A New Year Resolution: To Be or Not to Be Beautiful?

Taking care of our skin has never been more important than it is today. Our daily exposure to toxins, pollutants and chemicals harmfully affect our skin, therefore protecting it is crucial for our wellbeing and beauty. Let that be your new change for the year.                   

                    

In Egypt as in the USA, women of all ages want to be beautiful. We are bombarded with billboards and magazines on" how we should look". It is so unhealthy. Women want to have a face like Nancy Ajram or a “Booty” like J. Lo’s. True, it is a fundamental right for you as a woman to look beautiful and listen to sweet words of admiration. But the real beauty of a woman is not her looks or figure. This is just the physical aspect. What about your charming personality, which is a beautiful blend of so many characteristics such as manners, behavior, a big smile, open-mindedness and education. Yes, education is so important even in the beauty industry.

 

Fads or Trends – are people who follow blindly and the beauty industry is taking a great advantage of those. Today that industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business. The industry that makes money has a mind and the consumers, those who spend the dollars, have unfortunately forgotten that they have a mind. That is why you need to be consulted by a professional expert, not the media. Surgery and makeup can camouflage the exterior, but can not undo the interior. A rare commodity these days is the “Inner Beauty”. While driving to a Plastic surgeon or a beauty center, why don’t you think of improving your inner beauty by taking care of yourself inside out?

 

The beautiful actress Elizabeth Taylor played the role of “Cleopatra”, which made me believe that Cleopatra must have been a beautiful woman. To my surprise she was not very pretty; her attraction rather sprang from her personality which was a blend of charm and character. Cleopatra knew how to take care of her Health and Beauty by taking her frequent “Milk Bath” and so many other modalities which we are seeking eagerly to use now in the world of beauty. However, it is crucial to know what we apply to our external skin to enhance our looks, for, to some extent, it affects us internally. When the ancient Egyptians used Henna as a coloring agent for hair, they had multiple reasons for using it. It is absorbed through the scalp and does more to our internal body than what meets the eye. Henna has been found by modern scientists to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-hemorrhagic.

 

According to Dr. N. Perricone in his book "The Wrinkle Cure", a New York bestseller, he states that “Wrinkled, aging skin is not the inevitable result of growing older. It’s a disease, and you can fight it. You can look your best, feel your best, and enjoy beautiful skin and optimum health every day of your life, provided you start right now”.  Amazingly, he tells us that all we need is good nutrition, good skin care products and healthy habits.

 

Today Pollution is such an issue in many large cities, and Cairo is definitely one of them. We are in direct need to have an intake of antioxidants, which help and prepare us to fight and keep our cells healthy and our bodies disease free. One source of antioxidants is to eat healthy fresh and organic fruits and vegetables. Good nutrition does not mean fast food. It means the “Rainbow Food”: foods that are colorful outside and healthy inside and full of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and peptide boosting. I also believe in a daily intake of Supplements. According to a recent study in the USA, around 97% of Americans follow diets that do not even cover the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins and nutrients. Here are few of the basic supplements you should consider (check with your physician first): Vitamin A, B-complex, C, & E.; Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium & Zinc.

 

Anti-aging facial skincare is the largest growing skincare industry. Cosmeceutical skincare is the very latest skin care treatment to hit the market today, replacing the use of products containing harmful chemicals. Here is a "Hollywood secret", the BUZZ word is “Chirally Corrected – Skin Care Products”.   They have the unique ability to link up perfectly with the skin’s cells, or body receptors to produce only the positive effects of each ingredient or nutrient, while virtually eliminating any adverse reactions. I presently use that type of product and many others in the field and believe that all skin care products applied topically should be Chirally Correct, and soon, they all will be!

 

It is never too late to begin taking care of your skin. My advice that you can start at any age and do not think if you are in your 40’s or 50’s and plus, that there is no hope. I am one of these women who can vouch that it can be done. Then you may teach your daughter, granddaughter and other women.

 

Wellness and Beauty require a willing spirit, an open mind and physical commitment; for they start from the inside and manifest outwardly. Start slowly, one step at a time, stay focused and always have a positive attitude.

 

10 Steps for a Beautiful New Year Resolution:

1. Take a deep breath – O2 is vital for your organs; it will help you center your body,         mind and spirit

2. Drink plenty of water – at least 8 glasses per day.

3. Eat a healthy diet – more organic fruits, vegetables and fish.

4. Exercise – 3 times a week, at least 30 min of walking or Pilates.

5. Stop smoking – minimize exposure to second hand smoking.

6. Plenty of rest – at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day.

7. Stress management – massage, aromatherapy or Epsom salt bath.

8. Minimize artificial food or drink intake –soda (coca cola) and sugar.

9. Humidify/Air filter indoor air – keep skin from drying out in winter and breathe clean     air.

10. Your daily skin care regimen:

·        Cleanse (with soap free bar)

·        Exfoliate (at least twice a week)

·        Moisturize (use products  that are "Allergy-tested")

·        Protect (sunscreen at least with SPF 30 even in winter)

I hope I have inspired you to take a good look at yourself and make a change for you as a woman this year.

“Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror.”, Khalil Gibran

Mrs. Amira Abdel Kader

North Carolina, USA & Cairo, Egypt

Licensed Critical Surgical Care Specialist #100790

Licensed Massage Therapist # 02594

Licensed Medical Esthetician Skin Care Consultant #E2243

Wellness, Fitness and Nutrition Consultant

Holistic and Integrative approach to Wellness

www.jamilina.com, mail to: amira@jamilina.com