Skin Care Talks

Natural Anti-Aging Treatment Ways

skeenz — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:35:20 +0000

Acquiring years in your age is almost always synonymous to growing fines lines and wrinkles on your skin. To most women, it becomes an alarming call when the first few lines appear, especially as early as in the first 30's. If denied and neglected, these lines grow out until it becomes harder to treat with home remedy or simple anti-aging treatments. In this note, it is advised by the beauty experts that women get skin care application even before the first wrinkle lines appear. In this way, the lines and other skin aging signs are delayed for as long as possible.

There are various factors why it is so hard to keep our youthful skin. As people get older, the wind, sun, toxins in the environment, the food and beverage intake, and the lack of proper skin hydration take a major toll on the skin. Important skin natural structural proteins, such as collagens and elastins, start to diminish slowly causing the tissues and cells of the skin to fail recovering from damage; thus the development of fine lines and wrinkles. Several skin care treatment products might just work with you to counter these normal signs of aging, however, with the absence of proper skin care application all the anti-aging products will not matter.

To sport that youthful glow for as long as possible, you need to discover that the key is having a natural skin care treatment and using all natural skin care products even before you step in your 30's. These natural methods generally include checking the lifestyle you are dealing with. If you begin to examine your daily routine, you will discover how much this is affecting your skin.

Do you have eight hours of regular sleep?

Resting is a very important part of natural skin treatment. Doing it in at least six to eight hours of sleep should give your skin enough time to rest and recuperate from the day's stress and pressure. You should remember that it is essential to have a regular pattern of sleeping hours to achieve your youthful glow.

Is your skin hydrated properly?

This does not only mean using a good natural moisturizer to keep your skin feeling hydrated and smooth all over. It also involves drinking plenty of liquid and water everyday. Most experts recommend having eight glasses of water everyday to achieve that healthy youthful skin. In fact, it is the best, cheapest, yet simplest form of skin care anti-aging treatment you can ever have. If you hate drinking lots of water, you should at least constantly replenish the lost water on your skin by using a good moisturizer both on your face and body.

Is your skin frequently exposed to damaging sun rays and wind?

You need to know that long exposure to sunlight and wind can easily damage the skin. In this case, it is advised to stay out of the sun as much as possible. But if your daily activities require you to go out often, using sunscreens, sun block with good amount of PH level and moisturizers is the best way to counter the sun's and wind's damaging effects. When using the products, be sure to avoid those that contain alcohol as it can cause aging signs as well.

Is your anti-aging treatment product the right one for you?

If not, always look for the one that contain lots of antioxidants as they protect the important proteins that keep your skin supple and firm.

And the most important of all, do you feed your body with the right food?

What you eat, what you drink, and how much rest you get generally reflect on the outside, that is on your skin. Balancing the above natural anti-aging treatment methods with balanced healthy diet foods and good enough rest is the perfect way of putting those years behind.

Know More About Adult Acne

skeenz — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:15:02 +0000

You may think that having zits usually occurs only during your teen years, but it is such a drag when you learn that you still get to have them even on your twenties, thirties, or just about in your adult years. It is a fact that one in every five women usually experience adult acne between the age of twenty-five to forties.

However, there are also many myths about adult acne that give wrong information about the cause and the cures of it. But do not lose hope; you could still have great skin because knowing more about adult acne is already half the battle and that there are certain products that you could use to cure them.

Myths About Adult Acne

Some people may say that having acne or pimples are brought about by what you eat or your diet but the truth is, adult acne has almost nothing to do with it. The only ingredient in common foods that we eat that could aggravate or trigger zits is the presence of iodine which could mostly be found on salts. But keep in mind that only excessive amount of it could really affect and aggravate the skin, making acne visible and flared up.

Another myth about adult acne is that you should wash your face often for it to be clean because dirty skin could be grounds where acne appears. The fact is, no matter how much you keep your face clean, if you do not do the necessary treatments, acne is bound to happen. Keep in mind that acne comes from within and only through the use of products that have benzoyl peroxide could help eliminate it because it diffuses down to the pore, killing the bacteria that causes it.

