Anna Christensen on Skin Care

Acne Masque with Pomelo

2011-02-27T13:09:00.000Z

Fresh pomelo juice is great for acne, helping to control overactive oil production, blocked pores as well as dirt and bacteria. The pomelo's natural citric acid helps to remove oil on the surface of the skin and penetrate pores.

If you have a high grade of acne, you may be on antibiotics. It is still important to maintain a clean environment in which your skin can thrive. Regular exfoliation and oil removal help new skin breath and flourish, giving your facial skin a chance to look and feel great.

Formula:
1/4 pomelo (seeded and peeled)
1/4 grapefruit (seeded and peeled)
1 teaspoon of cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped watercress
1 egg white
Blend all ingredients together in blender, until mixture is smooth. Apply gently to the face and leave for up to 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and softly blot dry.
Makes 1 cup. Store and refrigerate immediately; discard after 3 to 5 days.
Enjoy!
Yours Anna

Refreshing Beer Masque for Men

2011-02-24T23:39:00.000Z

For men and women, the vitamin toner and cleanser.
Brewer's Yeast! Take it externally, good taken internally as well.
Men's skin is often overlooked in beauty circles, but skin needs to be conditioned and looked after, no matter what sex you are. Beer is a great softener for skin, containing restorative vitamin B so good for skin, and it smells great in this masque.
Formula
1 tablespoon beer
1 teaspoon greek yoghurt
1/2 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking soda

In blender, mix all ingredients together. Apply mixture to skin evenly. Leave on the skin for up to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Exfoliate with cotton cloth because regular exfoliating helps the skin to function properly and adsorb moisture more effectively. Then, splash face with cold water to seal the pores. Your complexion will get cool, rejuvenate and get smooth appearance.
Enjoy!
Yours, Anna

Maceration of Herbs

2011-02-24T23:34:00.000Z

It is healthy alternative of 'how to preserve herbs'.
Why not to create your own fragrant and healing oils?
You will safe a lot of money (100ml of calendula oil can cost £15), you will have a fun and you will learn new skills. On the right, my Calendula (Marigold) oil, fantastic facial oil.
Below is a picture of my last year maceration of Viola Odorata, in organic jojoba oil (jojoba oils has the longest known shelf life, 50 years?).

How to do it:
Place your herb in a jar, cover all the parts of the fresh or dried herbs with good quality vegetable oil. From several days to 6 weeks, leave the jar in the sun for 4-7 days and then storing it in the dark for the rest of the maceration period.
Filter the oil. The oil will have some of the therapeutic constituents and properties of the plant material, including traces of Essential oils, and even the colour of the plant.
Enjoy! Anna :-)

About Wild Garlic

2011-02-24T17:05:00.000Z

Long recognized for its medicinal and therapeutic qualities, cultivation is documented in the East for at least 4,000 years, by the ancient Egyptians.
Garlic is natural antibiotic full of minerals and vitamins.
Excellent for eating raw in salads after long Winter,delicious for cooking and preserving for Winter in vegetable oils.
Macerated oil can be used for acne-prone skin. Has to be used with care, may be slightly irritant to the skin. See my post about maceration.
Yours, Anna :-)

Avocado Toning Masque

2011-02-17T17:17:00.000Z

Lost skin's tone? too dry? lifeless?

There is no disputing the fact that the avocado, with its 20% fat content and natural minerals and vitamins, is a great moisturiser and food for skin. Known for its high vitamin A, C, D, E content, the lush, buttery flesh penetrates skin, giving it a healthy, moisture-rich glow.

Formula:
1/2 avocado (peeled and pitted)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix all well together. Apply evenly to face, and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on desired toning.

This masque utilizes the conditioning power of avocado and baking soda provides a cleansing action gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. Baking soda also neutralize skin pH, keeping it clean and healthy.
Enjoy!
Yours, Anna

Visit my web site

Treat old spot or pimple.

2011-02-17T15:52:00.000Z

Keep it simple that way you can find out what is working for you and what is not.

Externally, clean it with Witch Hazel

which is antiseptic and healing also calming, balancing and tightening for the pores, the leaves are collectible in spring. Or, buy distilled witch hazel from the pharmacy. See my herbal Antiseptic Toner on my website.

