by Wendi Sudhakar | Nov 13, 2018 | All Natural, Fruit Extracts, Gluten Free Skincare, Gluten-Free, Skin Treatment
WHAT IT IS + WHY WE LOVE IT Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a beautiful superfood that has been used for thousands of years. It originated in the Persian Empire and is still primarily cultivated in the Mediterranean, India (which we of course love!), and the Middle East. Pomegranate has been held sacred by many of the world’s major religions and nations. It has been described a paradise fruit and has been a symbol of beauty, sensuality, fertility and everlasting life. We love it for the bounty of skin-loving benefits it offers from both the inside-out and inside-in that nourish, protect, and rejuvenate. Before diving into all the benefits that pomegranate provides, no discussion would be complete without mentioning it in relation to food, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner! It’s jewel-like seeds with its yummy sweet-tartiness will make all kinds of recipes shine! Add pomegranate to your sparkling wine for an extra special treat. This special little fruit can make the ordinary simply extraordinary. THE MANY SKIN BENEFITS OF POMEGRANATE We could go on for a really long time about the pomegranate. But, since we’re all getting into the chaos of the holidays, we just want to hit the highlights. So, grab yourself a sparkling beverage (grown-up or not!), add some pomegranate seeds, and plop down for a few minutes of all things about our little paradise fruit. Cell regeneration—pomegranates protect the skin on the surface and regenerate cells in the deepest layers. Collagen production—special compounds in pomegranates inhibit enzymes that break down collagen but also extend the life of cells that produce collagen and elastin. This helps...
by Wendi Sudhakar | Oct 19, 2018 | All Natural
WHAT IT IS + WHY WE LOVE IT Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a beautiful woody herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves and flowers that bloom in pink, white, purple, or blue. Originally native to the Mediterranean Sea and Portugal, it does love humid areas, but it’s also very drought tolerant, making it easy to grow just about anywhere. “Rosmarius” means “dew of the sea”. Rosemary was considered sacred by ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian civilizations. We think it’s pretty much the queen of herbs because of all of the benefits it offers. It’s one of our favorites for sure! When you think of a plant with romantic, magical and protective properties, think of Rosemary. It was used in weddings and worn by brides. Anne of Cleves, who was Henry VIII’s fourth wife, wore a rosemary wreath at her wedding. It’s probably what kept her from losing her head (literally!) unlike two of his other wives. As part of the divorce settlement, Anne was given a higher status than any other woman in England except the queen and enjoyed the benefits of being named the “King’s Sister.” No doubt sweet rosemary had a hand in there somewhere! Before diving into all the health and skin benefits that rosemary provides, no discussion would be complete without mentioning it in relation to food, especially that we are headed into the holidays. This aromatic herb enhances the flavor of many dishes, especially root vegetables and mixes especially well with garlic and lemon to create a special flavor profile. It reminds me of a walk in the forest on crisp fall day with its...
by Wendi Sudhakar | May 22, 2018 | All Natural, Gluten Free Skincare
When you take a look at our labels and our website, besides seeing a full listing of every single ingredient that is found in our products, you will also see a listing of what you won’t find in our products. We are exposed to so many toxins in our every day lives. I’m living proof of how prolonged exposure and overload can make us seriously sick. We’ve done a ton of research on the science about the effects of the ingredients that we don’t use on humans as well as plants, animals, and our world. We’ve also discovered along the way that the average person has over 200 synthetic chemicals stored in their bodies—imagine what happens long term—we’re like toxic storage dumps. We are committed to doing our part to help keep ourselves along with the plants and animals and the planet healthy! Once you go down the road of dis-ease and then come out on the other side, you do everything you can to help keep others from having to go through that. One of the biggest takeaways from our research that we want to share is that we can absolutely gather everything we need from plants that cause no harm and which can be harvested sustainably. Also, it is possible to develop formulas where every single ingredient serves as purpose. Fillers aren’t needed. Below, we summarize the ingredients we don’t use and the reasons why. If you want to check out some of our references, just click on the words in light green and you’ll be taken to the articles. What + Why We Don’t Use… ...