Also, the most common myth is that only teenagers have acne but the thing is, adult acne happens and it is usually brought about by stress and hormones at any age. It is mainly because stress hormones could cause existing comedones and impactions to break down, and then be inflamed which in turn develop to red nodules and postules.

What Is Best To Do

The best thing for you to avoid or cure adult acne is to not treat it like the teen kind so products that you have used before during your teenage years for acne could not be that effective when treating your zits. You could start out by using the right cleanser and one good cleanser in treating adult acne is the Biore Shine Control Cream Cleanser. Also, exfoliating is a great help so use products that has exfoliant like the L'Oreal AcneResponse Adult Acne Peel which helps in cleaning out the pores.

If these products or tips still do not work for you, it is better that you consult a doctor or a dermatologist for proper diagnosis and medication.

Lice – A Common Skin Infestation

skeenz — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:30:03 +0000

Lice seem like such a dirty little secret and come across as a problem that only people who are unclean have. Nothing could be further from the truth as lice can infest anyone from any ethnic or socioeconomic group. Lice are little insects with no wings which can easily hop from one human host to another through shared hair brushes, clothing and plain old body contact. There are three basic types of lice and they come in different sizes from barely discernible to the naked eye up to around 1/8 of an inch which is huge in lice terms.

Types of Lice

Three types of lice are possible to contract and they are head lice, pubic lice and body lice. With head lice, the most common form, these guys infest the hair on your head. This type is the kind spread through shared brushes, combs and hats. School children get this all the time and it spreads like wildfire. Many kids will get sent home every year from school to get treated for lice. Up to several years ago, school nurses still checked each child's head for lice.

Body lice are common in people who have poor hygienic practices. In addition, you can also live in crowded areas with others or even wear clothing that another person with body lice had. In rare instances, you may even get body lice from sleeping on a mattress in a hotel room, especially if the facility is not the kind to put a mint on your pillow. Lice in the pubic area aka crabs are irritating and you are most likely to catch this from a sexual partner. These "crabs" can also spread to your armpit hair, chest hair, eyelashes, eye brows and even a moustache or beard.

Symptoms and Treatment Options for Lice

The first thing you are going to notice with a lice infestation is severe itching. If not careful, scratching excessively can break the skin, which could then lead to bacterial infections. Some children will have mild itching with their head lice while others may do nothing but scratch. You can bet that the body lice and pubic lice are huge irritants to the skin.

The lice, by themselves, can be hard to detect. However, their eggs are quite easy to spot. These eggs are called nits and are a shiny dull white color which looks like little gobs of foreign material on your hair near the scalp. When someone does not completely treat the lice, a chronic infestation occurs. Therefore, occasionally in these circumstances, you will discover the lice eggs a bit further away from the scalp due to hair growth.

These nits are easy to spot and are quite distinguishable from other things because they adhere so strongly to the hair. You may find adult lice as well as the eggs they lay in seams of a mattress or even infested clothing. They will nestle into a hat or brush until a human host comes along.

There are a number of over the counter as well as prescription lice treatments that can help eradicate these little pests. Shampoos and creams can be effective but are best when repeated several times to ensure that both the adult lice as well as their many nits are killed. For more stubborn cases, there are stronger medications but doctors have to be careful with them as some can cause side effects in children or fetuses in pregnant women.

It is important to not only treat the body but also the clothing, bedding, furniture, grooming brushes and more which may have come in contact with the lice. If these are not treated to kill lice, you could get them again and the process starts over. Always follow the product directions as well as that of your doctor to ensure that the lice are gone for good.

How to Achieve the Effect of Mineral Makeup As Seen on TV

skeenz — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:18:17 +0000

If you want to achieve the effect of mineral makeup as seen on TV without hiring a pro to apply it on you, you have to start trying out the kinds of techniques that will suit you best. Most women love to wear makeup, but not everybody is adept with regards to its application. It is easier to buy and watch how the process is being done on TV or on demonstrations at stores. But once you are alone at the quest of applying the makeup on your face, you will realize that it is not as easy as you think it is.

Do not fret. Some people, like those you see on TV studied the process to be able to get such techniques done. While some people are just talented and gifted to easily pick up through sheer observation. It is best that you get some pointers from those who know how to do it. This way, you will not waste your precious makeup through numerous trial and errors, with mostly errors in the process.

