Do You Have Rosacea?

 From the Hollywood A-listers to the regular girls and guys on the street, a common skin condition called rosacea is prevalent. It can affect people from all ages, but mostly it's those in the 30-50s bracket that deal with it. Rosacea is categorized by a redness in the skin, and while it affects more women it's worse when it occurs in men. Rosacea looks like bright red or purple skin on the face and flushing easily. Sometimes, it occurs due to temperature changes, but for some people it comes on as a result of food triggers.

Rosacea can knock your confidence as you can't hide it, and for some people it can be more severe, causing conditions like blepharitis which affects the eyes. Rosacea isn't all about the color changes, either, as the skin can become exceptionally sore and uncomfortable when it's reddened this way. When you are dealing with a skin condition, you need to consider the fact that you're going to need to test out an array of different make-up for sensitive skin to know what will work while your skin is reacting. It can help to learn what the triggers are for your skin flushing, too, as once you learn the triggers you can ensure that you are avoiding the flushing as much as possible. The question is knowing whether you have rosacea in the first place.

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To be able to understand whether you are dealing with rosacea, you should consider that it starts with flushing. The rash on the face and neck can appear and you may find that it happens frequently in response to stress, certain foods and even sunshine! If you notice some of the flushing, you're going to need to know how to treat it. The good news is that there are long-term treatments that you can use to help you to clear up the rash on your face. They are very effective and these treatments are usually topical and in cream format. They are applied to the skin and can cool you down and reduce the redness and swelling.

For some people with more severe rosacea, antibiotics can be used to stop the redness from occurring. The good news is that you can also treat rosacea from home without using too much intervention from the doctor if you want to avoid it. Some of the tips you need to treat rosacea at home include:

• There are cleansers that you can use that have redness-reducing properties to ensure that you are keeping your skin hydrated while you are reducing the redness on the surface. These are gentle and can be used everyday.

• Avoid any perfumed and alcohol-focused soaps and products that are for the face. These can cause a flare even when you don't mean for it to happen.

• Blot your face dry, never rub it! If you have a wet face after cleansing, you need to consider blotting with a soft towel as rubbing it could cause some damage to the surface of the skin, which is what you want to avoid.

• Always use a good SPF on your face. If sunshine and warmth can trigger rosacea, then you need to make sure that your skin is as protected as possible.

• Red onions, tomatoes, spicy foods and caffeine can all trigger facial flushing and rosacea. Avoiding these triggers is key to you feeling good!

5 Strategies for Boosting Your Self Image

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Though technology has made it possible to stay connected in ways never seen before, it’s also resulted in an overload of information and provided a platform for people to make negative comments without consequences. 

This has caused many people to worry more than ever before what other people think, resulting in feelings of insecurity and low-confidence. If you’re struggling with negative self-image, here are five strategies for boosting it. 

1) Curate the content you consume online

While social media has its benefits, it also comes with disadvantages. Social media can make you feel inadequate, causing you to compare your home, friends, and body with others online. While it might seem like this negative aspect is something you just have to deal with, you can take control of what you’re exposed to.

Look for accounts to follow that align with your own values and present bodies of all different shapes and sizes, and unfollow accounts that have the potential to damage your self-esteem. Being exposed to positive content will change your mindset over time and boost your self-image. 

2) Find your personal style 

If you grew up without a lot of money or were told that caring about your appearance too much meant you were vain, you may have trouble justifying spending money on clothing. 

Purchasing clothes that fit your personal style and make you feel good isn’t vain; it’s an outward expression of your identity. By outwardly reflecting how you feel on the inside, your confidence will increase. 

Though you may have been led to believe otherwise, there aren’t any hard and fast plus-size fashion rules. Where the pieces you want without worrying about what other people will think. 

3) Move your body for pleasure

Oftentimes, exercise is associated with weight loss and the pursuit of some ‘ideal’ body. There is no ideal body, and exercise should first and foremost be all about feeling strong, healthy, and happy. 

