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Author: Margit Rüdiger

CultureAndCream Author from Munich To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn't do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don't know yet. But I am not only interested in "culture" and "cream", I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell .  Such unique experiences I want to share with you.
Malediven-HuvafenFushi-cultureandcream-blogpost

Maldives: Barefoot on the Island of the Senses

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Changing lockdowns and the restriction of normal life gave us a hard time. We don’t want anything like get away! In the corona pandemic, the Maldives are currently one of the safest and easiest holiday destinations in the world to travel to. All hygiene guidelines at Malé Airport and in the resorts are consistently implemented. All that is required for entry is a negative corona test (PCR) in English. It may have been carried out a maximum of 96 hours before departure. You must also submit an electronic entry form, which you fill out on the Maldivian border authorities website within 24 hours of departure maledivischen Grenzbehörden. But the effort is immediately forgotten when you arrive on one of the 1200 islands . The best thing for me about the Maldives: You can walk barefoot everywhere. The three pairs of shoes you brought with you remain in the suitcase. Dressed stylishly and elegantly even in the evening for dinner is no faux pas without shoes. The second most beautiful: the color of the sea from light to turquoise to azure, a play of colors that changes depending on the depth of the water. The third most beautiful thing: all senses are activated. Sounds that one would otherwise like to overhear in the hectic pace of everyday life are consciously perceived. The singing of the birds, the shimmering of the sun, and especially the swaying of the waves in the morning, which increases to a roar in the wind and lets the waves slap onto the beach. Gourmet cuisine and selective wine cellars pamper the palate. Body and mind regenerate in the sensuality of atmospheric-aesthetic spas that you never want to leave again. Huvafen Fushi – awakening the senses For me one of the most beautiful islands is Huvafen Fushi in the North Atoll of the Maldives and only 30 minutes by speed boat from the capital Malé. Nevertheless, there is no need to fear aircraft or boat noise. The small island, translated as “dream island”, has a name it deserves. The Maldivians (local language Dhivehi) call it Fushi. Short and sweet. There is so much more to say and rave about Huvafen Fushi. The “adult only” luxury resort (from 16 years) guarantees togetherness, peace and privacy. Many celebrities, including Bastian Schweinsteiger, have flittered here. 44 pavilions, no reception. The highlight among the beach residences is the 800 square meter luxury villa The PlayPen.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „Secret du Dragon Lip Serum“ from Okoko Cosmétiques 

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Lips to kiss – that was the announcement of the press agency, which sent me the “Dragon’s Blood” lip serum to try out. And then a blue pencil twists out of the pure white case. I am sure nobody wants to kiss blue lips. So, to be on the safe side, I first tested the colour on the side of my hand. Not a hint of blue! But where does the blue color of the stick come from? All natural, confirms the manufacturer. No artificial coloring. It owes its bright blue appearance to the blue tansy in combination with blue spirulina algae, whose job it is to regenerate dry, chapped lips. The highly concentrated lip serum contains other repair substances such as dragon blood extract, oribga oils, moisturizing extracts of tomato, prickly pear and broccoli. Pure nature lip serum I find the term serum a bit misleading because it is used to imagine something liquid. The pen is just the opposite. Rather hard to apply, especially in colder outside temperatures. A natural product! But this is not uncomfortable because it stimulates the blood circulation in the skin of the lips. Slightly warmed, the texture becomes supple and leaves a pleasant, well-groomed feeling on the lips without shining penetratingly. In times of Corona and FFP2, I am grateful for that. „Secret du Dragon Lip Serum“ from Okoko Cosmétiques, 4 ml, 45 Euro. Order via GenuineSelection… weiterlesen

Shower in the Morning or in the Evening? New findings.

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Dermatologists agree that showering or bathing too often and too long is harmful to the skin. What does this mean exactly and when is the best time of day to cleanse the body with soap and water? And what about a soothing bubble bath, for many a beloved ritual where you can relax so wonderfully? A small study in my environment – which of course makes no claim to general validity – gives me the first clues. When asked “When and how often do you take a shower?”, Two camps emerge: the early showerers and the late showerers. The morning showers swear by their wake-up shower after getting up. The evening showers wave aside: “I prefer to sleep a little longer in the morning”. And those who shower twice a day do it routinely, “because that’s how you learned it after all”. So it’s obviously a type question. In truth, there is more to it than that. After all, showering does more than just cleanse the body. Hot or cold shower? No discussion, morning grouches start the day much fitter after a shower. However, the water should be rather cool to wake up. When taking a hot shower, the body temperature rises first, but drops just as quickly as soon as you step out of the cabin. Cooling down makes you tired and leads the organism to believe that bedtime is approaching. Because even without a shower, your body temperature drops in the evening and you get sleepy. For people with problems falling asleep, a hot shower in the evening can be beneficial: the artificial cooling makes you tired faster. Morning showers may again argue that the body sweats at night and the bacteria then lodge on the skin and bedding. And you want to get rid of them very quickly after getting up. Last but not least, hot showers are ideal for relaxation, to loosen up the muscles and reduce stress. So do you prefer your shower twice a day? Anyone who does not have problematic skin is welcome to do so. However, even then: keep an eye on the time. In terms of duration and temperature, you shouldn’t overdo it under the shower or in the bathtub. Ten minutes are sufficient when showering. If you don’t want to do without an occasional full bath, you should stay in the water for a maximum of 20 minutes at 37 – 40 degrees.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „Wildflower Eyeliner“ from Sprout

