Honey Words, Honey Beauty

For the rest of July I’ll be posting pretty frequently because I have too many links to freebies, give-aways and discounts to share in just this one post. To give you a taste for what’s to come, take 10% off all products in your Affordable Mineral Makeup™ order from now through 11:59pm (EST) on Sunday, July 13, buy using the code “aser” in the coupon section at http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com. Offer good one time per customer, good on all products. :)
Don’t forget about the Summer Skin Care Give-Away we have going this month. Today’s post will offer a huge hint to the answer of the contest question!

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). I look forward to sharing some amazing things about honey with you today. This verse has become increasingly meaningful to me as I've learned more about this golden substance. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I would like to ask you to think of a time when someone made a simple comment or exhibited a gentle act of kindness that’s had a lasting impact on you.
Proverbs 25:11 describes such treasured moments as “apples of gold in pictures of silver,” or as stated in The Message, “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry.” Several such priceless memories stand out to me, though probably long-forgotten by the people who touched my heart. May I share a few snapshots with you?
- “God has made you a mother to all those women,” (referencing the ladies of Hannah’s Prayer) said my friend one day, in the midst of my deep struggle through infertility. It was shortly before Mother’s Day and I was desperately grieving, but her encouragement gave new purpose and perspective I desperately needed at that moment.
- No words, but the simple gesture of “two thumbs up” concerning her recent reading of my book, Hannah’s Hope. What made this simple act significant was that it came from an author friend and writing professor whom I highly admire and respect.
- “Please go ahead of me in line,” was the unexpected invitation from a stranger at the grocery store on a day I was feeling quite ill and wanting nothing more than to get home and into bed.
- “You are exactly the woman God planned to be her mother since before He laid the foundations of the earth. He will equip you with everything you need to parent her because you are the one person in the whole world, in all of history, whom He chose for this job!” encouraged a friend over the phone as I shared with her my struggles and doubts in my abilities to parent my spark-fire daughter.

All of these sweet words have stayed with me because they met me at a point of need, sometimes a need that wasn’t even obvious, and lifted me up, bringing healing to my heart. Honey too has surprising healing properties. I often reach for honey to treat acne, mild burns and scratches, and other skin irritations. In fact, after washing my face, I rub a couple of drops of raw, organic honey right into my face as a great moisturizer/toner that preps my skin beautifully to receive mineral makeup and adds to the longevity of my makeup application.

If you are interested in learning more about honey for yourself, along with trying a few delicious and delightful honey-based beauty recipes, try these links:

Honey Is A Sweet Treat For Skin - http://www.honey.com/consumers/honeyhealth/beauty.asp

Culinary Sleuth Beautifoods: Foods and Recipes that Enhance Beauty - http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/2000/0900/

Honey: Can it Heal Wounds?- http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/honey/AN01796/METHOD=print

I look at honey as so much more than a sweet flavoring now. And I hope that the next time you see or taste honey, it will be a reminder to say something sweet or encouraging to someone else. You never know when your simple words might become “apples of gold” as treasured memories of encouragement.

Summer Skin Care Give-Away

This week our neighbors to the north celebrate Canada Day (July 1) as we prepare for Independence Day (July 4) here in the USA! To celebrate, we're giving away a 3-step travel size Natural Skin Care System from May Flowers Naturals. Keep reading for details on how to enter this drawing. :)

Summer fun, food, and friends are such a blessing. While you are out in all that sun, be sure to take good care of your skin. Sun block is a must (I love that mineral makeup offers natural SPF protection)! Keeping your face and all your sun-exposed skin clean and toned and moisturized is important too. With this in mind, I am thrilled to introduce you to May Flowers Naturals, a brand new line of natural skin care products created by a friend of mine.

For the entire month of July, May Flowers Naturals is offering Inner Beauty blog readers an incredible 20% discount on your purchase from her website. (Please note, this discount is for products purchased through the May Flowers Naturals site only, not my Affordable Mineral Makeup lines.) To redeem this specials savings, visit the May Flowers shop and enter the coupon code "spirit" at check out.

Our July contest for the 3-step travel size Natural Skin Care System from May Flowers Naturals involves a bit of an online scavenger hunt. First you will need to visit the May Flowers Naturals site, then return here and post a reply to the Inner Beauty blog with your answer to the following question:
According to the May Flowers Naturals website, what is “Nature’s Ultimate Beauty Product”?

When you submit your answer, please include your mailing address and contact information (email and/or phone number) so that we may contact you if you are selected the winner. Blog replies will not be posted live to the site until the end of the contest and all personal contact information will be removed before replies are publically posted. Around August 1, one winner will be selected from among all correct answers. Entries submitted without contact information will not qualify for the drawing.

Moisturizing Oily Skin?

JoyLynn asks, "I have a question about oily skin...should I still moisturize?"

Surprisingly, yes, you should still moisturize oily skin after a good cleaning, to keep your skin from trying to "over-moisturize" itself, thus producing even more oil! The key is to be sure to choose an oil-free moisturizer. You also want to avoid cleaning products that make your skin feel "tight" afterwards because this can mean the top layer of you skin actually "shrinks" and can cause your skin to retain too much oil and create an environment where pores clog easily. While I don't agree with absolutely everything on their website, a very helpful article on oily skin can be found on this holistic skin care page.

Thanks for your question, JoyLynn! You will be receiving a gift certificate to Affordable Mineral Makeup this week, so be checking your email!