the tops, use a gentle scrub like Four Truffles Body Smoother.  For the bottoms, keep a pumice stone in the shower to remove dead skin.

· Moisturize daily, especially if you are in and out of water frequently.

· Treat yourself to a monthly mani / pedi! The mini massage increases blood flow and the maintenance keeps your skin and nails healthy.

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.

lifestyle related topics about Looking Good, Feeling Good and Doing Good!  

The path to Looking Good and Feeling Good is a well balanced healthy lifestyle, which includes changing the way you think about what you eat, drink and what you do with what you put inside your body.  While we’ve talked about secrets to healthy skin by way of beauty products and regimen, I’d like to discuss fitness and Yoga as I’m now looking into incorporating Yoga into my weekly routine.

While there are many reasons why Yoga is good for you, the general consensus I’ve heard from peers, medical doctors and naturapaths is that it’s therapeutic.   I’ve been having back pains and recently went through a series of doctor check ups to make sure all vitals are working properly.  Luckily they are, but I did learn how important it is to make sure I see the doctor, especially the OB/GYN for preventive measures as breast and ovarian cancer are so common nowadays for many women.   What it all boils down to is that I need to get back in shape, hence one of the things on my list is to give Yoga a try.

I’ll be checking out some yoga classes from the South Bay all the way to Santa Monica.  I discovered Yoga Earth who seems to be a good resource and community for all things Yoga.  They recently shared an article from the Richmond County Daily Journal about “Study: Quality of life improves for cancer patients who practice yoga” I found this article interesting especially for women who are going through breast cancer.  Yoga in this instance helped a woman going through radiation treatment to relax and sleep.

I would love to hear your comments and feedback about your thoughts and experiences with Yoga!

Cheers to Looking Good, Feeling Good and Doing Good!

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.

Recently our Earth Apple Body Smoother has been in the news, and we’re so excited to hear the wonderful things people are saying about our sugar body scrub!  Here’s the blog post from the New Beauty Magazine and another one today from Beauty4Moms blogspot! 

Acccording to Ashley of Beauty4Moms…

“There really isn’t anything that I don’t love about this product:

• The Earth Apple scent is yummy!
• My skin was left feeling silky smooth.
• The thickness was perfect; not too runny or too thick.
• The tube was much easier to use than the normal tubs exfoliators come in.”

If you’re looking for more reviews on Four Truffles products from other beauty experts and customers you can find them in our reviews section.

Happy reading and when you’re done… GO SCRUB the dead skin cells with this yummy sugar scrub and GLOW this Summer!!!

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women.

3.  Plump:
Moisturized skin appears more firm and youthful.  Choose a moisturizer that suits your skin type, smells good and feels good.
Another perk of using a moisturizer on your body is that many brands now offer youth enhancing benefits. Nivea Body Skin Firming Moisturizer with Advanced Q10 Complex is one at a low price point that is known to firm and, of course, I recommend our Four Truffles Body Butter since the 4T PDN Complex™ works wonders while remaining natural and organic.

4.  Posture
Remember when you were young and older people were always reminding you to sit up straight?  It’s time you listen!  Good posture creates the illusion that you are several pounds lighter than when you slouch so pull your shoulders down, stick that chest out, suck in that tummy and lift your chin up.  Add a smile and you are good to go!  Confidence is a major turn on so stand tall and proud – rock whatcha got!

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women and tribunity.

It is one of the very few body scrubs that’s formulated with the best and sought after beauty oil in the market place – Argan Oil.  New Beauty also talked about our Earth Apple Scent Journey -  The sweet, simple scent from the first bite of an apple awakens skin and senses to a fresh start. The fruity Earth Apple aroma, ideal for both men and women, is known to evoke energy and feelings of love, happiness and success.

Four Truffles is so pleased that NewBeauty discovered our Body Smoother at Glow.com and chose to write about it on their uber popular site!

Read the article here… Daily Beauty blog by newbeauty.com

You can also find more expert reviews right here!

Skin that radiates health always looks sexy so here’s a simple system that’ll get you ready to glow!