Tone it with healing Aloe Vera, in the form of toner or gel.

Energise your skin with facial masks you make yourself. One of the good one I am using with my clients is egg white with tea spoon of zinc and/or tea spoon of vitamin C.

Exfoliate manualy, by rubbing your skin with an exfoliating sponge or glove, to speed up the healing and recovery.

Good luck, remember, you can do it!
Any questions, send me a message.

Yours, Anna

About Pumpkin Seed Oil

2010-11-18T18:53:00.000Z

Many years ago I created one of my first products, a facial based on Pumpkin Seed Oil because my wrinkles had a tendency to become deeper and my skin needed refreshing moisturising, lifting and a bit of firmness. The biggest challenge was to find reliable supplier of cold pressed oil. Now, this product is still one of the biggest sellers in my range. Why? Because it does what it is expected to do.
I wonder, could this be Nature’s answer to perfect skin?

If you want to have the best result, you have to exfolaite with an exfoliating sponge or glowers. I do not recommend using brushes for exfoliating, with brushes - you may do more damage than good. I will soon be writing a post about exfoliating, it is just a common sense and basic physics.

There are so many varieties of Pumpkin. The best, of course, is the Styrian pumpkin from Austria, quite unique, as it has a greenish-yellowish skin, and its flesh is yellowish-orange in colour. The earliest record of pumpkin seed oil dates back to February 18, 1697 from a farming estate in Styria.

This natural oil has a variety of uses from culinary to medicinal and can be used in making homemade lotion, soaps, creams and more!

To look at my products, go to my website www.annachristensen.eu

Yours Anna :-)

Home remedies for acne cure with vitamin C

2010-11-18T18:51:00.000Z

I learned about this remedy in my teens - a long time ago! - from my Austrian friend Vladena. We used to use a vitamin C pill, called 'Celaskon'. We would: dissolve it in water, or we just rub it on the spot!

To make your own home remedy for acne you will need:
- Pure ascorbic acid, vitamin C powder (please note that this must be in its purest form), organic if possible
- Clean water
- Optional - vegetable glycerine, or apple cider vinegar

Dissolve pure vitamin C (the ascorbic acid) in water - 1 part vitamin C to 10 parts water, you can make it much stronger, up to 1:1, but start low is recommended. The purity of the vitamin C is absolutelly essential. It has to be sourced from a specialist, pharmaceutical/culinary supplier.

Optionally, you may add glycerine or apple cider vinegar, 1 part, to stabilise it and further its healing action.
This treatment is amazing! Apply a drop or two to any spot that starts to develop, or indeed any existing trouble area. Do a allergy test before using. Use it as required but 3x/day should be enough.

It is the cheapest and most effective spot remedy I have discovered.

When your solution become yellowish -discard it, as it has oxidised.

Avoid sun.

If you have any questions, ask me here. If you can't source the correct ingredient or do not have time to do the remedy yourself, you can order my products: Vitamin C Powder (20gr, £4.50) and/or Spot-On Serum (10ml, £7.00 introductory price) on my website, www.annachristensen.eu

Yours Anna :-)

SPOT-ON SERUM for acne spots and pimples

2010-11-12T20:15:00.044Z

SPOTS?
How to get rid of them? A simple acne cure using vitamin C in its purest form.

When I first started to make this for the clients of my beauty salon the demand became so great, I began work on my very own spot treatment product, and I am delighted to announce this new product SPOT-ON SERUM.

Apply a drop or two to any spot that starts to develop, or indeed any existing trouble area. Do the allergy test before using. Use it as often as required, 3x/day should be enough.

Avoid sun.

SPOT-ON SERUM, 10ml, £7 (introductory price) is available on my website www.annachristensen.eu.
Looking forward for your comments and testimonials,
Yours Anna :-)

About Vitamin C

2010-11-12T20:09:00.010Z

VITAMIN C, ascorbic acid, is heralded for its antioxidant action. It destroys harmful free radicals that damage cells and can lead to skin conditions as acne as well as those associated with ageing, promotes the healing of cuts, abrasions, wounds and the repair of collagen, a primary component of skin, blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments.

