Being "Sunwise"....

I live in New Zealand and right now we're in the middle of a really hot summer. The festive season is over and for some people the new working year has started. Lazy hot sunny days at the beach, the park, around the house, visiting family and friends. A "hot bed" for sun damage to our bodies...and long term health and beauty problems if we do not heed the advice to be sun wise.

We all know the guidelines for good skin care in the summer:

Start as early as babies to use sunscreen and raise awareness - the earlier the better

Use sunscreen every day and re-apply it throughout the day especially after swimming or using a towel

Use anti aging moisturizer with antioxidant daily

Wear a hat with a broad brim - if wearing only a cap, remember to put sunscreen on ears and around the neck

Wear sunglasses to protect from 99%-100% UV absorption

Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am - 4pm

Drink lots of water to keep body hydrated and skin moisturized

Stay in the shade and be aware of glare from the sun wherever you happen to be

No protection means:

Sunburn, wrinkles and leathery skin as we age, age spots and skin cancer

A tan indicates that melanin, which gives skin and hair its color, has already put a barrier up to protect the skin from further sun damage

A Queensland Institute of Medical Research study was recently released where 1621 residents participated to assess the effect of sunscreen on skin cancer risk factors. This was carried out between 1992 and 1996: half the participants used sunscreen daily whilst the other half used it as they normally would. After fifteen years, results showed that the participants who used it as per normal suffered from melanoma at double the rate of those who used sunscreen daily.


There are many brands of sunscreens available on the market today and everyone has a favorite. Obviously the price, SPF rating and the best quality for your skin care needs will affect your choice. Here we have chosen to highlight one of the newest from the Neutrogena range.

This summer Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sunblock SPF100 arrived on our shores. There are many benefits in using this product: it's good for oily skin, you can wear it with or without foundation, it's lightweight and dries quickly, it's non greasy, protects against skin aging UVA and burning UVB rays PLUS it is PABA free.

Whatever product you use remember that it pays to shop around, use sunscreen liberally and discard products that are older than a couple of summers ago for best results.

To dry brush your skin or not.....

If you'd told me about dry brushing my skin all those years ago, I would have
said "you're crazy!" But you know what, it really does work. Apparently it's been around for centuries but its becoming more and more common today as part of women's beauty regimen. I just love it and have noticed a marked difference with my skin and overall feeling of well being!


To start off you need a good long handled natural bristle or plant fiber brush - pharmacies, health food shops or department stores stock them. It's a good idea to do it every day before you get into the shower or bath. It doesn't take too long and the payoff is just great.

The benefits are many:

Exfoliates and removes dead flaky skin cells and opens up the pores

It helps to detoxify the body, moving toxins to the liver and removed via the skin and waste products

It stimulates the blood circulation, hormones and glands that produce oil in the body

It's good for the immune, digestive, nervous and lymphatic systems in the body

It's a free daily massage that leaves the body with a tingling, glowing sensation

It tones the muscles and tightens the skin to fight the aging process

It stimulates the inner organs

It gives that "feel good" mind space - akin to a good workout or vigorous walk followed by a hot shower!

It's great for moving cellulite and minimizing its unsightly effects BUT brushing needs to be done for a good many months in order to see any long term results

Do not brush if:

You have sensitive or broken skin or infection(s)

You have heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes

Start brushing from the feet up and always towards the heart till the whole body is covered. If you brush your face, do it gently and use a small really soft
brush. Be careful about breaking any capillaries on tender sensitive skin areas of the body. After brushing, have a shower, alternating between a hot burst of water and then brisk cold to further stimulate the skin. Use natural plant oils to massage afterwards or a good moisturizer.

Keep the brush clean by washing it weekly with mild soap and warm water then hang in well ventilated area to dry naturally.

Believe me it's a great way to benefit the body, very cost effective and easy to do as part of your daily bathroom routine. I highly recommend you give it a try.

It's Okay to Get Older.....

What is it about human beings that we so fear old age? - so much so that we spend a vast amount of money, time and energy on fighting the inevitable. We live in a youth obsessed society: the beauty industry is worth billions of dollars. We lesser mortals that live ordinary lives follow celebrities who have "made" it because they were blessed with drop dead gorgeous looks and are able to harness their good fortune by being paid mega bucks to act or model on the world stage.

Studies show that good looking people get on better in life: they're favored above others, get more perks, attract the wealthy, the jobs, the pick of the guys and gals. We're constantly bombarded with images and messages of stick thin models who look like they haven't had a decent meal in years and we try to emulate them so we can get on and look good too. We've been sucked into thinking that we need botox, face lifts and constantly work hard on our external looks. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good - and using cosmetics and beauty products helps us to do that. I just don't want to be an unhealthy old lady!

