Skin Care Advice

Today more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits nature has to offer and are seeking environmentally friendly products in their homes and in their skin care regimen. Therefore, it is no surprise that skin care manufacturers are catering to this wave of eco-friendly consumers and labeling products natural and/or organic.

The words natural and organic are interpreted and implied as the same meaning, however, there are distinct differences between the two.

Natural – this implies that one, some, or all of the ingredients are unprocessed and comes from nature, such as fruits, vitamins and minerals for instance; Aloe Vera is a natural product thus a product with Aloe Vera could be labeled natural. However, that does not mean the natural ingredient was grown organically and it does not mean that the skin care product is not mixed with synthetic/chemical ingredients. The term natural is not regulated in the skin care industry so the term natural is used loosely and extensively in marketing ploys.

Organic – means that no chemicals or pesticides were used during the growth of various plants and herbs. Additionally, the processes to extract the various oils from the plant did not use any type of chemical processing.  If a product with Aloe Vera in it is labeled organic, then the Aloe would have had to been grown without any type of pesticides and there would be no chemical processing to extract the oils from the plant.  Thus the product could be labeled organic.

A good analogy would be a skin care product which lists papaya and Aloe Vera. If the papaya, and Aloe Vera were grown with any type of pesticides then the skin care product can not be labeled organic, however, it could be labeled all natural and still can contain harmful chemicals.

Additionally, just because a product is labeled natural or organic that does not mean you will not have an allergic reaction. A product made with beeswax or honey would not be recommended for people that are allergic to bees, a product with almond oil would not be recommended for people with nut allergies. A skin test is always recommended with any new skin care product whether it be a synthetic, natural or organic product.

The word botanical is used a lot in skin care products too. This implies that the product includes ingredients that are derived from plants and/or trees, such as Aloe Vera and coconut. Again, botanical products can be labeled as natural but does not mean they are also organic.

Currently there are no legal standards for the terms organic and/or natural for personal care products sold in the United States. Therefore, skin care manufacturers are allowed to make all kinds of claims that their products are pure, natural and/or organic. A case in point is Clairol Herbal Essences which gave users an “organic experience”, however there isn’t much about this product that is herbal or organic as it contains more than a dozen synthetic petrochemicals and has a moderate toxicity rating. Visit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics on the web to read more about your skin care products.

The skin care product industry is a billion dollar business and the claims they make concerning their products may or may not be true. Additionally, if you are paying top dollar for cosmetics that read pure, natural or organic, read the label, research and decide for yourself. The most prominent ingredient on the label will be at the top of the ingredient list and the least ingredient at the bottom. So if your natural or organic ingredient is at the bottom of the ingredient list chances are the amount in the product is minute and has no significant value for your skin.

As a personal note, I would like to state that I do believe in the natural and organic concept in skin care products, although if I am buying natural or organic products I expect them to be just, natural with safe synthetic chemicals or truly organic. There are so many chemicals in skin care products that can be harmful to your health and these chemicals are so detrimental to our environment so I read the labels and do the research to find some “green” in the products I use.

For skin care recipes, great skin care articles and wonderful products and ebooks visit Complete Skin Care Therapy   

Don’t you deserve to have the best skin possible? Of course you do. I frequently have clients tell me…Barb, I have spent many hours in the sun, is there anything the product line you distribute do for me? My answer is…yes, there is alot it will do for your skin….but unfortunately, there is no product out there that can completely erase the countless hours soaking in the sun without the SPF. But, with this said…there are excellent preventative measures that you can take that will help you slow down the aging process.

Below are some skin care and rejuvenation tips to ensure that your skin remains healthy, vibrant, and wrinkle-free for longer that will, without a doubt, slow down skin aging.

Our skin starts showing the signs of aging even as early as our 20s. One can expect to start seeing fine lines, uneven skin texture, and dullness. So truly, one needs to start taking care of their skin from early on. You see, what is happening is our body’s skin cellular renewal process is beginning to slow down and what this means is that the dead skin cells are as not as easily discarded, plus there are external factors are starting to have a greater impact, leaving our skin slightly duller.

