Take a moment to relax, peel off the old and look for the new.
By NERIA BARRAntiage skin peeler(photo credit: COURTESY OF ANTIAGE)
As the summer slowly draws to a close and the country is ablaze with demonstrations, take a moment to relax, peel off the old and look for the new. Go to town!Peel appealPeeling is a process that has become very popular and all beauty salons offer a version of it. It benefits all skin types and can be done both chemically and physically. But now the effective treatment can also be done at home, with a new hand-held device. GLO-ME is a clinically proven microdermabrasion device used to remove the outermost dry layer of dead skin cells in order to reveal the younger and healthier-looking skin below. According to the manufacture, this deep exfoliation process uses a Diamond Tip to resurface skin, resulting in radiant and glowing skin. More than that, following treatment, skin care products are absorbed significantly deeper into the skin. It works – but one has to follow the instructions so as not to harm the skin. The device is sold with two diamond tips – one for regular skin and one for hyper-sensitive skin. The treatment should take about 10-15 minutes. NIS 359, available at www.Antiage.co.ilHairy dreamsSome good things can take place only at night. I learned a long time ago about the benefits of using a night cream (although I don’t always remember to use it), and I read all about getting a good night’s sleep, but using a night serum for the hair? Kerastase, one of the best international hair-products brands launched a new Magic Night Serum 8H, an overnight leave-in serum that gives a nourishing boost to all dry hair types. According to the brand’s experts, during the night, hair is prone to reverse the daytime loss by absorbing all of nutrients. Infused with Iris Root extract and a blend of five vitamins, including vitamin E, the serum deeply penetrates the fiber over eight hours for 100% absorption to restore the hair’s balanced nutrition levels. Its lightweight creamy texture suits all hair types. NIS 179, available only at licensed hair salons. For one near you: www.kerastase.co.il, 1-800-301-666Happy hair yearIf you have already started looking for holiday presents, both L’Oreal Paris and Kerastase are offering gift boxes that will make everyone happy. Of the L’Oreal offerings, I especially liked the Absolute Repair Gold box (NIS 350) that includes shampoo, mask and nurturing oil. Other boxes include Nutripair for dry hair, Enforcer for brittle hair, Blondrepair for blond-dyed hair and more. Get them now at these special prices.Kerastase, my favorite hair brand, also offers fantastic gift boxes packaged beautifully, for different hair needs. The boxes include Nutritiv shampoo, mask and protective nectar for very dry hair at NIS 389; Discipline for unruly hair with shampoo, mask and protective, Thermic Keratine (NIS 429); a box for blonds – Blond Absolu – including violet shampoo, intensive mask and serum (NIS 379) and Extensiuoniste, for very long hair with shampoo, mask and thermo protective cream (NIS 429).No more bites
Mosquitos are everywhere. The moment we open the windows, they fly in and disturb our sleep. When we go out for a walk, they are there. But repellents are often poisonous and I am always on the lookout for more “natural” solutions. Lavender’s Blitush (a combination of bli (without) and tush (the ending of yatush – mosquito), is a mosquito-repelling body cream made from etheric oils that is safe for use even on six-month-old babies. Made from 100% concentrated natural ingredients, the cream, compared to competitors, contains five times more active ingredients clinically proven as effective at keeping the mosquitoes away. The natural ingredients, such as grapeseed oil and almond oil to name but two, also leave a nice scent and are beneficial to the skin. NIS 65, www.lavender.co.ilDairy delightsFrom Italy, Israco imports brings the Italian premium cheese brand Virgilio – offering extra-rich creams and mascarpone cheese, as well as prepared Béchamel sauce for those who are short for time. All the products are made according to traditional methods, offering more creamy texture that helps achieve better results. Prices are fair if not cheap – Mascarpone 41% is NIS 19, Béchamel sauce for cooking 9% is NIS 12, Pasteurized cream for cooking is NIS 9 for 200 ml and NIS 22 for 500 ml., available in Tiv Taam stores and other delicatessens around the country. www.israco.co.ilReal yogurtThis time I can actually say that there is truth in advertising. We have all seen the Euro Dairies ad on TV recently, but I actually tried the yogurts, and the ones I tried were excellent. All the yogurts, including those with 2% and 5% fat (I didn’t try the 0%) were excellent – thick, rich and creamy. They reminded me of my first vacation in Greece years ago when I became addicted to the local yogurt with their honey for breakfast. Made by Greek Delta dairies, there are 15 different products available now in the Israeli market and they are really worth trying. I loved the 5% plain yogurt as is or with eggplant or fried zucchini. I enjoyed the chocolate chip 5% yogurt very much – it has fine flakes of dark chocolate but the yogurt itself is not sweet and the combination is perfect. They also have fruit yogurts and many different sizes – from personal to family size. Yummy! Prices range from NIS 4.5 to NIS 5.9 for a 150 ml. yogurt.Stone groundLike many of my friends, I also started baking breads during the lockdown and have been trying different flours as well. A new local brand, Har Sinai, offers a collection of stone-ground pure flours that I was very excited to try. Stone-ground flours are thought to be more nutritionally sound because they contain the germ and bran, protecting the nutritional benefits and the natural flavors of the grains. Har-Sinai offers a collection of stone-ground flours including whole organic wheat, 70% organic wheat, whole organic spelt flour, and 70% whole organic spelt. The 70% flours offer both the benefits of whole flours and the better-rising qualities of the white flours. NIS 10 to NIS 17 for 1 kg. Badatz Kashrut. They deliver to all parts of the country. www.har-sinai.co.il, 054-628-6258.A gift with added valueBuying gifts for the holidays this year – try to find those that also help small businesses in these trying times. Galilies is a blue-and-white initiative of MORAZ herbal medicines that supports small producers from the Galilee, especially ones who employ people with special needs. They offer gift boxes that include the best produce of boutique companies, such as small wineries, olive oil producers, tea, tahini and more. All the products are authentic and come from families that live in the Galilee. Incorporating ideals such as Zionism, acceptance, inclusiveness, fair-trading and true commitment to the land, this will be a valuable gift that suits all. For the catalogue, call 054-205-4749 (Alex).The good oilsUsually most of us use either regular vegetable oil for frying and cooking or olive oil. But there are many more oils that have other qualities and add a lot of flavor and nutritional values that we tend to overlook. Etz Hazait, Israel’s strongest oil-producing brand, launched a new oil – made from pumpkin seeds – that is absolutely delicious. The oil has a noticeable nutty flavor and is great for both seasoning and cooking. I enjoyed using it in salad dressing and over over-roasted vegetables. Available in markets around the country. From NIS 30.For all seasonsI’m not sure when we will have a chance to go camping again, but a good thermos is always something one needs, for the office, on demonstrations or when you go for long walks. I love good hot coffee when leaving early on a trip, but also a drink that stays cold after many hours on the beach. The German brand Isosteel specializes in stainless steel products that are unbreakable, designed in modern lines and use the vacuum technique with a quickstop pouring system. I checked out their new one-liter Vacuum Flask and it actually did keep the hot coffee hot for hours and the cold drink very cold for more than a day! The vacuum between the two layers keeps the temperature for as long as 48 hours, the clever pouring system makes use very easy and the two cups attached are a great bonus. Prices range between models from NIS 145 to NIS 165. Available at specialized sports stores and at www.t-and-i.co.il/isisteel