It is known, that it can stop development and inflammation of ACNE SPOTS when applied externally.

When we hear the word vitamin C, we may instinctively think of the common cold. For that we can thank Linus Pauling and his 1970 book, Vitamin C and the Common Cold. In it, Pauling recommended megadoses of vitamin C to reduce the frequency and severity of colds.

The story of vitamin C began centuries ago with accounts of a disease called scurvy. The ailment causes bleeding from the gums and under the skin. Scurvy was rampant around the world for centuries, and documents dating back before the time of Christ describe the disease. The name - ascorbic stands for 'without scurvy'.

To read about my vitamin C products and the best acne treatment, see my website www.annachristensen.eu
Hope the information helps,

Yours, Anna Christensen :-)

About Plantain, Plantago major

2010-08-20T17:09:00.000+01:00

Plantain leaf, has a long and rich history of traditional use, dating back to ancient Roman and Greek times. This humble herb contains vitamins A, C and K and several minerals, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, copper and cobalt.

Internally, this gentle, soothing expectorant is traditionally used to suppress coughs and soothe mucous membrane inflammation associated with bronchitis, colds and upper respiratory congestion. Also used for diarrhoea, bleeding or haemorrhaging, curing inflamed gums or bladder infection and as a liver tonic.

Externally, plantain is effective for a number of conditions, namely itchiness, cuts, psoriasis, cracked skin, eczema, pimples, haemorrhoids, nappy rash, insect bites, conjunctivitis, gum disease and mouth ulcers.

The seeds of plantain have a mild laxative effects similar to the seeds of psyllium.

Dry the plantain leaves and store them for winter. You will then have your own and do not need to buy them, when you are most likely to need them.
Make infusions from dry leaves, or use plantain tinctures.
A consultation with medical herbalist is recommended for beginners.

Yours, Anna
www.annachristensen.eu

Healthy Sugar

2010-08-20T17:02:00.000+01:00

Yes, there is something called healthy sugar and it is not only healthy but tasty.

Caramelised Sugar

There has been much said about the harmfulness of sugar. It is acidic, and acidity is linked to illness.
I found this recipe in a little boo, I bought ages ago, 'Healing by Father Ferda' who was a priest healing people with herbs only, in the 19th century in Czechoslovakia. Already at that time he knew that sugar was acidic... "No sugar", said Ferda, "only caramelised sugar is good for you".

How to make Caramelised Sugar

0.5kg of crystal sugar
2-3 spoons of water
10gr of oil
Place all ingredients in the pan, over a medium heat, stir till light brown, then pour on to greaseproof paper in a thin layer. Allow to cool. Break into small pieces.
Done.

Good for children and adults.

Yours, Anna
www.annachristensen.eu

Granny's Plantain Cough Syrup.

2010-08-20T16:59:00.000+01:00

As children this was the only cough 'medicine' we were given . You could buy it at the pharmacy or you made it yourself. The homemade one was free (except for the cost of sugar) and tasted better. You can still buy it in a Czech or Slovak pharmacy today!
It tasted so good, that we always wanted more, but no, it was carefully measured by spoon, if we were lucky, we got 3 spoons at a time.

Confession - I often said I had a sore throat - just to get this cough syrup. I think, my mother knew.

When I became a mother and we lived in Paris, my neighbour was my GP. So all medication for my son was the best of the best - also French cough syrup, in beautiful pink colour (of course synthetic colour). When I moved back to Czechoslovakia, I worked with the director of one of the biggest of the French pharmaceutical companies. Imagine my surprise, when Jean-Claude told me about 'my' French cough medicine and how they had had to take it off the market because it was not deemed safe. I was of course well stocked with a few bottles in reserve, which went straight to the 'poubelle'! There was very little to buy in Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the 'Nineties. We had to import everything, vegetable, fruit, cheese, fish...

So, I made up my mind to start making my own Granny's Plantain Cough Syrup which I have been doing ever since.

How to make Granny's Plantain Cough Syrup
Collect plantain from a non-polluted place, wash it, dry it, add caramelised sugar (see my post about how to make 'healthy' sugar) in layers, one layer of plantain (2cm), one layer of sugar (1cm) till the jar is full... and wait around 6 weeks till the syrup matures. The result is a dark brown syrup, which will become heavier and heavier with age. It is at its best in the second or third year.
Directions for use: small children from 1 to 6 years: 1-3 teaspoons, up to 3 x day. Big children and adults: 1-3 dessertspoons, up to 3 x day.
Enjoy!

