Skin Types

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It is very important to know your skin type. Remember, people are BORN with their skin type, which is determined by their genetics and ethnicity. Like everything else, skin changes over time. All skin types need proper cleansing, exfoliation, and hydrating. If you suffer from Acne, dehydrated Skin, or Sensitive skin, that is known as a skin condition, NOT a skin type.

Skin Types

 

  • Normal Skin-Normal skin is smooth and firm to the touch with small or medium sized pores. It has good oil-water balance,and only has the occasional blemish. Proper cleansing, toning, exfoliating and moisturizing is crucial to keep the skin looking it’s best.
  • Dry Skin- This skin type does not produce enough oil. The pores are usually small and the amount of sebum is minimal. Skin texture is slightly rough and feels tight. Stimulating oil production and protecting the surface is the key to taking care of dry skin. You need to HYDRATE the skin. Oil based make up is good for this kind of skin. For this skin type, you need what is called Occlusive Products. These products are thick and lay on top of the skin to reduce transepidermal water loss. These products hold in moisture and protect the skin’s barrier layer to combat dryness.
  • Oily Skin-Oily skin is easy to identify. If your face is visibly shiny, and literally feels slightly wet to the touch then you have oily skin. Oily skin is characterized by excess sebum production. Oily skin come with large pores that are more noticeable, and usually is more prone to blemishes because the pores get clogged with oil and a buildup of dead skin cells. If you have oily skin, you should deep cleanse, tone, exfoliate and use a oil free moisturizer. If you want to wear make up, make sure it is water based make up. Make sure to use products that will not strip the skin of it’s natural oil,your body will just product more oil. A deep cleansing facial and good home care will bring noticeable results.
  • Combination Skin-Combination skin gets a taste of just about every skin type. If you have combination skin, you tend to get oily around your nose, chin, and forehead area, and dry around your cheeks. The rest of your skin is pretty normal. A lot of people have combination skin. If you are among them, exfoliate, cleanse, and moisturize. This skin needs to be balanced and requires more care than normal skin. Water based products and make up work best for this skin type. Avoid harsh products, excessive cleansing, and rough exfoliation.

XOXO

The Novena Family

5 Ways of Taking Care of your Skin

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Taking care of the skin is very important before using makeup. Makeup itself isn’t necessarily good for the skin, it’s something to enhance or emphasize something on your beautiful face. It enhances and has the ability to change your skin. Take care of your skin, and your skin will be radiant!

1. Drink lots of water. This is legit because drinking water can hydrate your body. It makes your skin youthful and more elastic. Drinking water also prevents acne because your body is ‘pure’ inside. Drinking water prevents dry skin.
2. Eat right - meaning veggies and fruits. They are nutritious, so what more can I say? This also helps with purifying your body. Lessen up on the oily foods. Clogged arteries means less blood flow. Less blood flow means bad skin.

3. Change your pillow weekly. Think.. All those times you sleep on your pillow, oil accumulates. Think of it as sleeping on the oils your face accumulated within the two weeks you didn’t change it.

  • It’s natural for your face to have oils. That’s why if your body is clear from toxins, you’ll less likely break out. I’m not saying to cut out all the good foods out of your life. Just limit them.
4. Wash your face daily. It will clear the oils on your face so pimples don’t accumulate. Use a scrub to get rid of blackheads and exfoliate your skin, making your skin feel refreshed and youthful.
5. You MUST moisturize your skin after washing. It’s like taking a shower and putting on lotion. Even though it takes more time out of your day, it’s worth it in the long run. If you have oily skin, use a little bit of moisturizer so you don’t feel oily by mid-day.
XOXO
The Novena Family

The Importance of Staying Hydrated During your Pregnancy

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Water is one of the body’s most essential need. It is even more crucial throughout your pregnancy. Staying hydrated is ESSENTIAL especially to cope with the demanding changes of your body and the development of your baby. Water is the component of all the important fluids in your body such as your blood, sweat, urine, and lymphatic system. Dehydration can lead to complications during your pregnancy and can increase your chance of headaches, nausea, cramps, and dizziness. Dehydration can also affect your first and second trimester when the body needs amniotic fluid for the baby. Lack of this fluid can lead the baby to lay against the uterus instead of floating in the amniotic fluid. This  complication can lead to deformities of the babies arms, legs, and feet. Staying hydrated can also prevent urinary tract infections which are common during your pregnancy.

Stay hydrated by drinking more than a litter of water a day especially before, during and after prenatal exercise or activity. If you do not like the taste of water, add some lemon, cucumber or any type of fruit or fruity flavor to enhance the water. Always keep a water bottle or container filled with water everywhere you go. You can also hydrates with juices, but always remember to drink more water than juice. Keep yourself and your little one safe and healthy throughout your pregnancy. Always remember that staying informed is the key to a healthy and beautiful pregnancy!

XOXO

The Novena Family

The Essentials For Prenatal Vitamins

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To all my mommies & mommies to be,

When looking for Prenatal Vitamins, make sure it includes the following:

- 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid.

- 400 IU of vitamin D.

- 200 to 300 milligrams (mg) of calcium.

- 70 mg of vitamin C.

- 3 mg of thiamine.

- 2 mg of riboflavin.

- 20 mg of niacin.

- 6 mcg of vitamin B12.

- 10 mg of vitamin E.

- 15 mg of zinc.

- 17 mg of iron.

XOXO
The Novena Family

Sleep oh precious Sleep

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Being pregnant is a big job for a body to complete, and your sleep patterns may reflect this. Feel free to indulge in an afternoon nap if you have the time, but note that this is typically frowned upon in the average workplace. It’s also important that you get enough sleep each night, so your body can rejuvenate itself while it’s under production.