Skin Care Tips For Your 20s

1. Avoid sunlight or Cover-Up

Up to 80 percent of skin aging is directly related to sun exposure. Penetrating UVA rays damage collagen fibers and elastin coils in your skin.

2. If you are a Smoker – Quit- Quit Now

Smoking inhibits oxygen from getting to the outer layer of your skin, which causes premature aging. Additionally, the motion of smoking over a long period of time can cause fine lines around your mouth. This is not an appealing look!

3. Start a daily skin care program

You should cleanse, moisturize and use SPF or SPF equivalent on a daily basis. It is also important to exfoliate 2-3 times a week to promote skin cellular renewal on a regular basis.

Skin Care Tips For Your 30 – And Beyond

By the time you reach your 30s, skin cell turnover has slowed down even more. Environmental factors pollution, smoke, and sunlight are at this point causing damage so that in the dermis, collagen fibers are beginning to loosen. This causes the skin to start losing its tone and develop fine lines and wrinkles. When we smile, subcutaneous fat forms ridges and refuse to bounce back as readily as it once did. Our first wrinkles may start to appear. Here are some additional skin care tips for keeping your skin healthy and slowing the aging process early:

1. Have a Daily Skin Care Routine

At this stage in life, you should have a daily skin care routine for your skin.

2. Skin Rejuvenation is Essential

Incorporate a cosmeceutical skin rejuvenation program into your daily skin care routine. What is key here is that you need to use products that will help you skin increase it’s cellular renewal process, thereby getting rid of dead skin cells and promoting skin rejuvenation.

3. A balanced Diet is Key

Your diet should consist of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and fish, as they are high in antioxidants and Vitamins A, B, C, and E. These vitamins counteract free radicals which help the skin repair itself and produce enzymes which stabilize collagen production and retain the skin’s moisture content. I know, I know..these are things our Mothers told tool and she was right!

4. Acohol Intake should be in Moderation

Alcohol actually deprives your skin of essential nutrients and may cause your facial blood vessels to become dilated. This can lead to permanent red “spider veins” on women’s cheeks and across the nose on men. Not a pretty site.

5. Remember to …. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate

I can’t emphasis this enough. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This is the best way to retain the skin’s water, thus keeping skin feeling soft and looking supple

There was once a story of a little piece of skin called Natural. Natural was a happy piece of skin as she was always nourished well with lots of essential vitamins and ingredients. Natural was also always moisturized as she had a constant supply of water to keep her hydrated.

One day however, Natural came dry, flaky and peeled away. This was because she was neglected of the essential ingredients that kept her healthy. Even though she was given lots of skin cream lotions and other ingredients, none of it seemed to work just as well as the vitamins that she had fed upon earlier.

The moral of this story is that your skin, like any other organ of your body, is living, and requires nutrients from vitamins and appropriate supplements in order to live. Just as how we eat fresh vegetables and fruit in order to ensure that our body is healthy, so too our skin requires the right nutrients in order to stay healthy.

The funny thing is however, is that some people and skin care companies will be all too ready to reveal to you the so called best natural skin care tips. At the end of the day however, these natural skin care tips don’t work unless they’re coupled with good health and exercise.

The reason being is because chemical lotions that you put on your face won’t do much alone in ensuring that your skin remains soft and moisturized. Sure, there may have a short term benefit of splashing lots of water and cream on your face, but if you want your skin to remain vitalized and healthy in the long run, then it requires a little more effort from your part.

One of the natural skin care tips that I’m going to reveal to you today is one that you’ll dread. It’s called exercise. It doesn’t cost anything, it doesn’t run out, it doesn’t require that you go to the dermatologist in order to acquire a prescription to use it, it’s a free resource, yet so few people make use of it.

Did you know that obesity is such a problem in the U.S. that many household families are ensuring that the country enters into a health care crisis? Obesity leads to skin stretching which can often never be returned to the way it was before. If you don’t exercise now, and you want to maintain healthy and beautiful skin, then it may just be that you end up with stretch marks that can never be fully healed.

