Strawberries & Apple cider vinegar..great for your face!

I Just love finding natural beauty secrets... here are two wonderful ones for your face...I hope you enjoy them, and let me know how they turned out!

Strawberry juice has gentle astringent and bleaching properties and is best used as a light cleanser for those who do not wear makeup. It can also serve as a tooth cleanser and whitener -
its very refreshing and helps eliminate onion and garlic breath.Ingredients:
4 very ripe, medium-sized strawberries, sliced and green stems removed
1 drop peppermint or lavender essential oil (optional)

In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the strawberries with a fork (or use a mortar and pestle). Press the resulting pulp through a mesh strainer or squeeze through cheesecloth or nylon stocking and catch the juice in a small condiment bowl. Add the essential oil (if desired) and stir to blend.Apply juice to face, neck, and decollete with a saturated cotton square (avoiding eye area), and massage with fingertips for about 1 minute. Rinse with cool water.

Follow with astringent or toner.

Did you know that apple cider vinegar is a wonderful astringent that will help combat the alkaline residue that soap or other cleansers can leave behind?

When your skin maintains the correct pH balance, it has a much better chance of fighting off dryness and infections.
Astringent Ingredients:
2 cups distilled water
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
10 drops favorite essential oil (not fragrance oil): try lemon, lavender or geranium
Mix water & vinegar & essential oils, shake well to blend.
Using a cotton cleansing pad or cotton ball, apply approximately 1 teaspoon to the face.
No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and potency, use within 1 year.

beauty secrets written by Shannon Thompson

ARE YOUR TOILETRIES TOXIC?

If you are into Natural products you have probably heard about the controversy of parabens in our personal care items, but more and more we keep hearing that they are not good for us. Following find a brand new article that explains a little bit more about it...this is why we at White Pear do not take any chances, and do not use Parabens to preserve any of our Natural Bath and body products. (please read our list of ingredients under each of the products we sell)
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From soap to shampoo - could your daily shower actually be bad for you?
By Alice SmellieLast updated at 10:42 PM on 05th July

Ever read the label of a shampoo, conditioner or shower gel? Then you'll probably have come across the word methylparaben, or perhaps ethylparaben, or propylparaben.
But have you ever stopped to think about what these ingredients are?
Parabens are the most widely used chemical preservatives throughout the world. They're found in children's shampoos, styling gels, body lotions, shaving gels and make-up, and are used to improve the shelf-life of cosmetics.
However, increasing evidence is emerging that use of parabens might come at a high price to our health. Some parabens - namely butylparaben and propylparaben - are under investigation by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) because of concerns about links with breast cancer and problems with the male reproductive system.
Research from Japanese scientist Osuma Handa at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine suggests that even parabens that were previously presumed to be safe, such as methylparaben, might mutate and produce free radicals when exposed to UV rays, causing skin ageing and potentially skin cancer.
Alcohol, which is often added to cosmetics, can stimulate the penetration of parabens into the skin and also the conversion of methylparaben to butylparaben, which, with propylparaben, has the greatest hormone disrupting properties in men and women.
The Environmental Working Group in America is so concerned that it has set up a non-profit website (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) where consumers can find out more information about their toiletries.
On the site, methylparaben is listed as being found in more than 16,000 products, including moisturisers, sunscreen and toothpaste.
Traditional argument is that our skin doesn't absorb parabens. Not so says Dr Barbara Olioso, a professional chemist who acts as an independent adviser for brands formulating cosmetics without chemicals. 'Research shows that between 20 and 60 per cent of parabens in cosmetics may be absorbed by the body,' she says. 'They have been found in urine, which proves parabens travel through our systems.'
Dr Olioso's concerns are shared by Tony Tillbrook, who invented the wetsuit in 1957. Tillbrook has launched a paraben and sulphate-free range of bath and body products.
'If you need to look at any ingredient's potential link with cancer, then isn't it obvious that you simply don't use it in a product or smear it over your body?' he asks.
He was inspired to create his range, amaZeneÆ, from his investigations into the components of adhesives used in his wetsuits, which caused dermatitis in some.

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How to Use Honey for Beauty

By eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor

For centuries, honey has been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes. As a natural humectant, it draws and retains moisture. As an antioxidant it's gentle to sensitive skin, making honey an ideal component of any beauty regimen. Add to that the fact that it costs pennies compared to high end beauty treatments and you'll find no matter what you use it for, you can't go wrong with honey.

Step 1
Mix a pinch of finely ground almonds into a tablespoon of honey. Add a few drops of lemon juice and use as a daily facial scrub. The honey will help sooth and moisturize as the almonds work to exfoliate your skin.

Step 2
Add a quarter cup of honey to your bath for a sweet smelling soak. It will leave skin feeling silky smooth and hydrated.

Step 3
Dab honey mixed with a little cinnamon directly on pimples and blackheads to help reduce redness and swelling. Do this at night before going to bed and rinse off in the morning. Honey is natural acne medicine that's much gentler to skin than over the counter beauty products containing alcohol.

Step 4
Use honey as a deep conditioning treatment for your hair. Mix a half cup of honey with two tablespoons of olive oil. Work it through your hair and cover with a shower cap for 20 minutes. Then shampoo and rinse as usual.

Step 5
Keep your breath fresh by gargling daily with a teaspoon of honey and some cinnamon powder mixed in warm water.