XOXO,

The Novena Family

Pregnancy Relaxation

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If you’re feeling tired and tense, ask your partner to give you a back rub. Massage is a good way to relax before bedtime, but make sure he steers clear of your belly and breasts. It’s also particularly useful if you suffer from restless legs syndrome, a common complaint in the later stages of pregnancy that can make your legs feel twitchy and keep you awake at night. This can be a sign of anaemia too, so speak to your GP if you’re worried. 

For a luxurious aromatherapy massage, try adding a couple of drops of essential oils to a carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed. Camomile, citrus, geranium, lavender, neroli, rose and sandalwood are all safe to use when you’re expecting. 

XOXO,

The Novena Family

Dont worry if your baby is….

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Hairy? Bald?

Maybe you have golden locks and your husband has brown curly hair. You’re excited to see what your child has. First appearances may be deceiving. Most times, the hair that a baby is born with is not what their hair will be like as they grow. So, if your baby comes out with a mass of hair or no hair at all, chances are it’s temporary.XOXO,

The Novena Family

After Childbirth Tips!

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* Send as much home as you can the day before you check out of the hospital. Chances are your room will be full of balloons, flowers or cards.

* Be sure to have an extra pair of baggy clothes to wear home. Even after delivery, you will be most comfortable in clothes that are significantly larger than your pre-pregnancy clothes.

* Ask your escort to bring the car as close to the hospital as possible and carry only baby and burb cloth to the car. Don’t try to juggle too many things yourself as you bring you new baby outside of the hospital for the first time.

* Take your time! New mommies walk slow, especially those who have had a c-section. Besides, you only get to bring your baby home for the first time once so slow down and enjoy every moment!

* Never underestimate how complicated car seats can be. If you have never used a car seat or if you have never used the particular car seat in your car that day, review the manual before you get to the car with baby. Some people find it easiest to strap the baby into the car seat first, carry that to the car, and then strap the car seat into the car. Never put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat!

* At home – stock up on sanitary napkins, ideally before you go the hospital, so your partner does not have to make multiple trips to the store and can stay with you as much as possible. You will probably bleed for 4-6 weeks after delivery, and remember, in the beginning, you will need extra long and extra absorbent pads!

* Before leaving the hospital, ask for the direct number of the maternity ward and the name of a nurse or two (and their shift hours) that you can call from home if you have an important question. Many hospitals provide a call service or “warm line” for new mothers with questions

* Don’t feel rushed out the door – make sure all your questions are answered before you leave the hospital. Find out when your child’s first check-up should be scheduled and make sure to get the answer to anything you are unsure about, from diaper changing to breast feeding.

XOXO
The Novena Family

The Essentials to Great Skin during your Pregnancy

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One of the many changes during pregnancy involves the skin, as a sudden surge of hormones can cause breakouts. A major disadvantage of dealing with skin issues during pregnancy is that many skin care products are not safe to use, which is why it is important to check with a doctor before applying any of them to the skin. Thus, it is usually best to deal with maternity skin care in natural ways, such as hydrating the skin from within through a good diet. Moisturizing lotion is also often good for the skin while pregnant, as the face and body tend to feel dry. You can try our Organic Luminescent Moisturizer, loaded with tons of moisturizing organic ingredients with calming, refreshing and soothing properties. This formula is simply perfection! Of course, some women also experience an increase in oil, in which case a light exfoliation will do the trick of eliminating extra oils.
The safest method that goes hand in hand with maternity skin care is using your diet to keep the skin properly hydrated. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables should be consumed a few times per day, as these are filling, and also often contain lots of water. Of course, drinking enough water is also important, as the hydration needs rise during pregnancy due to increased blood volume. Flavored water and fruit juice are both usually considered fine ways to get additional water, but they should be limited due to their sugar content. Additionally, it should be noted that beverages that contain caffeine do not typically count as hydrating drinks, since this ingredient can actually dehydrate the body, which is bad for the skin.

Organic Luminescent Moisturizer:
http://www.novenamaternity.com/organic-luminescent-moisturizer.html

XOXO,
The Novena Family

Parabens & Sulfates

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On Wednesday, Novena Maternal Skin Care hosted our very first Twitter party! It was such a great success and we are so happy & grateful to everyone that participated! One of the most talked about topics was what exactly are Parabens & Sulfates? We hoped we answered every single one of your questions, but here’s a little more in depth information on these two widely used ingredients in the cosmetic industry.

  • Parabens: Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products such as soap, moisturizers, shaving cream and under arm deodorant, according to the Food & Drug Administration ( FDA ). Parabens are esters ,a compound formed by acid and alcohol, of P-hydroxybenzoic acid. The most common are Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and Butylparaben. Cosmetic companies use parabens to extend the self life of products and to prevent growth of bacteria and fungi. Parabens have linked to have been found in Breast Cancer tumors. Parabens have also displayed the ability of mimic Estrogen.
  • Sulfates: Sulfates are synthetic ingredients that based on sulfur which is deprived from petrolatum and other resources. They are a common used term for cleaning ingredients used in skin and hair products. They are many types of Sulfates but the most common used in personal care products are SLS and SLES. SLS stands for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and SLES stands for Sodium Laureth Sulfates. They are found in 90% of all personal care products. SLS strips the skin of it’s natural oils and moisture and can cause severe inflammation and irritate the skin.

    Studies have shown that these chemicals could cause infertility, birth defects, reproductive problems in boys, early puberty in girls and even cancer.

    Please avoid any of these ingredients in any of our personal care products.
    The ingredients in NOVENA are ORGANIC, VEGAN, NATURAL, ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE and ANIMAL FRIENDLY. Careful consideration was taken when choosing the organic/natural ingredients for this maternity skincare line.

    We chose the best for you and your baby!

    XOXO
    The Novena Family