Month: May 2013

You may spend much time and fortune dousing your skin in the finest skincare products and intricate skincare regimes in your youth, but that will not create an impenetrable fortress against problems that surface with age. When age sets in, the immune system weakens, and skin becomes vulnerable to skin problems, notably liver spots, or age spots. These sneaky blemishes creep out only years after the damage is done, and are extremely stubborn. Known removal methods that have scientific basis tend to be expensive or come with possibilities of unpleasant sight effects.

It is important to be mindful of your beauty and lifestyle habits so you do not end up doing something that becomes a cause for regret.

In Singapore, many people only take out their umbrellas when it rains or when the sun is scorching hot. However, even if the sun does not show its face, UV rays are ever present, any time, any where, even in your house where it enters through the windows. And UV rays are one of the main causes of liver spots.

Do not let your guard down even on a cloudy day. Taiwanese show host Barbie Hsu, famed for her flawlessly porcelain complexion, goes out and about in sunglasses, hats and even a veil over the face, such that she has been teased for resembling a grass cutter. But looking at the number of commercials she stars in, she’s probably getting the last laugh. Full coverage is not necessary, as Vitamin D from the sun is still necessary for good health. Just an umbrella or a hat when you are outdoors would suffice. Of course, don’t forget the sunblock!

However, the sun isn’t the only culprit for those liver spots. Here are other factors that lead to the development of liver spots:

Heavy make-up
Make-up contains metallic elements, with absorption of light being one of their chemical properties. Scented cosmetic products especially, contain large amounts of metals like lead, which can cause black pigmentation on skin. Furthermore, when make-up is not thoroughly removed at the end of the day, colour pigments in the make-up will enter the skin, resulting in the formation of coloured pigments.

Only use heavy make-up when you absolutely have to on special occasions. Stick to light, natural make-up on regular days, and always use a good make-up removal to remove your make-up as soon as you’re done for the day!

Too much whitening
Whitening techniques such as chemical peeling and chemical scrubs, when done too frequently, can cause skin to become dry and sensitive to light. As a result, a little sunlight falling on such injured skin can cause red spots and coloured pigmentation. Unless you intend to stay indoors all day, don’t get too caught up on chemical whitening methods!

Computer degeneration

These days, most of us have to use the computer for at least a few hours a day. Whenever we stare at our computer screens, tablets and smart phones, the rays emitted are harmful to our skin and causes a variety of skin problems, including dark eye circles, pimples, dryness and spots. Since it is now hardly impossible to keep away from our gadgets, the next best thing to do is to increase our skin’s defences as much as possible.

Before applying make-up, apply a make-up base with UV ray blocking function, such as Laneige’s skin veil base. If you work in the office and have to be in front of your computer the whole time, remember to reapply sunblock every couple of hours!

Lack of Exercise
Exercise helps to dispel toxics through our skin through perspiration. Otherwise, these toxics remain in our bodies and skin, and can give way to dark pigmentation. No matter how busy you are, sat aside some time for physical activity every day! Some perspiration is better than none at all!

This article was originally written for a beauty blog.

Orchids are classy yet not exclusive, vibrant but not gawdy, making them versatile choices for accessories. They look good with almost any colour and fashion style, ranging from posh black dresses to flowery summer frocks. What’s more, orchids have a special place in our hearts because many orchid species are native flowers of Singapore.  Our national flower is the Vanda Miss Joaquim, a hybrid orchid in rosy-violent and pale mauve. Your beautiful orchid accessory would be a talking point, as well as a great conversation starter when you mingle with foreign colleagues and clients at the year-end dinner!

Making an Orchid Corsage is easy!

1. First of all, you will need to have in mind a rough vision of how you want the corsage to look like, how big you want it to be and what colours you need to match your clothes. For beginners, you may start off with a basic corsage that is made up of three orchids (or more if you want it bigger) bunched together, adorned by some green leaves. Ribbons optional.

2. Gather the materials.
– Fresh orchids from the florist
– Adhesive tools: Floral wire and floral tape, usually available at the florist’s. Otherwise, art stores like Art Friend and Spotlight stock them too.
– Optional adornments: Ribbons, small flowers
– A simple, presentable, dispensable wristband that goes with your outfit and the corsage.

Note: Do not purchase your orchids more than a week before your event, as they will wilt and not look as pretty as they did at time of purchase. Do not remove the stems until you start work on the corsage. Orchids wilt more quickly when their stems are cut. Store them in the fridge to keep them fresh.

3. Now that you are ready to make your corsage, cut the orchids from their stems, leaving a short stump of about 2 cm behind. Wrap wire around the stems to strengthen them. Cover them with floral tape.

4. Combine the orchids together to form a small bouquet. Hold it against your wrist to see how it looks, repositioning the flowers appropriately until you are satisfied.

5. Tape the stems together with floral tape so that they stay together.

6. You may adorn the corsage with leaves, orchid buds and small flowers, using floral tape to tape them to the stems of the orchids.

7. Tie a bow around the stem for decoration.

8. The last step is to make the corsage wearable. Tape the stem securely to the wristband using floral tape. If done correctly, the floral tape would not be visible when the corsage is worn.
If you do not have a wristband to spare, you can make a makeshift one out of ribbon. Tie a piece of ribbon to the stem, leaving the two sides extending from the knot long enough to tie around your wrist and knot into a pretty bow. Make sure that the ribbon wristband is not too tight or too loose. Cut away the excess ribbon. And there you have a unique and affordable accessory!

Written in August 2011 for a lifestyle magazine.

In times of inflation, every bit of savings counts. Utility bills, especially, constitute a large portion of necessary household expenses. Keeping electricity usage to the minimum can help you put aside more monthly savings.

“Switch off the plug when not in use” is a piece of advice that most are already aware of. However, not removing the plug from its power outlet may still incur electricity consumption, known as standby power consumption, by an unused appliance!

Standby power is typically consumed by power supplies, circuits and sensors, soft keypads and displays including LED status lights. It is also incurred by circuits that need to be energized when the device is switched off.

Appliances that spend much of their lives in standby mode when not unplugged include televisions, DVD players, stereos, computers and microwave ovens. Did you know that in a year, a microwave may use more energy to power up its digital clock than performing its key role of microwaving food?

The standby power consumption of one device may not be much per month, but when multiplied by many products in one year, can translate to significant money and energy wastage.

The British Government’s 2006 Energy Review showed that standby modes on electronic devices account for 8% of all British domestic power consumption. A report by The Economist in 2006 indicated that similar studies have shown that the collective standby power consumption of other developed countries came up to over 10% of nationwide power consumption.

One obvious solution for the consumer is to unplug products that are rarely in use. However, frequently unplugging and plugging in appliances may cause wire fraying and electrocution. You should only unplug products that are rarely in use, such as the television in the guest room, the back-up fan, the scanner and printer.

Another solution is to use a power strip to control clusters of devices that are in close proximity to each other. With just one flip of a switch, you can cut the power flow to all devices connected to it.

Purchase electronics that utilize low standby power, especially for electronics that are frequently in use like refrigerators and television sets. Do check for the Green Label when shopping for electronic appliances. The more green ticks, the more energy efficient it is, which usually also translates to lower standby power.

Written in August 2011 for a community newsletter.