SimplyMaggies

 
photo credit: Chester Zoo

I was surfing the internet a while ago and came across a link that was advertising natural chocolate so (the chocoholic that I am) I clicked on it and it took me to this wonderful website (Endangered Species Chocolate) where not only can you buy natural and sustainable chocolate and cocoa but you can also adopt an endangered species animal.

Looking at the pictures of these magnificent creatures I simply could not resist and thus without further ado I adopted a lioness and her two cubs (I am quite partial to lions) . They are the only members of the pride left after the African farmers put poison on the wild buffalo the pride killed. The devastating practice of poisoning the carcasses led to annihilating many prides of these beautiful animals.  

So if I can help save one endangered animal, the little amount of money is absolutely worth it. And it made me feel like I did something a lot bigger than changing bulb and recycling to preserve this wonderful planet we live on…

One of the American national holidays happened to take place two days ago, namely Veteran’s Day, and I think I had my fill of the American patriotism (at least for a long time).

As much as I respect all the soldiers and the sacrifices they and their families make every day (heck, I’m married to one!), I simply cannot stand when people start talking about Americans fighting for their freedom (when they refer to teh Middle East) or guarding the world. It makes me want to ask: “Who the hell appointed you the guardians of the world?!”

Coming form a country that was dominated and even controlled by another under the false pretenses, this whole American attitude reeking of oh-so-typical arrogance strikes a chord.

It is one thing if a country asks for help, as it was in the case of former Yugoslavia where civil war and the bloodshed got so out of control the people were forced to ask the NATO countries for aid. It is quite another, however, when one enters a country under false pretenses and stays there even though the so-called reason for one’s presence there has long been achieved. This, to me, is simply conquering and nothing else.

So many lives have been lost and continue to be lost every day for somebody’s screwed-up idea of freedom. And so I ask why do people around the world have to follow the so-called American way of life? Why can’t we decide for ourselves what kind of way of life we want without “the mighty Americans” coming to our “rescue” when we get it wrong?

It appears acne is no longer a teenage problem. Increasingly more women over thirty complain of this unsightly skin condition. And unfortunately, acne at this age seems to be more of a nuisance then when one was a teenager, especially since it affects face, neck, chest, back and even shoulders.

There are many causes of adult acne but the main one seems to be hormonal imbalance, which may require a medical attention. Problems with hormones usually affect women working in air conditioned rooms with little or no humidity and  with halogen lighting, in high levels of stress and ones that spend long hours in front of a computer monitor. Drinking lots of coffee and eating spicy food only aggravates the condition thus your best bet is to have your hormone levels checked and then consult an endocrinologist or a dermatologist.

Choosing the right cosmetics is also a very important step in combating adult acne. Here are a few tips to improving your skin:

Get the right moisturizer

One of the basic mistakes is using the wrong moisturizer, which often leads to drying out your skin. This, in turn, causes more sebum production to combat the dryness, which leads to clogged pores and pimples and so the vicious circle continues. Your daily cream should therefore have moisturizing as well as antibacterial properties, which will curb the sebum production, soothe irritation and matt the shiny skin. Such moisturizers can be found in lines designed for oily and acne-prone complexions ad contain fruit acids, retinol, benzoil peroxide or salicylic acid, which are known for their exfoliating properties.

Use home remedies

Use purifying masks containing white or green clay, mud from the Dead Sea, yeast or volcanic soil, which deep clean your skin from the impurities as well as help with healing the pimples. You may also use peel-off masks, which unclog and shrink the pores. To exfoliate your skin use gentle scrubs, e.g. enzyme scrub and forget about the ones containing coarse grains. Use the masks and scrubs twice a week and follow with a good moisturizer.

Things to avoid

1) picking pimples and blackheads- this leads to inflammation of the skin, which only aggravates the acne.

2) tanning in the sun or a tanning parlor. The UV rays temporarily block the sebum production by drying up the skin. The dry skin needs more sebum to replenish the lost moisture thus creating more oil and causing acne.

3) using alcohol or toner containing alcohol to clan your face. This leads to dryness and irritation, which only makes the condition worse.