You can check various websites on the Internet that offer such techniques with regards to makeup application. There are popular pages on video-sharing sites that will show you free demo as to the various techniques to achieve the desired effects when you are applying your makeup. If you prefer to read about the process, you can go into people's blogs that have this theme. You can even find people on forums about this topic who can point you to other useful links.

Some Tips to Start On

If you have availed of mineral makeup and want to try it now on yourself, here are some quick tips to help you get it done.

1. Your main goal for availing mineral makeup is to look as natural as you can. This is the fad these days. Through such product, you can appear as if you are not wearing any makeup at all. Before you proceed with the application process, check to see if you have the following.

Do you already have foundation that is suited to your skin tone? The salesperson from the store where you bought it can help you locate the right color depending on your skin type. You must also have a mineral veil. To achieve a more natural effect on your cheeks, you must also have a bronzer, or any warming color will do to highlight the part and some women prefer blush-on for this purpose. You must make sure that you have the right kinds of brushes to start the application. Check that you have a concealer brush, the one that you will use for the foundation, an all-purpose brush and a flat-top kind of brush.

2. Make sure that your face is clean before you begin putting makeup on it. You don't want to trap dirt onto your face all day while you are still wearing your makeup. This can lead to other skin problems which you may have a hard time concealing with makeup in the future. So you have to take care of your skin all the time.

3. To experiment in getting yourself done with mineral makeup as seen on TV, you must start applying what you've got according to the instructions and what you have seen on your research. If it is your first try, you must stick with what you have seen or read.

You have to wait a while to make sure that you have no allergic reactions to the material, then you can proceed with the rest of the steps of your experiment.

Mineral Makeup Application Technique

skeenz — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:29:50 +0000

Women are now exploring the benefits of mineral makeup. Since 1970, when mineral cosmetics were first released in the market, women worldwide are slowly discovering its good effects on the skin. Like any other makeup, it is no good when it is not applied appropriately and correctly.

Since mineral makeup is different from conventional makeup, this would require a different application technique. When using mineral cosmetics, make sure to start with only a small amount. You can just add more makeup if you feel that it is not enough. Sometimes, we tend to put too much completely unaware that when something goes wrong we would have to take everything off.

Here are some mineral makeup application techniques that you could easily apply.

For foundations:

* The good thing about mineral based foundation is that they are different from traditional foundation that tends to "suffocate" your skin specially on hot, summer day. During this type of weather condition, this kind of foundation can be refreshing.

* You start with a kabuki brush to make sure that the skin is covered fully and evenly with foundation. Once you have made sure that the foundation is even, you can apply mineral veil which would define features and enhance your face.

* When using wet foundation, you can still use your kabuki brush. When applying wet foundation, first twirl you kabuki to make contact with the foundation. Then spray some moisture to the brush to make it wet. You can start applying the foundation to the skin.

* Mineral foundations are also great concealers. They can make small imperfections go away. Bronzers and blushes are applied in the same way as foundations.

* If you want heavy foundation, try using sponges. A damp sponge can give your face a heavier and more intense look.

While for eye shadows and eyeliners:

* When applying eye shadows, a wet thin eye lining brush would do the trick. Actually, a lip brush is also an option.

* To get the best results, you can use three different colors on your lid. You just have to make sure that the colors you choose are complementary with each other.

When using blush, make sure to shake off the excess. You can use a soft and fluffy brush to highlight your cheekbones. The amount that you need to apply on the cheeks depend on the look you would like to achieve. For fresher and lighter look, then apply less.

Actually, there are basic application instruction which can be used. It the twirl, tap and brush. So the first step is twirling the brush to gather enough makeup. Then tapping off the excess. There should be no makeup showing outside the brush. If there is, then that would be an excess.

When brushing it to your skin, you do not simply brush it. Brush it in a circular movement, from the outside of the face towards the cheekbones. The remaining powder on the brush can be used on the cheeks, forehead and nose. You do not have to apply a lot, start will less and see if additional layers are needed.

