Skin Care and Protection

Skin care and protection of skin should be an essential part of your health for fitness & beauty regime. If you take care of your skin, your skin will take care of you! If you're stuck in a skin care rut, or if you are just looking to learn a bit more about the basics of skin care, read on to learn more about this important step in your daily activities.

Some Opinions for Skin Care:

The first step to taking care of your skin is preventing damage. Sun, wind, pollutants, and simply aging can degrade the condition of your skin. Common complaints include dry and itchy skin, wrinkles, sagging, color changes, and age spots. There are steps that you can take to keep you skin looking and feeling its best.

Exercise, rest, and good nutrition lay the foundation for beautiful, healthy skin, inside and out. A proper diet is not only good for your overall health, it also helps to ensure that your skin will receive all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that it needs to maintain and repair cells. Drinking purified water is another good way to keep your skin healthy. Water helps to hydrate the skin and move waste and nutrients through the system. It is very effective mixing a teaspoon or capful of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar in with your water. Do not drink Tap Water.

The most important way to care for your skin is to protect it from the damaging rays of the sun. Ultraviolet radiation damages the skin and can lead to wrinkles, premature aging, age spots, and cancer. Take extra precautions to make sure your skin is not exposed to the sun?s rays.

Dry skin is very common, especially with age. Older skin has fewer sweat and oil glands than younger skin. Dry skin may be caused by frequent baths, certain cosmetics or medications. But whatever the cause, there are ways to alleviate the itchiness associated with it.

3 Tips for Skin Care:

A skin care routine does not have to be elaborate in order to be effective. But you should develop some kind of skin care routine based on your skin type, daily activities, and nutritional needs so that you can be sure you are taking the very best care of your skin. Following a daily skin care regime will also allow you to more closely evaluate your skin for abnormalities. Here's a simple routine that you can adapt to fit your needs:

1. Cleanse: Wash your skin thoroughly on a daily basis to remove the dirt, debris, pollutants, and perspiration that accumulates on a daily basis. If you have dry or sensitive skin, use only warm water to wash your skin and use a mild natural cleanser every few days like the product Oxy-Skin. If you have normal or oily skin, be sure to wash with a gentle cleanser on a daily basis. Be sure to brush your teeth before washing your face, as toothpaste residue can irritate sensitive facial skin.

2. Moisturize: Unless your skin is very oily, you will want to use a moisturizer everyday to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Your skin needs moisturizer all year long as both the indoor winter heat, and summer sun can be equally damaging to your skin. The most advanced product is ?Parfait Visage? which is used for the face.

3. Protect: Use a natural sunscreen when possible, regardless of whether or not you plan on spending much time in the sun. The sun's rays are very damaging and if you get in the habit of applying sunscreen everyday, you will never be left without protection. The suns most beneficial rays occur at sunrise and sunset.

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Healthy Foods for Clearer Skin

In some cases, an effective method to get rid of acne lies in your diet. You can achieve clear skin by eating certain types of foods resulting in clearer and more beautiful skin.

Understanding acne is one of the first steps to clearing it up. Most people think that acne is an infection, but the bacterial infection that causes acne breakouts is sometimes related to hormone changes linked to stress. You can also help in your fight against acne by avoiding excessive stress and eating healthy foods because a good diet can help your body fight infection.

How do you know which types of foods you can eat to achieve heathly clear skin. SKin friendly foods fall into two groups ? alkaline-forming foods and acid-forming foods. Foods that form alkaline and not acid are best for keeping clear skin.

Foods that form acid include yogurt, cheese and milk as well as meats and fatty fried foods; and cooked or unrefined carbohydrates,like white bread, rice and pasta. You should not eat these foods or if you do you should only eat small amounts of them.

For clear skin stick with Alkaline-forming foods. These can include fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts, and even seeds. These Alkaline-forming foods tend to be digested quickly because they assist the digestive system in fuctioning. Acid-forming foods can actually inhibit the digestive system which causing toxins to accumulate in your body. These toxins can cause acne breakouts.

Also, try to stay away from sugar and foods that are high in yeast. Beer is definately not something you should consume if you are trying to clear your skin.