So to circumvent all this, remember to exercise, and exercise regularly, it’s an important thing.

Using natural skin care products. Most women use skin care products practically every day of the year. There are lotions, oils and balms for nearly every part of the body, with some especially suitable for use on the hands and face. You can find skin care facial products, hand and body lotion, and even anti aging skin care products that will help to replenish lost moisture in the skin, making it appear more youthful. One type of oil that many women find particularly appealing is emu oil, both for its emollient nature and its anti-inflammatory properties.

Emu oil comes from the Emu bird, which is a native of Australia. The fat from the Emu bird is rendered down to produce emu oil. Aboriginals in Australia have used emu oil for hundreds of years as a way to protect the skin from the damaging effects of the elements. It does, however, also contain medicinal qualities as well.

Originally this oil was noted by the Australian Aboriginals for its ability to relieve pain and heal cuts. Modern doctors have now also corroborated these findings as well. Pure emu oil has been used to help arthritis sufferers because of its ability to reduce inflammation in joints.

Emu oil has also been used by those who suffer from muscle pain. After a hard workout or an injury, sore muscles respond favorably to the chemical components in this amazing oil, reducing the ache and helping you to feel better.

If you’ve ever had a burn, you know the terrible pain caused from exposure to high heat. Pure emu oil has been shown to reduce the pain from burns, and the burns show an increased likelihood to heal promptly. Scarring is lessened as well when Emu oil is applied to the damaged area.

Those who deal with acne will like Emu oil, because it penetrates the skin very easily, yet does not clog your pores like so many other heavy lotions can. Eczema, with its skin irritation and recurrent rash symptoms, can often be helped with the application of this oil to the affected areas, which are often found on the hands.

Emu oil is a one of a small group of natural skin care products that can be used by those with certain physical afflictions to excellent effect. It’s also a wonderful beauty treatment that can be enjoyed by those who need skin care facial products especially suited to sensitive skin.

The best source of anti aging skin care products is  not high end department stores.  Neither is it the corner drug store or over the counter.  Where is the best source?  Keep reading to find out and also why some skin care products range from cheap to expensive.

The question is: Why do so many companies manufacture a skin care product that does a poor job, if it works at all?  Why do so many women keep switching anti aging skin care products?

Big Department Store Hype

We often pay too much for inferior products just because it has a popular name on it.  Often we find skin care sections right at the main entrance of large stores offering free makeovers.  Actually they should be called ‘do overs’.  Because you have to do it over at home.  And the cost sends quivers through your credit card.

Why it the Cost So High?

The cost of running a store, big or small, eats up a lot of profit.  To stay in business a company must make a profit.  Store overhead and advertising often dictates the price of a product.

A few companies turn out fairly good products but must charge a very large price to do it.  The reason is, as mentioned, advertising, employee costs, taxes, etc. etc.  If a company tries to offer a decent price, they may get a lot of sales but often pull the product.  Or raise the price so high that sales drop off dramatically.  The cost of ingredients and the cost of overhead determine the price tag.

Promoting a Product is Expensive

Products must be promoted or advertised so the public will know it exists.  This is expensive.  The price must be acceptable by the consumer or no sales.  What happens is research and development dollars are shifted to the advertising department. As a rule,  there goes the product quality.

Anti Aging Skin Care Product Formula

It is no secret among skin care companies as to what ingredients are needed to make an effective product.  Usually only a small amount of these ingredients ever make their way into most skin care products.  The ones listed on the label have so small amount that they may as well put in whipping cream or some other filler. They do just that, not the whipping cream but other ingredients that just take up volume.  So what should be in the skin care product?

What a Quality Anti Aging Product Should Have

The concentration of ingredients that work should be about 50% of the total product.   This will make the product effective and do what it should.

