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Natural Skin Care: The Why And The How’s

January 2nd, 2010

This is exactly the age when skin products, which unfortunately can be hardly distinguishable from one another, are being introduced here and there. And they can really be confusing. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the myriad of products that essentially promise nothing but the old story, here?s the good news. Having a perfect skin does not primarily depend on these skin products, because, in this going-for-green phase of human history, natural skin care beats them all.

Going natural is still the best way to having a youthful and radiant skin. Not only is it healthy, it is also cheap. Not only does it benefit your skin, it is also advantageous to your entire body. And not only is it momentary, it can work for a longer duration. After hitching into the hype about skin care products, now is the time to bend your view about skin care a little bit, and getting a few suggestions on natural skin care is a good way to jumpstart.

1. Watch your diet. Remember the adage, ?You are what you eat?? This speaks volume about skin care. Keep in mind that a good and healthy diet translates to an equally healthy skin. If you are troubled with unusual breakouts, dryness, and rough skin, ask yourself what you have been eating. Maybe you need to make a few changes in your diet. A good diet consists of foods rich in fiber; such as grains, legumes, and beans; and healthy fats; like flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and omega-3 fish. It also has fruits and vegetables high in vitamins such as vitamins A, B, B2, and E; fiber; calcium; iodine; and protein. Less sugar should also be included in the diet, as excess sugar is linked to premature aging. It is generally understood that changing diet is not an easy task, but take baby steps first. If you?ve gotten the hang of it, things will be a lot easier.

2. Hydrate. Drinking lots of water, preferably six to eight glasses, replenishes the body and helps wash out waste and toxins. It also prevents skin dryness. The common observation from people with acne, psoriasis, and other skin problems is that they also suffer from constipation, a telltale sign of low water intake.

3. Have a regular exercise. If you spend most of the day sitting or with few body activities, you are likely to subject yourself to skin problems such as acne and cellulite. Of course, this is not so appealing. So if you can, enroll in a gym. Or if time and money are an issue, allot at least five minutes of exercise or stretching before going to work. Get a quick office break and do some walking. Bottom line is, do anything you can to get your body moving. You don?t want simple inactivity to ruin your skin, do you?

4. Make your own skin care products. Whip up your own facial mask, cleanser, toner, or any other skin essential from the comforts of your own kitchen. Doing so can save you some amount from buying skin products, and, at the same time, give you your share of peace by knowing what goes into that thing you put on your face. This is natural skin care in the literal sense of the term.

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Skin Care to Prevent Pimples

December 29th, 2009

Skin Care to Prevent Pimples

One of the most annoying problems adolescents and adults often face is the problem of pimples or acne, but with a good idea about how to prevent or minimize the effects, be on the know about skin care to prevent pimples.
Many people often get frustrated upon seeing that much- dreaded zit right smack in your face or a cold sore at the corner of your mouth as you wake up one morning, most especially when it appears during an important appointment or meeting about to take place.

But fret no more, since there are practical and effective ways to prevent a pimple from coming out and making your day.

Pimples occur when the skin pores are clogged with a oil called sebum, which is normally secreted by the skin to lubricate the hair and skin.
This is prevalent especially among adolescents as they enter puberty where hormones tend to overproduce sebum.

It is the face that is often suspectible to this condition since the face especially the forehead, cheeks nose and chin where many of the sebaceous glands producing sebum are found.

However, there are ways to prevent, better yet, avoid pimples from occurring or breaking out and here are some of the most common yet practical ways to prevent pimples or acne from breaking out.

Wash the face twice a day, most especially if you have just been subjected to dust and grime by using a mild soap and warm water.

Make sure to gently massage the face with circular motions and do not attempt to scrub, since scrubbing or even overwashing can irritate or damage the skin.

To further prevent pimples from coming back, also apply an over the counter topical ointment or cream with benzoyl peroxide, which will help decrease skin oil and bacteria.

Do not pop or squeeze out the pimple, no matter how tempting or irresistible it may seem, since it will only serve to cause more harm than good.

Popping a pimple will only tend to drive infected sebum deeper into the pore and result further in redness, swelling and even worse, scarring. If you feel the need to have it removed, see a dermatologist who can better get rid of it for you without the fear of getting infected or scarred.
Always avoid touching the face with your bare fingers, especially without sanitizing or washing your hands thoroughly, or allowing the face to come in direct contact with objects that would tend to collect sebum from other people, like the handset of a telephone or borrowing a facial towel, since it may cause your pimples or acne to become more irritated or infected.
If you often wear sunglasses or eyeglasses, make sure to keep it clean all the time, most especially parts of the eyewear that come into contact with the skin, since it could collect sebum that would aggravate pimples or acne.