Drinking a lot of water because this will help flush toxins from your body as well as re-hydrate your skin. A sign that your skin is dehydrated is that it appears oily. When the skin gets dry your pores can produce excessive oil.

For clearer skin, eat a healthy well rounded diet including good portions of the alkaline forming foods which clear skin and you will have clearer more beautiful skin.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Clear-Skin-Solutions.com He provides more acne clearing solutions, remedies and acne skin care products that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics and Skin Care Products

Have you ever examined the ingredients listed on the labels of your cosmetics or other skin care products? Do you know what those ingredients are?

What you may not realize is that many of the skin care products and cosmetics you are buying contain ingredients that are not only harmful to your skin, but also to your long term health. Many of these ingredients are known carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and are used by the cosmetic industry simply because they are cheap!

Harmful Ingredients Commonly Found in Skin Care Products and Cosmetics - The following are just some of the synthetic chemicals that have been identified by scientific studies to be harmful to our health.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) - Often described as being derived from coconut to disguise their toxic nature, these chemicals are commonly used in shampoos, toothpaste, foaming facial and body cleansers and bubble bath. SLS and ALS can cause severe skin irritation, and are easily absorbed into the body, building up in the brain, heart, lungs and liver, leading to potential long term health problems. SLS and ALS may also cause cataracts, and prevent children's eyes from developing properly.

Paraben Preservatives - Parabens are widely used in cosmetics, deodorants, skin care and baby products to prolong their shelf life. They are known to be highly toxic and have caused rashes and allergic reactions. Recent scientific studies in the UK found a strong link between the use of parabens and the increasing rate of breast cancer in women. Researchers found a high concentration of parabens in 90% of breast tumors tested.

Propylene Glycol - Found in many beauty creams, cosmetics and cleansers, Propylene Glycol can cause skin rashes and contact dermatitis, and has been shown to cause damage to the kidneys and liver.

Isopropyl Alcohol - Alcohol is used as a solvent in many skin care products. It causes skin irritation and strips the skin of its natural acid mantle, promoting the growth of bacteria, moulds and viruses. It may also cause premature ageing of skin.

DEA (Diethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine) and MEA (Monoethanolamine) - These substances are harsh solvents and detergents that are used in cosmetics and face and body creams as an emollient. They can cause allergic reactions, and long term use of DEA-based products (such as Cocamide DEA) have been linked to an increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

Aluminum - A common ingredient in antiperspirants, aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

Mineral Oil - Derived from petroleum (crude oil), mineral oil is commonly found as a main ingredient of face and body creams and cosmetics. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil! It coats the skin like a plastic film, clogging pores and stopping the skin from eliminating toxins, which can lead to acne and other skin disorders. Other petroleum based ingredients include paraffin wax, paraffin oil and petrolatum.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) - Used as a thickener in skin care products and cosmetics, PEGs interfere with the skin's natural moisture balance, causing an increase in ageing and leaving the skin vulnerable to bacteria.

Talc - Talc is a soft mineral used in talcum powders and cosmetic powders. Scientific studies have shown that routine application of talcum powder to the genital area is linked with a three-to-fourfold increase in the development of ovarian cancer. Inhaling cosmetic powders containing talc may also be harmful to long term health.

How To Avoid These Toxins - Examine the labels of your cosmetics and skin care products carefully, and learn to recognize ingredients that are harmful to your skin and to your health. Many web sites have lists of potentially harmful ingredients in addition to those shown above (e.g. Environmental Working Group).

Don't be fooled by the words 'natural' or 'organic' on the front of the label. Many products contain at least one or two natural or organic ingredients, but they may also contain harmful synthetic chemicals as well.

Whenever possible, choose products with 100% natural ingredients such as essential oils and herbs. Your skin will love you for it!

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Asbestosis is an AsbetosRelated Disease and May be Considered as an Occupational Disease Too

A benign pleural disease is an asbestos-related disease which still has something of mystery to experts, since they don?t know why some asbestos workers get one of several benign diseases of the pleura while others are not affected by the terrible consequences of Asbestos.

The pleural cavity is the space between the lungs and the chest wall, which has an small amount of pleural fluid in the normal non-diseased state. The pleura is the epithelium that lines this cavity. Asbestos fibers can reach this part of the body.