Actually, to get a different look every time you use your mineral makeup, you just need to change how you apply the makeup. There are eye shadows which can also be used in other parts of the face like the lips. While, there can blushes which can be used as eye shadows. You can check the manufacturer instructions if those kind of mixing is possible.

Anti-Aging Treatments – Popular Options for Gaining the Bonus Years

skeenz — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:51:52 +0000

The desire to look younger, more vibrant and fit has not been more popular as they are today. Because of this, innovations and discoveries have multiplied to cater to the growing clientele that wants to seek a better lifestyle and get those bonus years that people of different cultures have always aspired to. When it comes to anti aging treatments, several procedures and approaches are now open. Sometimes the only limiting factor is the method that will most fit the patient and the budget. Following are examples of the later innovations of anti aging treatments that have gained wide acceptance.

Botox – The most common method for treating skin wrinkles is the botox. This anti-aging treatment is performed to 4.6 million patients a year in the US alone according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Botox injections are ideally performed by plastic surgeons that have passed through and are members of the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. However, parameters that qualify a botox injector vary from state to state. Aside from plastic surgeons, Botox providers could include dermatologists, clinical spas, nurses, physician assistants and general medical doctors.

The discovery of botox as effective in controlling overactive muscle movements started in the 1950's but not until the early 2002 that it received the FDA's approval for cosmetic use. Botox softens the frown lines of a patient and is also a good treatment for eye muscle disorders.

Aside from its popularity as an anti-aging treatment, botox is also used in a host of other dysfunction and illnesses including anal fissure, diabetes neuropathy, pediatric incontinence, dystopias, pain disorders, and wound healing. Included in its many benefits is that it increases gastric emptying time and aids in weight loss.

In anti-aging treatment especially around the eyes, botox relaxes expressions and used as fillers it minimize wrinkles and fine lines.

Skin Rejuvenation Treatments – Are grouped into several categories.

Skin tightening is a procedure that is done to reduce, if not remove, excess sagging skin that tends to develop as the body ages. The targeted areas are usually skin folds, the jowls, and the skin that droops around the cheek bones. Skin tightening adds years to a person's appearance and are often resorted to not only by patients who want to trim years off her look but also by those who have undergone dramatic weight losses. The common procedure before was to trim off the excess skin through invasive procedures. Today, skin tightening could be done through non-invasive treatments that usually employ laser treatments and indictable.

Skin care products – Of all anti-aging treatments, the most readily available products are those that are for skin care. These are available anywhere and the choices are vast. Many skin care products could be found and safely dispensed alone while some are already basic components that are included in beauty products. While most skin care products use some chemical ingredients in them, the popularity of natural methods and procedures have also been adopted by skin care products manufacturers.

Forms are also diverse from capsules to tablets, gels, powders and drinks. Skin care products while good and were initially used for getting fast cosmetic results are now developed often as specialized with the singular idea of maintaining the beauty treatments that a patient underwent.

Mineral Makeup for Different Ages

skeenz — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:27:16 +0000

Mineral makeup is winning women over. Women are starting to recognize the benefits of using chemical- free cosmetics. Mineral makeup is being used by women to enhance their features and also try to hide those small imperfections that can sometimes come with age.

Mineral makeup surely can do a lot of wonders. They are able to take years of age without getting under the knife. Mineral makeup manufacturers also claim that this type of makeup can rejuvenate skin which has taken its toll on women who used traditional cosmetics.

What's good with mineral makeup is that it can be used by women from different age groups. Here are some things you can remember when using makeup. If you are in your 20s, remember these:

* Do not forget to moisturize before applying makeup. Make sure that the moisturizer has settled.

* For this age group, heavy foundation is sometimes unnecessary. Powder and some concealer would help you have the look that you need.

* For adding color to your cheeks, some pink blush would do the job.

* To keep the freshness in your face, it is more appropriate to use lip gloss or pale lipstick instead of those dark red ones.

* Save the bright colored makeup or those smoky eye shadow during night outs.

When you are on your thirties, that is when you started to recognize the lines in your face. Aside from lines, you also see some changes brought about by nature. So when you are in your 30s:

* Enhance your eyes. Choose eye shadow colors which bring out the colors of eyes. It could be in contrast color. Curl your eyelashes and use some eyeliner to enhance your lashes.