Yours, Anna
www.annachristensen.eu

Marigold Regenerative Facial Oil

2010-08-20T16:58:00.000+01:00

First make your Marigold Base Oil which is made by a maceration technique. It is very easy and it guarantees that the therapeutic constituents, all the minerals, vitamins, volatile oils and salts will keep their original qualities and remain intact.

The whole flower heads or only the petals may be used.
Fresh for preference, or dry Marigold is placed in a jar, covered with best quality cold pressed organic oil (jojoba, almond, thistle..). Leave the jar or the bottle in the sun for 7-10 days, agitate daily. Then store in the dark for the rest of the maceration period of 6 weeks.
Filter the oil, removing the flowers.
Marigold Base Oil has a beautiful gold colour.

How to Make your own Marigold Regenerative Facial Oil
Add 10% (1:9) of your own Marigold Base Oil to any of your favourite oils (rice, coconut, olive..), shake it and it is ready to be used.

Yours, Anna
www.annachristensen.eu

About Marigold, Calendula officinalis.

2010-08-20T16:55:00.000+01:00

One of the best known and most versatile healing herbs, used by herbalists and families throughout the centuries. First mentioned by the Egyptians, always included in any book about herbal remedies since. It is used externally and internally.

This herb is one of the 'must haves' in our medicinal chest in two forms, as a simple ointment - used for its skin regeneration property - and dried flower heads for winter use.

It can help with skin conditions as sensitivity, redness, irritability, sunburn, sores, spots, acne and boils. I always make my own Marigold Oil and use it in face and body creams and lotions, it is so easy, and I know it is the best.

Marigold macerated in oils is used for skin conditions in healing ointments, facial oils, face creams and lotions.

Marigold water decoctions or infusions for hair care (adds shine, can highlight the hair slightly red), oral care (as antiseptic mouth wash to treat inflamed gums), in foot and hand bath, added to face creams and lotions, shampoos and conditioners.

Marigold tincture for all the above.

Marigold used in herbal teas: calendula is a symbol of endurance, referred to as a comforter of the heart and spirit.

See my other post for using Marigold in natural skin care.

Yours, Anna
www.annachristensen.eu

Linden (Lime) Blossom Facial Mist

2010-07-22T17:52:00.000+01:00

My grandmother Anna was the facial waters specialist. She always had at least 2 different types on her dressing table. I was the only girl in the family, so it was me who she went with to our local pharmacist who made her cleansers. It was him she consulted about her own creations. I remember how important it was to collect certain flowers or herbs under very specific conditions. It has to be sunny, dry and just before or after mid-day...

To make Linden Blossom Facial Mist like my grandmother:

Fill up a glass jar with a lid with fresh linden (lime) flowers. Add cold filtered water which has been boiled and cooled.
Seal tightly. Place in a sunny place. Let it set for 2 to 3 days, shaking the bottle once per day.
Strain and add 1 tablespoon (.5 oz) of vodka and 1 tablespooun of pure, clean vitamin C powder and pour into decorative container.
You may feel profligate in which case add 10 drops of Linden Blossom essential oil.
Extremely refreshing, and calming to the skin and your mind as well.

You can do the same using dried flowers in the winter.
Enjoy!

Anna

About Linden (Lime)

2010-07-22T17:41:00.000+01:00

Linden in flower

Dried Linden Blossom was always in the medicinal cupboard of my mother and grandmother. The smell of the tea is associated in my memory with being pronounced as suffering with the first stage of 'catching a cold' and being looked after, which always brings some advantages, like favourite food and being allowed to watch TV in the afternoon lying on the sofa in the living room. It has been also served to me, if we children had had a very busy afternoon on the river or in the forest at the summer house or become overexcited. I also have my dried linden blossom, collected on sunny days. I am often asked by people, even older than myself, what is it good for. It is a forgotten tradition here in UK, it should be revived.

Many myths, stories and traditions are associated with the tree itself going back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Celtic times and the Middle Ages.