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Sprout is a Danish company that specializes in green innovations. Everyday products are being rethought and made more sustainable. The company is concerned with more environmental awareness in everyday life. For example, plantable pencils and colored pencils or plastic-free spoons. Around 80 percent of Sprout employees are women. What could be more obvious than developing a beauty product to give the cosmetics industry a gentle boost in a greener direction. Because 120 billion tons of plastic waste comes from cosmetics alone. The result was an eyeliner pencil from which wildflowers grow. How does this work? You read that right. The wooden pencil with a recyclable, green sugar cane cap has a seed capsule at the other end, again made of cellulose, with bee-friendly wild flower seeds. If the pen is too short to use it for make-up, you put it with the seed pod side in a pot of soil, where it turns into a meadow of flowers without leaving any residue. It’s so green First of all, about the make-up liner. Because what good is the wildflower meadow if the pen doesn’t work? But he does! The eyeliner isn’t too hard and not too soft. Tough enough to draw a precise line. And soft enough that it can be gently blended if necessary. The black color also shows enough intensity on the skin. The wooden pencil lasts a long time and can be easily sharpened if it has become too blunt. Even in a handbag at warmer temperatures, it doesn’t get greasy. When the liner is so used up that the sharpener no longer grips properly, I become a hobby gardener. I prepare a small pot of soil and insert the pen with the seed pod down at a 30 degree angle. It gets a place in the sun and is watered regularly. I wait and scan the earth almost every day for a green movement. Finally, after a week or so, small germs appear, first leaflets, then tentatively yellow flowers. Now I’m just waiting to be able to transplant the wildflowers into the garden so that they can spread to the meadow. „Black Eyeliner“ from Sprout, ca 19 Euro More from Sprout like pencils and drawing pens you find here* * This is an affiliated link. You don’t pay more. It is just a little thank you for our team.… weiterlesen

DIY Gel Nails: Vegan and Gentle

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With the long lockdown, you have almost forgotten what it was like when you could still keep your manicure appointment regularly and get your nails painted by a professional. In the meantime, I’ve tried a few things at home on nail varnish – more or less durable – on foils – better than I thought. Ultimately, I was won over by a DIY method for gel nails from France. The “Green Flash” nail polishes are clean. They consist of 84 percent organic raw materials such as sugar cane, cassava and cotton. In addition, are 9-free. This means that they do without nine ingredients that can have a harmful effect on the body. In addition to the three substances with the greatest health risk – formaldehyde, methylbenzene, dibutyl phthalate – these are toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylenes, parabens, triphenyl phosphate and animal by-products. The complete Pro-Set contains everything you need for DIY gel nails: a 36 watt LED lamp with 21 small lamps in the inner arch, an acetone-free nail polish remover, a base coat, a top coat and a colored varnish, which I could choose from a wide range of over 30 colors. My favorite: “khaki”. Gentle on my nails No filing, no maltreatment of the natural nail as it used to be necessary for my gel nails, which I had done by a professional for years. For this system you only have to degrease the nail surface beforehand with an acetone-free varnish remover. If necessary, file the nails into shape beforehand. I have already connected the bridge-shaped lamp with the enclosed power cable. The LED display is on “00”. The device can be programmed to 99, 60, 30 seconds and shows the countdown on its display. As a right-handed woman, I start with my left hand and apply a thin layer of base coat. Then I place my hand under the lamp so that all my fingers – including my thumb, very important! – be captured by the light. 60 seconds. Then do the same with the right hand. Now that both hands have been “primed”, it’s time to paint. It has to be spread very thinly in two layers and dried under the lamp for one minute in between. The color I have choses is a very nice khaki, not too muddy, not too green. The brush size is just right, so that you can pull the color well over the nail without having to apply too often.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „The Absolute Restoring Eye Cream“ from Noble Panacea