Change your mindset and engage in movement that positively impacts your mental health. Whether you enjoy walking, practicing yoga, or dancing, integrating movement into your life will foster a connection between your mind and body. This connection with your body will allow you to appreciate it for more than just how it looks, but also what it does. 

4) Embrace what you have

With cosmetic procedures like lip filler, microbladed eyebrows, and eyelash extensions becoming more and more popular, it can be hard to love our natural features. Instead of constantly trying to keep up with the latest trends, focus on amplifying your unique features.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear makeup, but rather you should curate your makeup to your face. Rather than trying to cover up your acne scars with a thick foundation, invest in hyperpigmentation treatment to love the skin you’re in. 

5) Do things for the people you love

Many worry that they’re too selfish and find themselves getting caught up in their own worries. Research shows that by helping others, you’ll actually feel better about yourself. 

While it might feel like you barely have enough time to complete the demands in your own life, by setting time aside to do things for your friends and family, you’ll feel less stressed and experience a sense of belonging. Even just picking up a coffee for your coworker on the way into the office or giving a friend a ride home will improve your own sense of self worth.  

 

Ten Great Reasons to Remodel

Are you bored with your house?

We all get a little bored of the house sometimes, and while some people like to sell up and move on, others like to get on and make some changes. When you have a shell of a house, you can do whatever you like to improve the inside of the home and change everything to suit your tastes. If there is one thing that's true, it's that our tastes change over time and we don't always buy a new property every single time.

There are plenty of reasons to do something new and change up your home, and we've got the ten top reasons for remodelling your home this year!

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1. Selling Up.

You got THAT bored of the house, then? Sometimes, adding and removing features of the home will work to sell the house faster than if you had left it alone. Remodelling the house is an investment, and yes it means you're investing in your house only for someone else to benefit from it. The outside appearance of your home is going to raise the value and enhance its curb appeal. People will want to buy a house with fresh paint and new shutters, so add that lick of paint and make it worthy of a great sale.

2. You Need To Move On.

When the kids grow up and you want to move into retirement, your home needs some adjustments to match your new time of life. You might consider remodelling the bathrooms to have handles and railings installed, and you could get the bath ripped out and replace it with a standing shower and a seat to relax on while you're washing. You could even have a new ramp installed. Some people choose that now is the time for an extension to have an added bedroom at the side of the house instead of using the upper floor.

3. You're Spending Too Much.

If you're trying to cut down your costs at home, renovation may seem like a ridiculous idea. After all, you're trying to save money not spend more of it! Spending far too much money trying to heat the home is a pain, but with a swap to custom windows, you can ensure that you go a little greener and stop spending so much money on your house. Energy-efficient windows are always a better idea and you can save a ton of money for your bills.

4. Built-In Appliances.

Look at your current kitchen: have you ever considered ripping out the whole thing? If you need a reason to remodel, a kitchen update can be exactly what you need. Ripping out your old appliances and replacing them with built-in options such as a dishwasher, new stove and even a new refrigerator built into cupboards can change the way your kitchen looks completely.

5. It's All Going Wrong.

The plumbing is old. The wiring is faulty. There's mould in the walls. Any of these reasons is a great reason to make some changes. Sure, things may function absolutely fine, but you need to worry about overloading the generator and pipes cracking in the cold. When things are going wrong in the house, it's absolutely the right time to renovate and make some changes. It's time to make it right and you have to consider these issues before you choose NOT to renovate!

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6. Future-Proof.

The kids aren't going to be moving out any time soon, so waiting for a rainy day to get your house looking exactly the way that you plan it to look is a waste of time. You should be excited to look at your home now and remodel it for the future. Yes, the kids are going to grow up at some point, so that games room you dream of having? Why not enjoy it with them now and renovate the house the way that you choose? A lot can change in ten years, so make your home the way you want it to be now.