* The effects of being exposed to the sun would show during this time, so you have to make sure that you properly protect your skin. Apply mosturizer and cleanse your skin. Even if mineral makeup particles are big enough not to get into the pores, at the end of the day you have to make sure that your skin is clean from any particle at all.

Life begins at forty. So your face should show it too.

* You should not only use make-up to hide the wrinkles away. Rather, you should enhance your features more. Have a concealer, mascara and eyelash curler handy.

* Moisturize your lips. There are mineral-tinted moisturizers that you use.

Fifty is the golden age. But it does not mean that your face has to shine like a gold statue. So here are some tips for 50 and above.

* When choosing mineral foundations, make sure that it is the same color of your skin.

* Don't forget the eyebrows. When the eyebrows are properly combed, filled in and groomed, it can take ten years away.

* For your lips, avoid using earth tones, what you need is a breath of fresh air. Use pink or range tones for the lips.

* Make use of your eyeliner.

The truth is, whether it is mineral makeup or the traditional ones, the objective of cosmetics is to protect and enhance your features. It cannot totally create a new person out of it. Cosmetics are supplements only to the natural beauty that you possess. It is meant to bring out the inner beauty. You do not have to depend on it to make you beautiful.

Anti-Aging Treatment – Getting Back Hormonal Balance

skeenz — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:17:56 +0000

The fluctuation of hormones is a sign that there is hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance affects the whole body resulting to mood swings, infertility and lack of sexual desire. Hormonal balance is very important especially in women. Hormonal balance includes the right concentration of estrogens androgens and testosterone. What this group basically and most popularly does is to improve vigor and vitality, tone the skin and muscles and boost energy and activity.

Because hormonal balance is so important in a women's well being, pharmaceutical companies have developed products that are advertised to restore the balance of the hormones in the system. However, synthetic hormones are not the best solution. Neither should it be opted if possible. Conventional HRT treatments have been linked to cause harmful side effects. Of particular interest are the DHEA treatments. With the DHEA treatments, it is proven that patients exhibit improvements in episodic memory even in young patients. It also provides a sense of well being that limits, if not controls, depressions and decreases the occurrence of evening cortisol.

DHEA is also used in the muscle building of athletes and DHEA supplements are used as performance enhancing drugs. It is also true that endogenous DHEA treatment has also shown to restore oxidative balance on diabetic patients. The down side though are that clinical reports shows a direct correlation between DHEA treatments with the development of breast cancers, ovarian cancers, coronary heart diseases and abnormalities in blood clotting. The less risky approach to anti-aging treatment that will get you back a hormonal balance is:

Lifestyle Change – Stress does not only make a person look old it also robs the person of hormonal balance. Conscious effort then must be made so that stresses are limited to the minimum. Diets could also be changed to include maca, rice, yams, alfalfa, oat, soy, apples, cherries and wheat as these are estrogen rich foods. Often though, changing a lifestyle is only good during planning. Anything that involves a change from what used to be the norm will be bound to be difficult and could fail. If this were the case consider the following.

Alternative Medicine – Old practices are having resurgence in popularity. For one they are really very effective although previously regarded as old school. Second, they have been proven through time that being natural also means that they are safe. Herbal remedies top the list here for providing and improving the hormone balance in the body. Examples of herbs rich in phytoestrogen are dong quai and the black cohosh. These are also the safest, most effective and least expensive. Next is acupuncture. Acupuncture is a method that search for energy pathways in the body by inserting sterile needles. If this one still turns you off, and you need hormone treatments fast, the following may be the only resort.

Drugs and Surgery – Hormone replacement therapy or HRT is the most common. However, this should always be (as mentioned earlier) your last resort due to unfortunate incidence of side effects that result from this treatments.

The three approaches though could be worked out in combination, could be done on different times or could be combined at the same time. Change lifestyle where applicable and practicable and take alternative medicine whenever available. Drugs and surgery could be resorted to only in extreme circumstances but find a good physician.