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When a Nobel Prize winner does beauty, that’s something special. In 2016, the Scot Sir James Fraser Stoddart and his colleagues, the French Jean-Pierre Sauvage and the Dutch Bernard L. Feringa received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their “molecular machines”. These are molecules that function like submicroscopic artificial muscles or motors. Three years later, Stoddart, who had been Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University in Illinois for many years, applied his knowledge to his own skin care program. The result was “Noble Panacea”, sounds not very modestly but it deserves it. The line is based on the so-called OMV (Organic Molecular Vessel) technology, which uses the tiniest particles as a means of transport for active ingredients. “These OMVs are around 10,000 times smaller than skin cells, so they can penetrate them and release the active substances there,” explains Fraser Stoddart. “And about ten times slower than the average cosmetics available on the market.” This is the really new thing about these OMVs. They are programmed in such a way that the substances precisely perform their tasks and are maximally absorbed by the skin in the right place. This allows them to penetrate up to 35 percent deeper and work more efficiently. Pretty classy Noble Panacea has two lines on the market: The entry-level line “The Brilliant” with active ingredients such as the retinol alternative bakuchiol, glycolic acid, brown seaweed, malachite and probiotics. The “The Absolute” line for mature skin includes retinol, coenzyme Q10, Argireline, peptides and goji berries as well as valuable oils. To get to know each other, I decided on the eye care products from the anti-aging series, because the prices of the noble products are just as luxurious as the packaging. Every product is packed in single doses in elegant, shiny, octagonal boxes. I like both, because the single doses are protected from contamination, moisture, light and heat. The products are free from parabens, silicones, mineral oil, fragrances and ingredients of animal origin. When it comes to packaging, sustainability is the name of the game thanks to renewable and recyclable materials. The high-quality boxes are made of starch and natural fibers. And you don’t have to throw it away when it’s empty: since the beginning of this year there are 30 day refill packs for each of the eight products. But back to my test: tearing open the round individual doses along the perforation is sometimes a bit difficult.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „Finger Food Handbalm“ from A4 Cosmetics

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I’m actually not a big fan of finger food because I don’t like sticky or greasy hands when I eat. But I could become one of this finger food because it doesn’t stick or grease. The initially oily feeling when applying the hand balm, which is due to the argan oil (vegetable and eco-certified), disappears quickly and leaves a pleasantly silky feeling on the skin. Another interesting ingredient is called HyWhite. It is supposed to reduce the production of melanin, which counteracts the unpleasant pigment spots. In addition, it is not so easy to wash off and therefore forms a sustainable protective layer for the skin. Three active ingredients ensure that the skin is moisturized: Eco-certified, high-molecular hyaluronic acid and 10-fold concentrated aloe vera, which also has anti-inflammatory properties. The third in the group is eco-certified betaine from sugar beet. A positive side aspect: with these ingredients from all over the world, the clean beauty brand promotes women’s cooperatives in Morocco, Peru, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Self massage In any case, I have been applying the “finger food” several times a day after every Corona hand wash for a few weeks now, and my skin on my hands feels soft and well-nourished. You don’t need a lot of texture either. A hazelnut-sized portion on the back of your hand is enough. When I have enough time, I combine the creaming with a short, relaxing hand massage: First loosen the palm of the other hand with your thumb by making circular movements. Especially the ball of the thumb, which is often particularly stressed by using the cell phone. Then massage the individual fingers from the tip to the knuckles and gently pull them. Finally, bend your right ring finger towards the palm. Apply pressure for seven seconds where it touches the palm of your hand. Repeat the process three times, then do the same on the other hand. Just give it a try. Maybe it is just as good for you as it is for me when your hands are tense again! A4 Cosmetics „Finger Food Handbalm“, 50 ml, 35 € Key visual: fotografierende@pexels… weiterlesen

The Top 10 Natural, Scientifically Tested Skincare Ingredients

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If you’re like most of us, your skin isn’t just one way all the time. Sometimes it’s oilier, sometimes it’s drier, and it likely also changes with the seasons. In addition, you might be increasingly curious or concerned about buying “clean” skincare and cosmetics, which adds another wrinkle to the product-selection process. A quick note about natural products: they are not necessarily better than—or even any different from—the synthetic alternatives made in a lab. You also need to bear in mind that the term “natural” isn’t regulated. Any cosmetic company can make this claim, unfortunately, so it’s important to read labels and ingredient lists carefully (rule of thumb: natural products should not contain any artificial ingredients or fragrance.) “Natural is a classic marketing word,” says pharmacist and Truth Treatment Systems founder and formulator Benjamin Fuchs. “To a chemist, there’s no such thing as natural. The distinction the body makes is not between natural and synthetic; it just looks at the molecular structure. If I take vitamin C (from nature) or I create it in my lab, it’s the same molecule. I look at ingredients to see whether the body will recognize them.” That recognition is what translates to real results in your skin. To simplify your search, we’ve found ten of the most effective, scientifically tested, naturally occurring skincare ingredients. Many of these are also synthetically produced, which (as explained above), is just fine. Below, we’ve noted the natural origin of each ingredient, along with how and why it’s effective in skincare. Top 10 proven-to-work natural skincare ingredients: Hyaluronic acid It is a substance that occurs naturally in our bodies, and it’s effective because it holds a thousand times its weight in water. This not only helps skin retain moisture, but also prevents that moisture from evaporating into the air. It’s one of the best moisturizing agents available for both oily and dry skin types. A hyaluronic acid serum is a great addition to many skincare routines, especially during the summer-to-fall and winter months, when plummeting temperatures and humidity levels (not to mention indoor heating) can really dehydrate your skin. Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)n (AHAs) Glycolic acid and lactic acid are both members of the AHA family. Glycolic acid is derived from sugar cane, while lactic acid is derived from milk. The acids allow dead skin cells to slough off, revealing newer skin beneath. They also act as humectants, meaning they draw water from the environment into your skin.… weiterlesen

