Category: Healthy Living

1. Honey

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 26th Nov 2019

   Honey

   

   Honey. We all know it to be a healer in the kitchen cupboard and a wonder ingredient for just about anything digestible. We treat our insides to the glorious goodness of honey, why wouldn’t we treat our skin to the same healing powers?

   Honey is naturally antibacterial, bursting with antioxidants, making it brilliant for breakouts and ageing alike. It is wonderfully nourishing, so helps to create a natural glow, and given its sticky nature, it is brilliant at unclogging pores.

   Acid pads, enzyme masks and other skin resurfacing mediums do a great job at destroying the acid mantle layer and some go much deeper, leaving skin defenceless, making it unsurprising that so many people have sensitive and reactive skin.

    Scrubs are fine once in a while if there is an accumulation of dead flaky cells, but they should be used with care to avoid breaking healthy skin.  Honey is wonderful because as you lift it off the skin, only what is ready to come off will be removed. It also calms and nourishes the skin at the same time.

   Honey extraction has been a key component of Soveral signature facial treatments for 15 years now, blended with a secret formula of vitamins and plant extracts to enhance its anti-inflammatory properties. Alexandra designed a non-abrasive technique to remove the honey that lifts the underlining facial tissues to aid detoxification – you literally feel your lymph starting to move.

   Alexandra shared four simple steps for honey exfoliation at home with Vogue.com. Take a look and feel the difference immediately.

   Skin will feel squeaky clean but if you want to go a step further and do a deep pore cleanse, post-honey exfoliation is a great time to do so, as the pores are open and the first layer of dead skin has been removed.  Massage Soveral Angel Balm onto the skin and the fats in the balm will blend with the sebum in the pores while the Geranium in the balm will separate and travel down into the pore to balance the sebaceous glands, working wonders for the skin. 

   Once you remove the Angel Balm with another hot damp flannel you also remove the top layer of sebum within the black head. Overtime this technique will minimise pores and you will never need extractions again.

   For those with dry flaky or congested skin, treat your skin to this sweet ritual once or twice a week - for those with a more normal skin, we would recommend making this a fortnightly regular.

   

2. How to Create Hygge in your Home

   Posted on 6:58pm Tuesday 25th Oct 2016

   

   Scent is incredibly powerful. There is much research to detail how our limbic systems comprise of olfactory neurones that attaches scent to our memory, behaviour, mood and emotion. Scientists argue that smell plays a crucial role in our overall psychological wellbeing.

   This Autumn, books about Hygge have been launched by authors such as Meik Wiking and Louisa Thomsen Brits. The term is Danish and is pronounced as ‘HUE-gah’. There is no direction English translation. However the meaning of the phrase is to experience cosiness, relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

   One way the Danes achieve a moment of Hygge is to spend an evening with friends and family and enjoy a candle lit dinner. Candles often feature in relaxation rituals due to their aromatherapeutic qualities.

   Soveral has natural candles that are drawn from places where nature has inspired Alexandra’s perfume work. These include Fields of provence, Woodlands of Avalon and Flowers of Iberia.
   They are hand blended and made out of soy wax from sustainable sources. Soveral’s candles promote a feeling of warmth and overall wellbeing. They are the perfect way to create a hygge ambiance in your home.

    

3. Flaxseeds - AKA Linseeds

   Posted on 8:02am Sunday 21st Feb 2016

    

    

   

   Flaxseeds - AKA Linseeds

   The super food of super foods!! Nutritious and delicious!

   Various papers of published research are proving what we believed for centuries; flaxseeds are a great aid for us to get healthier.  The Journal of Nutrition has published a promising study on the effect flaxseeds may have in weight loss.  Other studies reveal that flaxseeds being rich in so many essential nutrients are very likely to help with high cholesterol, cleanse and protect the digestive system, support the immune system and course let’s not forget it can also improve all kinds of skin conditions and make our hair stronger and healthier.

   They are the best plant source of Omega 3 Fatty acids and if this wasn’t reason enough to start adding it as part of our diet, they are also rich in fibre, protein, Selenium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Zinc, Phosphorus and Manganese.

   I buy organic golden linseeds and then grind some every week and put them in a little glass jar in my bag.  This way I always have some for when I’m out and about, I can then sprinkle them on my lunch and smoothies. Remember that its best to buy the whole seed and then grind them into a powder as you need it.  Once they are in ground form they lose their power quicker.

   Various ways to use Flaxseeds:

   In soups and stews – They act as a thickener

   Pancake mixes - Use whole for a nutty crunch or use ground up to thicken up the batter.

   Smoothies

   Sprinkle on salads and all other foods

   Sprinkle on Yogurts, porridge and desserts