For people who get acne on parts of their body, make sure to avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes that prevent your skin from breathing, thus further causing more infection. Also avoid wearing scarves, caps, headbands and any piece of clothing that would prevent the skin from breathing and may collect oil or dirt.

Always make it a point to remove makeup before going to sleep. Look for makeup products that are labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic” since these are formulated to prevent pimples. Don?t hesitate to throw away old makeup that smells or looks different from when it was first bought.
Always keep hair clean and away from making contact with the face to prevent dirt and oil from clogging the pores.

Lastly, protect the skin from the sun. Although many believe that a tan can conceal acne, it’s but temporary and may even cause the body to produce extra sebum. Worse, too much exposure to the sun can increase the risk of getting skin cancer.

Always be on the winning edge in the war against acne and it does not take much to know these tips on skin care to prevent pimples.

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Recipes For Homemade Skin Care Treatments

December 25th, 2009

Recipes For Homemade Skin Care Treatments

Enough of that stress, of those bad habits, of that anxiety, as all these show up on your face. Give your skin a little pampering. Don?t worry; it won?t be too costly. Just take a good look inside your ref, take out some stuff, prep your kitchen utensils, whip up some mixtures, and you?re good to go! Don?t worry about how to do it either. Here are recipes for homemade skin care treatments. It would be fun. Enjoy!

Cucumber Lotion
Best as skin whitener, cucumber lotion is applied on the face and neck. Let it stand for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

You Need:
1 tablespoon of cucumber juice
1 tablespoon of milk
a few drops of rosewater

Procedure:
Crush one piece of peeled cucumber to get a tablespoon of juice. Then, mix the cucumber juice with 1 tablespoon of milk. Add a few drops of rosewater. Mix until the ingredients blend together.

Tomato Lotion
This lotion will tighten big pores. Gently massage on the face, then wash off after 15 minutes.

You Need:
1 tablespoon of tomato juice
a few drops of lime juice

Procedure:
Crush one tomato to extract 1 tablespoon of juice. Add a few drops of lime juice. Mix the ingredients well.

Cabbage Mask
This will prevent wrinkles and make your skin supple and fresh-looking. Pat over the face and neck. After 15 minutes, remove with wet cotton wool.

You Need:
cabbage leaves
1 teaspoon honey
? teaspoon yeast

Procedure:
Extract cabbage juice by grinding the leaves. Then, add the cabbage juice to the mixture of 1 teaspoon honey and dissolved ? teaspoon of yeast. Mix the ingredients well.

Peach Mask
Works to tighten pores, peach mask should be gently applied on the face. After 30 minutes, rinse off with cool water.

You Need:
1 ripe peach
1 egg white

The peach must be first peeled and pitted. Then, drop it into a blender with the egg white. Process the ingredients until smooth.

Honey Facial
This facial refreshes the face and leaves it radiant-looking. Best to leave on the face for 15 minutes before rinsing off.

You Need:
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg yoke

Procedure:
Beat the egg yoke, then add olive oil. As soon as the two ingredients blend well, pour the honey. Stir the ingredients thoroughly.

Lime Juice Facial
This mixture works well in preventing pimples. Best to apply every night, lime juice facial leaves the skin young and beautiful. It can also work to soften hands and feet.

You Need:
one lime
a glass of whole milk
1 teaspoon of glycerin

Procedure:
Boil the milk, then add lime extract and 1 teaspoon of glycerin. Mix the ingredients well. Leave the mixture for 30 minutes, then apply on the face.

Apple Tonic
Works for oily skin, apple tonic must be patted over the face and neck. Let it sit for 20 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.

You Need:
1 tablespoon apple juice
? teaspoon lime juice

Chop an apple and grind to extract 1 tablespoon of juice. Then, mix the apple juice with ? teaspoon of lime juice. Stir until the ingredients blend together.

Note: If you are allergic to any of the ingredients mentioned above, please discontinue use. Remember, these homemade skin care treatments are meant to improve your skin, not the opposite.

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Basic Skin Care Regimen you Should Know About

December 20th, 2009

Basic Skin Care Regimen you Should Know About

Many people often ignore that the key to having healthy and good skin is oftentimes missing out on basic skin care regimen that you should know about and practice.

It is oftentimes understandable how people often tend to neglect the idea that skin care should also be part of their regular routine due to the daily grind of everyday work and living, however, many people deny the fact that this should still be a part of their regular routines.

Basic skin care should form part of a person?s way of life, since having healthy skin is also a good way to ensure healthy living, which also contributes to ensuring preventive measures against health ?threatening conditions like skin cancer and other skin ?related diseases.