I didn't give too much thought to getting older until I was in my 40s. Now in my "third age" I've been learning the tricks of the trade to keep healthy, fit and youthful looking. Exercise, healthier eating, plenty of sleep and holiday breaks, facials, cleansers, masks, toners and moisturizers and home made organic recipes are some of the things I focus on.

So why do we age? Stress, life/work balance, genetics, lack of exercise, eating more processed food don't do a lot of good for our bodies. We've got out of the habit of eating more raw and home made foods; we're more likely to eat out or on the run. Our bodies need an 80% alkaline and 20% acid balance for optimum health. Eating cooked foods makes our bodies more acidic. Hence as we get older our cells break down, we get joint problems, heart and cancer problems etc. Herbal supplements are a good way to kick start what we lack in our diet.

My ideal is to stay healthy for as long as I live so that I don't become a burden on my family and friends. Working, keeping busy, being socially active helps to keep us young; life long learning is good for our brains and staves off old age diseases and so on. When I have more time I would like to write some songs and more poetry, take up the ukulele again,learn another musical instrument and learn a couple of languages. They say that jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and sudoku are all good for mental alertness but they don't do anything for me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay to get older; we just need to keep busy, not get isolated from the community, learn new things and keep growing. I'm much wiser now and sometimes I can get away with things I couldn't in the past. For example I don't have to impress people if I don't want to, I can get away with looking frumpy at times or forgetting things. People probably think "poor old dear" but who cares? What do you think? What is it about aging that frightens you?

Experiencing Hair Loss

One of the things I've had to deal with as I got older was thinning hair due to hormonal changes, a thyroid problem, stress and genetics. Now, I don't know about you but I think it stinks when we women start losing our hair. There's nothing more embarrassing than having people look or comment about your balding head. Most men are still dealing with this problem but they can get away with it! Women aren't meant to lose their hair. I think the stresses of modern life is catching up with us ladies.

Bad enough that we need to up the ante on our health, wellbeing, looks and self-confidence as we get older. Consider that nowadays it's not just women who hate the thought of decrepit bodies and aging minds but men are also jumping on the bandwagon for age defying solutions. It's necessary today in the business world to look sharp, well groomed and youthful!

The hand held hair growth laser featured is useful for people with minimal hair loss who want to use it at home rather than going to a clinic. It's also great for traveling. Ideally a person with thinning hair should take measures to curb the loss as soon as the problem starts. If you leave it too long there may be no going back - unless the hair follicles get blood supply and are stimulated, they will simply shrivel up and die and the loss becomes permanent. The laser light increases the energy available for the cells on the scalp hence they are able to use nutrients more efficiently and get rid of waste products better. Hair laser therapy works for about 90% of people who are quick to take advantage of this technology. Both men and women can utilize this product thus increasing their sense of self confidence.

Apart from hair care, our theme for this month is on nails and skin care. Nails need to be clean and not brittle. Our skins are the largest organs in our bodies and it's the one that shows the ravages of time more readily. Taking herbal supplements to replace missing nutrients from our bodies is a good idea because beauty, health and wellbeing begins from the inside out. Some key ingredients to consider with supplements for the hair, nails and skin are: kelp, biotin, burdock root, horsetail herb and aloe vera. Not only do they help with minor skin problems but also assist with stimulation of hair growth and good nails. Of course the care of our skins is two-fold: internal and external.

Check out our website for more information: www.bonniesbeautyshop.com

A "Seacret" Ingredient........

I've been incredibly blessed with skin that is remarkably smooth given I'm now in my "third age". I put this down to good genes, after all I haven't always been meticulous about skin care, makeup, sunscreen, healthy foods and so on. Polynesian people tend to have good skin so I didn't worry too much about skin care and beauty products or sun protection as a young woman. I did however, get sun burned pretty badly a couple of times but this too never rang any alarm bells!

For the last decade however, I did sense that I needed to do some remedial work with skin care, particularly for my face. I've tried a number of different facial masks, cleansers, toners and moisturizers over the years. Products that are expensive haven't always lived up to their promises but then again the cheap budget pathway to skin care doesn't always stack up either. Often it's the homemade organic recipes using everyday plant life and kitchen ingredients that give good results - if you have the time and patience to go that way. From garden to the kitchen to the bathroom, you can save money as well as making sure that no chemicals touch your body. For example: aloe vera,cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, cold pressed oils, honey and so on. Just remember though that unless you put preservatives in your recipes, make only enough to use fresh otherwise it goes off quite quickly.