7. You're Ashamed.

When was the last time that you were able to afford a remodel? You don't need to waste your life apologizing for the way that the house looks. Instead, you should consider telling people you're proud of your home and it's up to you to make that happen. If you're embarrassed about your kitchen, you should take a moment and make your kitchen look the way that you want it to look!

8. Things Feel Stale.

Boredom strikes once again, right? Your home should feel stable and secure, and when the house feels stale, you need a fresh clean sheet! Paint the walls and the baseboards, replace the flooring, feel happy with the new look you give your home and do it to the budget that suits you. If your house is feeling boring, then it's the best time to make a change.

9. Finally Using The Basement.

Do you use your basement? If yours is empty right now, make the changes you want to make and make it feel like a space you are actually going to use. You deserve to spend money on your whole living space, and you deserve to have a whole house you can use, too! Your home could be absolutely perfect, but if you're missing out on using some of the rooms, you're going to feel like something is missing. Now is as good a time as ever to remodel, especially if it means that you can use every single area of the house at long last!

10. You Won't Need To Buy.

If you spend some money renovating your house, you're going to save yourself the cost and time of buying a new one, moving out of the area and searching for a brand new house. You can spend time going room to room rather than area to area and looking for the perfect house.

Renovations could be the solution that you didn't know that you needed for your home to feel fresh again. Take your time to remodel and you're going to come out with a house that really works for you and your family.

QuietOn Sleep Earbuds - A Review

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 The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

It can be said that silence is the rarest commodity.   It is a luxury that many cannot afford and most would trade almost anything to gain.

In the modern world, how often are you really left in silence, with your own thoughts?  Given the ability to read a book in peace, work without distraction; sleep without disturbance or even just sit in your own bubble, stepping away from the world and having a moment to yourself.

Silence is something that at some points during my day, I would give anything for.  The commute to work when I am readying myself for the day ahead and would give anything to mute the screaming child sat two rows down.  When I am working from home needing to concentrate, but can hear the sounds of the household, banging and crashing in the rooms around me.  When I want to sleep and the neighbours decide to play music at midnight on a Tuesday.

When I was looking for some earbuds to quieten my world when I chose, I wanted something that was portable, easy to use but also, I did not want complete silence.  If I use earbuds to enable a quiet and restful sleep for example, I also need to hear my alarm clock in the morning.  

I decided to try out the QuietOn sleep earbuds which are described as the world's smallest active noise cancelling earbuds.  

Rather than bulky headphones which are not easily transportable and do not fit into your handbag, no matter what the size (does anyone else find that the bigger the handbag, the more things you find to put in it?); the box is small and carries everything you need.

Along with the earbuds which come in their own charging case, there is a small charging cable which slots easily into your laptop for charging and three different sizes of buds so as to get the perfect fit in your ear.

Once charged, the earbuds last around twenty hours but with the compact packaging with everything inside, you do not have to play the game of "where did I put the charging cable" which I seem to do with every other chargeable item I own.

I have tested them in a variety of situations and honestly, for me they perfectly do the job that I wanted them to.

When I work from home, the sounds of the household are dimmed to a point where they become unobtrusive and I can concentrate on the task at hand.  In my commute, I can put them in, close my eyes and feel a bubble of calm around me.  When I want to sleep, outside noise and those pesky neighbours are muted and my sleep is uninterrupted.

The silence is not total, I would say that depending on the situation, sounds are muted to around 80%, but that is also welcome.   As I said earlier, uninterrupted sleep is perfect, but also, as much as I wish I did not need to hear it, that blaring alarm clock noise to wake me for work is essential; no matter how much I want to throw it against the wall.

Right now they are at a discounted price of £154 and honestly, I feel like I have got my money's worth.

I have been using them for a week now and they have made an active positive difference in my life.  Being able to turn down the volume of the world has given me calm when I needed it, peace where I craved it and a good night's sleep which is something that we all need more of.

I would not hesitate to recommend them.