by Wendi Sudhakar | Mar 28, 2018 | Age Prevention, All Natural, Fruit Extracts, Gluten Free Skincare, Gluten-Free, Skin Treatment
We’re having an AHA moment! Did you know that fruit extracts are an amazing source of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) along with enzymes and antioxidants? We all know that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” but fruits also benefit our skin in a major way when applied topically. AHAs have been around for a long time—even Cleopatra, known for her legendary beauty, supposedly used them. The story goes that she bathed in sour milk (a source of lactic acid) to keep herself looking fresh and young. In this day and age, AHAs are found in a lot of skincare products, including ours. So, what are they? Alpha Hydroxy Acids in a Nutshell Natural AHAs are compounds derived mainly from fruit and sugars. There are five main types of AHAs found in skincare products: Glycolic acid (from sugar cane) Lactic acid (from milk) Malic acid (from apples and pears) Citric acid (from oranges and lemons) Tartaric acid (from grapes) AHAs promote smoother, younger looking skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal. They are awesome exfoliators and increase blood flow to the skin, so they help minimize fine lines and wrinkles. They are also great for reducing acne. So, if you’re like me and love having beautiful, glowing skin, you’ll want to be sure and feed your skin a healthy dose of AHAs every day! At Kudarat, we use a concentrated blend of fruit and sugar extracts that are high in naturally occurring AHAs. We put the emphasis on natural AHAs because many of the products out there that contain AHAs aren’t from a source you’d want to...
by Wendi Sudhakar | Nov 16, 2017 | Age Prevention, All Natural, Body Scrub, Gluten Free Skincare, Skin Treatment
Are you exfoliating your skin? Many of us take the time to make exfoliation a regular part of our face care routines, but we tend to ignore our bodies. If you aren’t exfoliating your skin, please start, especially now that winter is coming (yes, that is a deliberate Game of Thrones reference!). In order for our skin to look and feel its best, we need to get rid of all of those excess dead skin cells. Even though our bodies continually produce new skin cells, over time, this process slows down as we age. What this means is that dead skin cells build up on the top layer of our skin. When there’s a build-up of dead skin cells, our skin doesn’t look its best and problems can develop. So, how does exfoliation help our skin? Lots of ways! Smoother, Toned, and Brighter Skin With regular exfoliation, you can get rid of all of those yucky dead skin cells leaving you with smooth, glowing skin that looks and feels amazing. Unclog Pores Clogged pores lead to the dreaded body acne! When you eliminate dead skin cells, this helps keep your pores clear. Prevent In-Grown Hairs Lots of people get these from shaving. Exfoliation really helps with this! Reduce Hyperpigmentation Reduce hyperpigmentation—some of those dark spots (gasp! age spots!) on your skin are near the surface. Exfoliation may help some of these dark spots fade. Keep Your Skin From Drying Out Your skin will be less dry—in order for your lotion to do its job, it has to work through layers of dead skin. When you exfoliate, your cleansers and moisturizers...
by Wendi Sudhakar | Feb 23, 2017 | Age Prevention, All Natural, Gluten Free Skincare, Skin Treatment
How do we fight aging? Does it really even have to be a fight? I think that prevention is really the key. Don’t worry, it’s never too early or too late to start! We all are guilty of speeding up the aging process when we go in the sun without protection, smoke, don’t get enough sleep, stress out, expose ourselves to environmental toxins, eat a poor diet, and use toxin-laden personal care products. Natural Ways to Prevent Aging Skin Damage There are a lot of things you can do to take care of yourself and your skin so that you’ll age gracefully and keep looking fabulous into your fifties (you got that right, since I’m knocking on that door!), sixties, and even seventies. Even if you’re only in your 20’s and not really thinking about aging yet, trust me, when you get to be pushing 50 and people still think you’re 30ish, you’ll be glad you listened! Focus on getting enough sleep (not enough sleep means bags and dark circles), eating right (beautiful skin begins on the inside), reducing stress (meditation and exercise are great for this), and using natural, high-quality skincare products. Let’s focus on taking care of your skin. 1. Choose Natural Skincare Products Go with natural skincare products. Seriously. Most of the “big brands” out there tend to use very small amounts of high quality ingredients (if they use any at all) that don’t really make a difference to your skin and they are commonly packed with cheap fillers like mineral oil that actually cause damage to your skin and your health. In fact, mineral oil is the second leading...