Linden - Tiliia Cordata, is recorded as having been used in European folk medicine to treat a wide range of health problems. Flowers were historically used to sooth nerves and treat health problems associated with anxiety, steeped in hot water to make a tea to relieve anxiety-related indigestion, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. Today, linden is used in many cough and cold remedies..

Used on the skin it is nourishing, reviving a pale complexion and reducing swelling, eczema and cellulitis. It is one of the most beneficial of healing herbs and almost every part of it has healing properties. Linden's essential oil quite a rare and most expensive. .

I use Linden in my Gentle Cleanser, such a treat!

For more information, visit my website

Yours, Anna

Elderflower Balm

2010-06-17T12:40:00.000+01:00

For mature or dry skin type. Also excellent for eczema prone skin. Safe for baby and child. Use as a lip balm, face balm, feet balm, cuticle balm... just universal.

100ml of your own eldeflower salve
5ml of vitamin E
5-7gr of beeswax (if you prefer, you can replace the beeswax with 50gr of lanolin - I used it for my son's nappy rash)

To turn the oil into a salve, grate the beeswax in the infused oil and heat gently until it melts. Add the vitamin E. The easiest way to test the constituency of the salve is to drop a small amount of oil plus melted wax into a cup of cold water. It will cool and thicken immediately. Rub it between your fingers. If it's not thick enough, add more grated wax. Pour into small jars and seal. The salve should thicken on cooling and the colour often becomes lighter. Label and date.

To make a salve for bruises, you could use the same method of making a double infused oil and salve but substitute elder leaves or bark for the elder flowers and use either olive or sunflower oil as the infusion medium.

Yours, Anna
my website www.annachristensen.eu

Elderflower Facial Oil

2010-06-17T12:21:00.000+01:00

Elder Flower Facial Oil for mature or dry skin type. Also excellent for eczema prone skin. Safe for babies and children.

In this recipe I used a mixture of avocado and olive oil. You could use almond, sunflower, coconut, jojoba or a mixture of sunflower and cocoa butter

5-10 fresh or dry elderflowers
100ml of avocado oil
100ml of olive oil
optional - 5ml of vitamin E and/or 5ml of vitamin A and/or 5ml of Q10

Place half the elderflowers in the inner pan of a double boiler and cover with all the oil. Replace the lid firmly and place inside the other pan which should be about half filled with water. Heat the outer pan so that the water gently boils. Do not let the pan boil dry! Boil for about 2 hours, then remove the inner pan and strain off the oil, squeezing the elderflowers to remove as much oil as possible.

Place the remainder of the elderflowers in the inner pan and pour over the oil from the first infusion. Replace the lid firmly and heat for a further two hours. The infused oil will smell strongly of elderflowers.
Strain the oil into a heated glass bottle or jar and cap with a screw top lid. If using fresh herb, let the infused oil sit for about three days to make sure any water content separates out. Decant the oil. If water drops are left in the infused oil it will go off more quickly. Label the oil with the name and date that you made it.

Yours, Anna
my website www.annachristensen.eu

Elder Flower Toner

2010-06-17T11:58:00.000+01:00

Elderflower Toner for any type of skin.

Infuse fresh or dry elder flowers in: rose water - mature skin type,

or neroli water - oily skin type

or distilled witch hazel - acne prone skin
and use the strained liquid to tone your facial skin.

Fill a glass jar with elderflowers and cover with water. Use a chopstick to stir the mixture to remove any air bubbles, then refill the jar so all the elderflowers are covered.

Seal the glass jar with a screwtop lid, label and date. Leave the jar to infuse in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks.

Strain and pour into the bottle. You may want to strain the liquid at least twice as fresh elderflowers have lots of bits which are left behind. Apply to your face with soaked cotton wool pads.

In using elderflower on our skin, we are following generations of women back into pre-history. Mary Beith, in her book about herbal use in the Highlands and Islands , “Healing Threads”, records elderflowers being used for a facial cream hundreds of years ago. The recipe she cites involved elderflowers being infused in a mixture of almond oil and lard, which her informant recalled smelled horrible. Very few people use fresh pork dripping to make infused oil these days, although it is supposed to be one of the best mediums for conveying herbs through the skin!