My focus here is about a set of skin care products that have worked a treat for me - the "Seacret" dead sea masks, serums, eye gels, moisturizers and anti wrinkle creams. The mud mask in particular is what I want to rave about here because it always leaves my skin feeling like a baby's - smooth, soft, inviting to the touch with a youthful glow!

The Dead Sea borders Israel on the West Bank and Jordan to the East - a body of water that can't sustain sea water life because of its salty content and mineral deposits. It's these rich mineral deposits that are reputed to be very good for healing, use in fertilizers plus cosmetics and beauty products.

The mud mask draws out facial impurities, soothes, nourishes and conditions the skin thus restoring moisture balance. Added to the mineral rich mud are a number of other ingredients: aloe vera, chamomile extract, mandarin oil, sunflower seed and jojoba oil. When applied to the skin, it improves and stimulates blood circulation in affected areas of many types of joint diseases, minor infections and skin problems.

Aloe vera is a natural source of beta-carotene, minerals, amino acids and antioxidant vitamins. Chamomile has a relaxing effect on the body whilst jojoba oil helps reduce wrinkles and retain softness. Sunflower oil softens, moisturizes and soothes the skin whilst mandarin orange oil purifies. These ingredients individually and combined are key to fighting the aging battle as well as protecting and healing skin eruptions and minor bruises.

It works for me so I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who is interested in getting value for money.

Summer's coming - let's boogy!

Here we are in Auckland, New Zealand - it's been a tough cold, wet and miserable winter this year. Summer's coming though - time to wear less layers, brighter colors and perhaps the latest gears. A sobering thought for me: I have to lose some of the weight I put on during the winter months - most of it shows around the middle: I think it's dubbed the "muffin" look. I've been fighting the battle of the bulge most of my life - up, down, up, down though I've managed to stay within the 12-16 size range. Not bad for a Pacific girl in the "third age" but I do envy those with slimmer figures. Not to mention the fact of keeping healthy as I age by "walking the talk and not talking the walk".

Whilst we shouldn't let society dictate how thin we need to be I must say that when I'm between sizes 12 and 14 I do feel better, I'm much lighter on my feet, I don't have to buy lots of new clothes and my self esteem goes up! For years my family have been used to seeing me walking around the block 3-4 days a week. It's pretty hilly where we live so you get a good workout plus the native bush and the birds singing make it very conducive to the "feel good" aspect of a healthier lifestyle. The other 1-2 days of the week I would play CDs with some upbeat music and "boogy". I come from the islands so I have natural rhythm and I'm able to do the hula/"drum dance" to Pacific drum beats - all guaranteed to keep my figure trim. Winter time when it was wet and cold outdoors I would do more exercises to music and less walking.

As an aside, I also pick up fallen tree branches and twigs during my walks - kindling for next year! This too has proved to be a useful tool in my strategy to lose a few kilos as some of the branches have been quite heavy. I've even got one of my neighbors to help out at times.

I had a nasty viral flu for three weeks in October so this last couple of weeks I've concentrated on getting back to my walking and today I felt the tug of the Pacific drums so I'm going hard out to remedy the extra weight situation.

Fortunately my blood pressure has always been very good - must be my genes but I do believe that because I've always enjoyed exercising, it's paid off over the years. The older I get, the more I want to keep my body moving so I don't end up a burden on my family. These kinds of exercises are a cheaper alternative to going to the gym but I must say that having company does make it more interesting and fun.

What about you? Are there any particular exercises you do that's good for our bodies? Feel free to share your experiences with others so we can all benefit from them.

Welcome to My World

I've always wanted to write a book.....and love to dabble in some poetry though I have to say that the creative juices flow the greatest when I'm going through some really stormy times.  Now I have this window of opportunity to.....start writing!  My plan is that when I have "retired" from paid work, I will collaborate with my famous (in New Zealand anyway) brother and nephew in writing some songs.  But I digress - my purpose in starting this blog is to share my thoughts about my journey as a woman - the highs and lows, the mistakes, the experiences and  the things I've learned especially when it comes to having a healthy beautiful spirit, soul and body.  We can make suggestions and assist others on their journey but ultimately we make our own choices - take from these thoughts what you will and share.

Aeons ago.......
A Pacific princess was birthed - ripe, juicy, plump for the picking
Perfection personified - beauty poised and ready
Full of promise - and hope......
Youth is a gift, enjoy it while you may
Here today, gone tomorrow!
Wisdom calls, hear her cry
Take heed whilst the moment is here 

Fast forward down through the years
Where did the juices go?
What happened to Beauty, Promise and Hope?
Fault lines have appeared - contours and landscape marred by time

But all is not lost.....hear my story
Prevention is better than cure
Rise up and take heart
Hear the wisdom of the crone.....