1.  Prep:
Glowing body skin starts with exfoliation.  Slough off those winter scales and start anew by using a body scrub two to four days a week.  Try Four Truffles Earth Apple Body Smoother or one from the “10 Best Body Scrubs” list on the “A Women’s Talk” beauty blog.

Another step in your prep work is to avoid the stuff that makes you puff. Care for your body inside and out by limiting your caffeine, alcohol, salt and dairy intake at least 1 day before and on the actual day you plan to show major skin.  Nourish your body and build your confidence with water, green tea (instead of your latte), fruit, and veggies.

2.  Primp:
Tan fat always looks better than white fat so I highly recommend using a self tanner the night before you plan the big reveal.  I am a major fan of Neutrogena’s MicroMist Sunless Tanning Spray for a mistake-free, mess-free, natural-looking tan. This product is so easy you can even spray fake abs, pecs and quads like a pro!

To fake a taut tummy in your two-piece, apply self-tanner to the vertical contours on either side of your belly button.  You can also use a matte waterproof bronzer to whittle your middle if spray tanning freaks you out.

For legs to long for, layer a few sprays of self-tanner or that matte waterproof bronzer under your calf muscles and along the length of your quadricep indents on the inside and outside of each thigh.  I’ve even read that Dancing With the Stars pros spray along the crescent below each butt cheek but I’m weary of highlighting the peaks and valleys on my moon so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

To balance the body, I also recommend highlighting the clavicle, shoulders and décolletage to reinforce people to look upwards and to promote envy with your bangin’ body from head to toe.
Stay tuned for the last two steps, Plump and Posture, in Part 2 tomorrow….

Four Truffles is a woman owned, women-run skin care brand created by women, for women and their families.   We believe that women are born with an innate sense of family, community and unity.  We strive to tie those elements together to help unify the world from the inside out – with the bonds of love, hope, faith and eternity.

Four Truffles works directly with women-owned Argan Forest collectives in Morocco and Shea processing collectives in western Africa to get the best ingredients possible while simultaneously helping improve the social and economic status of rural women.  All our products are natural, organic, 100% vegetarian, paraben free, dermatologist tested, never tested on animals, hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin, made in U.S.A, eco-centric, contain indigenous ingredients that support women4women and tribunity.

Well, Cecelia, our research and experience points to creating a well-balanced lifestyle, skin, and body care regimen loaded with nutrients found in nature.   Since each persons skincare needs are different and ever changing, there is no one size fits all type of solution but we do have our tried and true “Top 5 tips” that do indeed work wonders for all. Some are easy, some not so much, but all are guaranteed to produce results!

1.    Use Sunblock:  Wear sunscreen.  You hear it and read it everywhere because it’s the very best thing you could do for your skin.  Sunscreen doesn’t prevent tanning, it prevents burning.  Most importantly, sunscreen protects your skin from age-inducing rays.  Wear an SPF15, or higher, everyday to prevent aging and UV damage, even in the fall and winter.

2.     Don’t Smoke:  Smoking is toxic and causes free radicals in our bodies that breakdown collagen and severely accelerate the aging process by damaging DNA and speeding up wrinkling.  A 2007 study found that smoking is associated with increased wrinkling and skin damage on many parts of the body – not just the face. Inner arms, neck and décolleté are likely to show wrinkling and sagging as a result of accelerated skin aging from smoking.

3.     Increase antioxidants: Vitamins help fight free radicals, stimulate collagen and help even skin tone.   For maximum antioxidant protection inside and out, combine a diet high in antioxidants (think fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains) with topical treatments (try our Four Truffles 3-step beneficial body care system) and an ingestible (vitamins or supplements) to get the biggest bang for your buck!  By adding the healing powers of vitamins A, C, D, and E into your daily routine in all forms you will dramatically decrease your years inside and out!

4.   Exercise: In addition to the physical benefits of exercise, a regular workout regimen helps reduce stress (a big-time ager), promotes mental and physical well-being and increases blood flow.  All are beneficial in fighting the signs of aging. Having pep in your step also makes you feel younger and when you feel good you look good.