Yours, Anna
my website www.annachristensen.eu

Elder Flower Facial Water

2010-06-17T11:31:00.000+01:00

Elder Flower Water, for acne proned skin, mature skin and oily skin. Excellent as a compress for swollen and puffy eyes.

Place fresh or dry elder flowers in a glass container with fresh spring or distilled water. Leave to soak in a sunny place for 1 or 2 days.

Strain the infusion off. You will need to strain at least twice through muslin or kitchen towel to remove all the floating debris.

Add a quarter of the volume in alcohol as a preservative. Bottle and keep in a cool dark place.

Enjoy!

Anna
my website www.annachristensen.eu

About Elder

2010-06-17T00:57:00.000+01:00

The Elder tree has been called 'the medicine chest of the common people' and has been an important remedy for thousands of years.

The ancient Greeks used elder wood to make musical instruments, including pipes and sambuke, a kind of harp, which may be the origin of the elder's Latin name, Sambucus. It is one of the most beneficial of healing herbs, and almost every part of it has healing properties.

About the elderflower.

The fresh flowers can be infused in warm water for elderflower facial water,

or warm oil for elderflower oil,

dried for preserving for winter,

dipped in butter and fried or can be eaten fresh. Can be made to syrups, wine, cordials, champagne, jellies and jams.

Ancient Egyptians discovered that using elderflower improved the complexion. Elderflower soothes, heals, protects and tones sensitive skin and stimulates its blood circulation. It is particularly good for older, tougher skin. It softens and evens out wrinkles and eases sunburn. Oily, spotty skins are cleansed, softened and toned. It soothes tender and inflamed skin and certain kind of eczema. It is used in baths, face toners, compresses, facial masks, eye compresses for swollen and puffy eyes and in facial creams and lotions.

I am going to share with you some of our family's old recipes and hope you will like them.

Yours, Anna
my website www.annachristensen.eu

Plain Chocolate Truffles

2010-06-16T23:54:00.000+01:00

Makes: 45-65 truffles

Ingredients
200g Your own made Chocolate, broken into chocolate button-sized pieces
150ml double or whipping cream
Icing sugar,cocoa powder or nuts for rolling
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

- Cover a large, heavy chopping board or a baking tray tightly and completely with clingfilm or waxed paper to place the truffles on to set.
- Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a rolling boil and immediately pour over the broken chocolate. Blend thoroughly until all the chocolate is melted.
- Allow the mixture, called a ganache, to cool, uncovered, completely for 1-1½ hours at room temperature until it is set. (You can speed up the process by placing the bowl in a sink filled with cold water - but don't allow any of the water to come into contact with the ganache.)
- When the mixture has set, use a teaspoon to spoon out bite-sized pieces. Dust your hands lightly with icing sugar to prevent them sticking and roll the pieces into balls in the palms of your hands.
- Immediately roll the truffles in sifted cocoa powder, icing sugar or finely chopped nuts and place on the prepared tray to set.

The truffles can be kept, covered in an airtight container in the fridge, for at least a week. Sprinkle them with a little extra cocoa powder from a sieve or tea strainer at the last minute if they need freshening up.

Delicious!

Anna

Dark Coconut Chocolate

2010-06-16T23:42:00.000+01:00

Remedy for soul and body.

This is very easy recipe.
Take a Creamed Coconut 200gr and slowly melt it in the inner pan of double boiler. Add 80gr of icing or fruit sugar and 80-100gr of cocoa powder. Add 1-2 tbs of vanilla or other flavouring.

Done.
PS good facial mask...

Yours, Anna

Chocolate for beautiful complexion

2010-06-16T23:25:00.000+01:00

Who says that chocolate is not good for us?

It is scientifically proven, that chocolate is good for us. Of course, depends what is the chocolate made of. The same as skin care products. Make it yourself or read the label.
Here is an old, old recipe for absolutely delicious Danish chocolate, it will take you 10minutes and you may have the ingredients already at home.

90gr cocoa butter
12gr coco butter
melt together, add:
60gr icing sugar
40gr cocoa powder (Van Houten is the best)
1tbs of vanilla flavouring

Bon Appetit!

Anna