Smell Training for your Nose

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We smell before we see. But only when you have lost your sense of smell do you really appreciate it. In the Covid 19 pandemic in particular, it has gained in importance, because loss of smell is one of the symptoms of the disease that persists for a long time after infection. But not only when dealing with Corona, special smell training can help to train and significantly improve the sense of smell. If I would ask you which smells you have consciously perceived since this morning, you will at most remember extreme smelling experiences. What you have seen, on the other hand, runs as an almost complete film in front of your inner eye. There is no kind of olfactory film. We smell all the time, but if we don’t focus on it, smelling is mostly subconscious. Only when the sense of smell is disturbed or lost do we recognize its importance in everyday life. With a severe cold, sinusitis or after a Covid disease, for example. Scientists suspect the reason not only in the olfactory cells of the nasal mucous membrane attacked by the virus, but in the brain itself: Animal experiments have shown that viruses penetrate into the brain via the olfactory cells and the nerves that transmit it, where they disrupt the neurological processing of the olfactory impulses. But even under normal circumstances, the ability to smell decreases from around the age of 60. In the over 80 year olds, every second person has completely lost their ability to smell. Statistically, five percent of people cannot smell anything at all and 15 percent only to a limited extent. The scent of roses or a stinky fish? How do we know if the smell we smell is caused by a smelly fish or a fragrant rose? Professor Thomas Hummel, who heads the “Interdisciplinary Center for Smelling and Tasting” at the Dresden University Hospital, explains it this way: “The molecules floating through the air reach the nose and there the olfactory epithelium. Some of them have to be transported through the olfactory mucus with the help of special transport proteins. Then they dock on a receptor molecule, which triggers a signal in one of the olfactory nerves. This reaches the olfactory bulb, which sits in the front of the skull between the eyes. There the information is processed and forwarded to the central nervous system. The signal is linked, with memories, for example, with what has been learned, compared with other sensory impressions, and this ultimately results in the sensation ‘rose’.”… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial“ from Drunk Elephant

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First a few words about the optic. I like the look of the American beauty label, and the humorous name makes the products want to see. The name “Drunk Elephant” was the idea of the founder Tiffany Masterson. How did she come up with it? She got the inspiration from the fruits of the African marula tree, or rather from the elephants, who like to eat them. If they eat the overripe, fermented mirabelle-like fruits from the ground, the elephant soon stumbles tipsy through the savannah. And one of the main ingredients of the “Drunk Elephant” line is marula oil….What Tiffany Masterson does without in her skincare are the so-called “Suspicious Six”, substances that are known to irritate the skin such as essential oils, chemical UV filters, fragrances, alcohol, silicones and sulfates. She herself wants her care to be described as “clean-clinical”, she doesn’t want the label to be called classic organic skincare. Her credo is: to combine the best and most effective from both worlds – natural cosmetics and conventional, synthetic cosmetics. What makes me particularly curious is the “T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial ”because it consists of a high fruit acid formulation. Namely 25 percent Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) from glycolic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid and citric acid to remove the dead skin cells and to boost cell activity. Added to this are two percent beta-hydroxy acid (salicylic acid), which removes impurities from the pores. And finally, chickpea flour is supposed to balance the skin. Pretty acid The chickpea flour gives the mask its sand-colored tint. I like that, because green or white on the face always looks like Halloween. The texture from the airless dispenser can be easily spread over the skin. I avoid the eye area better because of the high acid content. These are then also noticeable on the skin. It tingles in the first few minutes, even a little more on the nostrils. But it will stop soon. After 20 minutes I remove the mask with lukewarm water. I expect redness at least on the cheeks. But surprisingly, these fail to appear. The skin actually feels and looks baby-soft. Then I apply the marula oil. It nourishes the skin and provides it with a high level of antioxidants. I am skeptical because oil tends to cause pimples in me. But actually, Marula moves in quickly and I can take it well. From now on it’s Sukari Time once a week.… weiterlesen