However, what you will usually find in most anti aging skin care products as the main ingredient is: purified water.  Add parabens (a potentially dangerous perservative), some coloring, nice smelling fragrances and you have an effective glob of gunk.  Read the label of every skin care product that you are thinking of buying.

High End Department Stores-Not the Best Source

If the expensive department stores are not the best place to find safe and effective skin care products, then where is?  Not the corner drug store either.  Surprisingly, the Internet has some pretty good skin care product companies.  What is nice about buying online is that the price is usually fair because the overhead and advertising hasn’t jacked up the price.

Some of these companies understand what a healthy body should have.  Many carry in addition to skin care products a high quality line of nutritional supplements that I find are even better than what the health store may have. 

What Ingredients Work

Ingredients such as CoQ10, Wakame seaweed, grape seed oil, natural vitamin E and a new ingredient that I highly recommend, Cynergy TK.  I found all of these ingredients and more in just one company during my research.  For more information see my website.  Thanks, Margaret Bell

We all know the importance of ‘personal skin care’. The opinion on how-to (for personal skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty parlours every other day is personal skin care. Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a month or once a year. Still others busy themselves with ‘personal skin care’ all the time. However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive (considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on personal skin care routine is ‘Cleansing’. The three main ingredients of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents). Oil and surfactants extract dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean. You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the best. However, you should always use soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin). Take care that you don’t over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.

The second thing on the personal skin care routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process. Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume these products, hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products. Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care procedure, it’s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin. Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizers. This is one of the most important things in personal skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturisers. Moisturisers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture (from air) whenever needed. Use of too much moisturiser can however clog skin pores and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturiser needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturiser. Also, applying the moisturiser is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on personal skin care routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day-time creams/moisturisers) come with UV protection – so you can get double benefits from them. Such moisturisers are recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various personal skin care products and also with the amount you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for you. However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.

In this day and age, everybody agrees that choosing a suitable anti aging skin care product can become a very difficult task. There are hundreds of products available on the market, all claiming that they offer the perfect solution for all your skin care worries.

The skin care industry is quite a lucrative one. Literally hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every single year, just in United States alone. The problem with most of all these anti aging skin care products, however, is that, more often than not, they don’t live up to the expectations of the person who bought them.

Most of the time they prove to be worthless, or, even worse, they cause all different types of damage to the skin, ranging from minor to more severe. However, there is always the bright side: If you do your research and you exercise caution, then you can find a quality anti skin care product which is suitable for your skin type. Below, I will give you a few tips which will help you in your selection:

1. First of all, stay away from any products which contain any type of fragrance. You may be aware that fragrances contain toxins. When you apply the skin care cream or lotion on your skin, these toxins can potentially enter your bloodstream through your skin pores, causing you harm.

2. Second, and pay close attention to this, avoid any anti aging skin care products which list collagen as one of their ingredients.

Now, in order for you to understand what I am talking about, I need to give you a little background:

Most of you are probably aware that collagen is a protein which is underneath our skin and helps it to stay firm and youthful looking. As we age, collagen is gradually depleted and as a result, our skin begins to sag and form wrinkles. Because of all the hype surrounding collagen, people are often misled to believe that anti aging skin care products which list this protein as one of their ingredients, will do wonders for their skin.

Nothing could be further from the truth. What science tells is that molecules of collagen are so big, that they cannot penetrate the pores of your skin. Therefore, they stay on the surface, doing nothing! So, in essence, you are giving away your hard earned precious money to buy something that is totally useless!

3. This fact leads to my third and last tip. Instead of focusing your attention to find an anti aging skin care product containing collagen, try instead to look for products with ingredients which, when applied topically, have been scientifically proven to stimulate your body to generate more collagen itself.

Examples of these ingredients are Phytessence Wakame and Cynergy TK™. In short, the former is extracted from natural sea kelp, found in the waters near Japan, while the latter is a natural substance (this is a quite a new breakthrough discovery by the way), which is found in the wool of sheep in New Zealand.