First skin care regiment to consider would be cleansing.

There are a lot of skin cleansers available in the market, especially drugstores and skin care centers, however, awareness should also be the responsibility of everyone before even going through this process.

Take for example the importance of knowing your skin type, which is key to also knowing which type of skin cleansers to use.

This is practically important since there are a variety of skin types that can be appropriate for specific skin cleansers as well, since using the wrong type of cleanser for the wrong skin type could cause more harm than good.

Among the most common skin types are oily or dry skin, for which varying levels also apply, which are often effects secretions of the skin?s sebaceous glands.

When in doubt about determining your skin type and what cleansers to use, you may seek the advise of a dermatologist to make you more confident about the cleansing regimen you are going to pursue.

Next would be exfoliation, which is the process by which dead skin is scraped off or removed from the outer surface, intended to clear the outer layer of the skin from prolonged exposure to dead skin cells that could impede the regeneration of healthy skin.

Among the most common exfoliation methods include, microdermabrasion, retinoids or chemical peels.

Microdermabrasion usually involves using scrubs, for which most believe should be done once weekly. But make sure to use scrubs composed of tiny grains, since coarse grains could scar the outer layer instead of just removing dead skin cells.

Retinoids on the other hand works by removing the top layer of skin cells, especially dead cells, and at the same time, promote the regeneration of collagen in the skin and works by preventing the rapid breakdown of the skin?s structural fiber causing fine lines and large pores as we grow older.

Last is chemical peel, which is a process supervised and administered by a dermatologist or licensed skin therapist, which provides better results compared to over ?the- counter chemical peel treatment kits.

Chemical peels usually take an hour or so, but can achieve maximum results of making the skin look younger and shave as much as five years off your face.

Lastly, always make sure to apply sunscreen, especially when you are constantly exposed to the sun.

This is mainly so because the sun can add years and even cause the skin to dry rapidly, causing wrinkles and can even bombard the skin of dangerous doses of ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer.

It is important to be aware of these basic steps since skin care is more than just leasing the eye with aesthetics, but essentially so since basic skin care you should know about is also a key contributor to a healthy and productive way of life.

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Rediscover Effective Skin Care Strategies

December 17th, 2009

Rediscover Effective Skin Care Strategies

With the growing popularity of different skin care products out there, people who have skin problems endlessly search for skin care products to relieve them. But then, due to lack of knowledge and information, more and more people are misled to use products and avail of treatments without consulting a dermatologist or a physician resulting to a more devastating situation.

To avoid mistakes in choosing skin care products and treatments, it is very important to have the knowledge about general causes of skin problems?its types, the age of the patient, current status or condition?so you know what are the products appropriate for each kind.

Developing Healthy Habits Helps A Lot!

Aside from skin problems, experts say that aging greatly contributes to unhealthy skin. In fact, some people feel that aging or growing old is like paying for something they haven?t consumed. But, if aging?like skin problems?is understood properly, preventive measures can done to avoid seeing aging as a torture or a punishment. The following are just some of the simple skin care strategies that you can practice to your daily life.

1. Watch your weight. Do everything you can to maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight that corresponds to your height is one of the best ways to avoid early signs of aging and ugly skin. By having a healthy weight, you can also avoid various coronary heart diseases and other conditions that can be linked with obesity. By keeping your weight in check, you can be able to achieve a healthy skin that can veer you away from the early signs of aging. Keeping a healthy weight can be possible by eat fruits and vegetables, limiting fat and calories intake, and with regular work out and exercise.

2. Quit smoking. Smoking is truly dangerous not only to your health, to the health of those people surrounding you, and most especially to your skin. If you can, you must start developing a routine in order to quit smoking. When you stop smoking, you can achieve a healthier skin and can reduce the risk of having heart diseases and lung diseases such as cancer.

3. Shield yourself from the sun’s damaging rays. Protecting yourself from the sun’s deadly rays is one of the best skin care strategies out there. Since exposure to the sun is one of the major causes of skin aging, lesser exposure to it can help you reduce the risk factor of skin cancer. To protect your skin further, avoid long sun exposure 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and always apply sun block the skin when you’re staying outdoors.

4. Drink plenty of water. Hydrating your skin is also one of the best skin care strategies out there. Make sure that you provide your body enough supply of water and not with fluids that can damage organs in the body and weaken the immune system such as alcohol.

5. Stay happy. Most people would agree that staying happy is the best skin care strategy out there because it gives the person a positive outlook in life that makes him or her stay young in body, mind and soul. Laughing when your happy is also a good exercise to the skin, especially to the face.

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