Ways To Use Your Aromatherapy Skin Care Products

skeenz — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:36 +0000

If you are really dabbling in aromatherapy, you'll have some dark glass bottles of essential oils and not much ion the way of instructions on how to use them. There are may ways to use aromatherapy essential oils, including making them part of your skin care regimen. The more you get a feel for aromatherapy, the more ideas for making your own aromatherapy skin care products will pop up.

Shoo, Fly, Don't Bother Me

Aromatherapy skin care products don't just make you smell better and feel better – but they also can make fantastic insect deterrents. And they are not loaded with the harsh, irritating chemicals that can be synthesized products. The essential oils that bugs find nauseating include tea tree, citronella, lavender, cedarwood and lemon-scented eucalyptus (which is different from plain eucalyptus). Here's what you can do with them to protect your skin:

Mix one part essential oil to an unscented, plain body lotion. This aromatherapy skin care product can then do double duty to moisturize your skin and keep the bugs away.

Dab on neat like a perfume. You need to dilute the essential oils in carrier oils like olive oil, then apply. This writer's skin tolerates full strength tea tree and lavender oil, but do a test first to see if your body tolerates a drop at full strength.

Make a spritz, which is a multi-use aromatherapy skin care product. Take flower water or just regular water in an empty spray bottle and add about six drops of essential oil. Spritz on when needed.

Deep Steam Cleaning

An intensive homemade aromatherapy skin care product is steaming your face once a week or less (depending on your circumstances). This is a great way to clean the toxins out of your pores and softens the skin. Do not steam if you have sunburn, sores or if your skin is very sensitive.

You need to be sitting while doing this, and keep a glass of cold water nearby in case you feel faint. Get a bowl, a kettle full of water boiling, a towel and your favorite essential oil (tea tree, lavender and ylang ylang works with most skin types). Pour the boiling water into the bowl. Add six to eight drops. Close your eyes (or else you're eyeballs will sting) and lean over the steam. Place the towel over your head. Stay like that for no more than ten minutes. If you fee faint, come up for air and stop.

How to Choose Mineral Makeup Lipstick and Lip Liner Then Apply It

skeenz — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:55:03 +0000

Every woman uses lipstick. If you want to go all natural, you also have to buy mineral makeup lipstick as a finishing touch.

To do that, you have to buy the right color of mineral makeup lipstick that complements the natural shade of your lips and skin.

Plums, wines and deep reds are great for those who have a dark skin tone while light-brown beiges with pink or orange undertones complement women who have a lighter skin tone. If you have olive skin, try getting lipstick in brownish reds, light browns and raisin shades.

If you wear heavy makeup often, choose lipstick that is light. If you are using soft makeup, then get something darker to make it stand out.

Lipstick unlike other makeup products should be applied several times a day. If you go to work, choose to use colors that are light in the morning such as cream and matte while using dark colors that are high gloss during the evening.

When you are at the store, be patient when you choose the mineral makeup lipstick color. Since you are already there, it will be a good idea to try out different shades on your lips and if possible, do this where there is natural light to see how this will look with your overall complexion.

While you are there, you can even create your own shade by combining a few colors. The sales assistant won't mix up a batch and let you bring it home. To do that, you have to apply one color on your lips first and then add another by blending with the brush on your lips.

As for the lip liner, choose one that is a shade darker than your lipstick. Be sure that this is in the same color family.

Now let us talk about how to apply this on your lips. Before you do it, make sure you have already placed the make up on because this is usually the last thing to work on.

When you are ready, dab a small amount of lip balm or petroleum jelly first to give your lips to give it a little moisture.

Draw a thin line along the edge of your lips using the lip liner. Start at the center of your upper lip and then work your way outward. Hug the outer edges to open up the thin lips and then line well within the edges to downplay excessively full lips.

Unlike other mineral makeup products, you don't need any brushes to put on lipstick. You simply turn it to one side so it will go up and then coat the lips evenly while making sure you stay within the lip's edges. Some people can't do that so if you go over the edge, remove it using some tissue paper.

Putting on lipstick and lip liner in the morning is easy but you have to do this several times a day especially after eating or drinking because the color will transfer to anything you came in contact with.

So you still look good after a meal or meeting someone, head first to the bathroom and fix yourself up by taking out your mineral makeup products out of your bag and working on yourself in front of the mirror.