As already said, it has been proven through scientific experimentation on human volunteers, that these substances, when penetrated into the human skin after topical application, actually stimulate the production of collagen, making your skin more supple and youthful looking.

To learn more about ingredients which should definitely be contained in an anti aging skin care product, visit my website.

Today’s society is educated on the intricacies of man skin care. Thanks to the information fed by the media, most are aware of the skin products which suit their needs.

Appearance plays a large role in how a person is perceived which is why it has been elevated in importance. When it comes to skin, men are more blessed. Their skin is 20% thicker. Men usually receive less fine lines and age is much kinder to them. The industry produces many male skin care materials despite some opposition from their audience that skin care is exclusively a female worry.

Everybody listen up. Here’s list of skin care necessities:

(1) Sunscreen. Too much tanning kills the skin making it more suspectible to cancer and early aging. When you hit the beach, don’t neglect to apply liberal amounts of sunscreen.

(2) Cleansers. Acne-free skin needs cleanliness. There can’t be oil or dead skin on the surface. Some men have oily and sensitive skin so they might have to look into special cleansers. In general, man skin care is limited to soap.

(3) Retinoid. Retinoid clears your pores and helps with overly-sun-exposed skin.

(4) Razors. Razors with at least 3 blades can help to remove dead skin. However, watch out because some have found ingrown hairs to be a side effect. If you’re one of them, an electric shaver should eliminate the problem.

(5) Aftershave. Male skin care includes aftershave applications. Choose one that’s alcohol-free because it dries your skin. Also get one with moisturizer and disinfectant so that you soften your skin while simultaneously become ingrown hair-free.

Females have many more options to review. Here’s advice you’ll want to remember making considerations:

Facial Cleaners

Skin doctors endorse cetaphil for its lack of preservatives. The Xtend-Life line of products is a sure win here. These are the best bang for the buck when it comes to quality and effectiveness.

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser has shea butter. For oily skin, choose something like Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. If your skin is in between normal and oily, Dove Essential Nutrients Self-Foaming Cleanser attacks oil. Bloom Facial Cleaners is highly popular with the aromatherapy crowd because it has lavender. If your budget isn’t big and your skin is sensitive, go for Avon Clear Skin Foaming Cleanser. If you want to combat blemishes without drying out your skin, try Neutrogena Pore-Refining Cleanser. If money is no object, Murad Acne Kit is for you because it cleanses, exfoliates, and treats blemishes.

Moisturizers

Moisturizers make your skin soft to touch and sweet to smell. For dry skin, you need glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Dove Sensitive Essential Day Lotion is recommended for its lightness and for being dye and fragrance-free. Lancôme Absolute Night Treatment is desirable for its natural components such as soy. Crème de la Mer is an awesome moisturizer. Oily-skin victims fear not! Get a product that’s oil-free (not non-pore clogging). One suitable moisturizer is Lorac Oil-Free Moisturizer. People who are in between normal and oily need a gel like Aveeno Positively Smooth Facial Moisturizer.

Man skin care is important, not only for your health, but also for your looks. How you portray yourself to society can sometimes command how far you will go in terms of success and building friendships. Try the Xtend-Life line of products and notice the difference it can make for your male skin care routine, self-esteem and appeal.

We all know the importance of personal skin care. The opinion on how-to (for personal skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty parlours every other day is personal skin care. Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a month or once a year. Still others busy themselves with personal skin care all the time. However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive (considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on this routine is Cleansing. The three main ingredients of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents). Oil and surfactants extract dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean. You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the best. However, you should always use soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin). Take care that you don’t over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.

The second thing on the this routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process. Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume these products, hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products. Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care procedure, it’s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin. Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on this routine is moisturizers. This is one of the most important things in skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturisers. Moisturisers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture (from air) whenever needed. Use of too much moisturiser can however clog skin pores and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturiser needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturiser. Also, applying the moisturiser is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on this routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day-time creams/moisturisers) come with UV protection so you can get double benefits from them. Such moisturisers are recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various products and also with the amount you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for you. However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.