The parietal pleura, which is connected to the chest wall, is highly sensitive to pain. Meanwhile, the visceral pleura, which is connected to the lung and other visceral tissues, is not sensitive to pain.

The function of pleura and pleural fluid is to reduce friction between the lungs and the inside of the chest wall during breathing. Asbestos fibers make difficult this. A benign pleural condition usually does not progress and is not fatal. These conditions include pleural plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis and benign pleural effusion.

Pleural effusion occurs when fluid accumulates in the pleural space and compresses the lungs.

Pleural plaques is a discrete fibrous or partially calcified thickened area which can be seen on x-rays of individuals exposed to asbestos. Benign pleural diseases appear various years after the exposure to asbestos and according to some experts cause little or no trouble, since some people do not even show symptoms. However, having a benign pleural disease may be the sign of developing asbestosis or another asbestos-related disease later.

This article was written by staff of Disorder Skin .com, visit http://www.disorderskin.com for skin disorder information, or you could see their last article:skin disorder called morphea scleroderma at:
http://www.disorderskin.com/1/skin-disorder-called-morphea-scleroderma.html. Thanks for use this article in your website or ezine keeping a live link.

Lanolin for Dummies Benefits of Lanolin

Lanolinn.Fatty substance obtained from wool. [German : from Latin lana (wool) + oleum (oil)

Wool oil, also referred to as ?wool grease? and ?wool fat?, originates as a unique substance, similar to wax, secreted from special glands in sheep?s skin. This substance migrates to the wool and offers natural protection to the animal against harsh weather and climatic conditions.

Wool oil is washed from the sheep?s wool during the scouring (cleaning) process. This takes place after the sheep has been shorn (similar to us having a haircut), a completely harmless process that takes place once a year meaning this natural wool fibre a renewable resource.

The raw oil obtained through the scouring process is then refined into lanolin, an organic, non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable product. Pure lanolin contains less than 3 parts per million of all impurities. The lanolin used in the production of our Lanocreme skin care range is considered to be more pure than most foods we consume. The chemical make up of lanolin is fascinating, demonstrating nature?s ability to create a protective coating which, to this day, chemists have been unable to duplicate in performance or composition.

Lanolin is entirely safe and included in all medical pharmacopoeias and the EEG Cosmetics Directive Second Amendment, which allows lanolin to be used freely in cosmetics without restriction.

Lanolin plays a major role in the production of our Lanocreme range of skin care products due to its well-deserved reputation of being the ultimate natural substance that gives a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin. Lanolin closely resembles the oil produced by our own oil glands and is easily absorbed by the outer, protective layer of our skin reducing excessive moisture loss and thereby restoring softness and elasticity.

Kim Bright has over 15 years experience with skin care products, having been involved in extensive market research throughout that time. She is currently employed as a marketing/customer services representative for Lanocorp Pacific Ltd who have been in the business of producing and distributing Lanolin based skin care products since 1987.

What SkinCare Products Are Right for You?

The packaging might be pretty, but it won?t do a thing to alleviate troubled acne, reduce fine lines, smooth wrinkles, or replenish moisture and oils to dazzle your complexion. When it comes to cosmetics as with most other things, it?s what?s inside that counts.

If you feel overwhelmed by the scores of product choices available today, and the miracles each repute to do, becoming more familiar with terms used in cosmetology and their true meanings might be helpful in distinguishing which products are and are not right for you.

Cosmetic companies are required to accurately divulge all the contents in their products, listing them in the order of concentration, from the most to the least. Certain cosmetic terms, however, can be confusing and misleading to the average consumer; terms such as all natural and fragrance-free, for instance.

While all natural does mean that ingredients used were derived from natural sources like plants and other organic material, use of the term applied to cosmetics is not regulated by the FDA. Some cosmetic companies not concerned with accuracy or with reputation often mislead consumers by applying the term to their product.

It is noteworthy that according to author and cosmetic expert Paula Begoun, in her book Don?t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, there is no scientific evidence that natural ingredients are any more beneficial for skin than synthetic.

Products that advertise they are fragrance-free may still use fragrant plant extracts to mask offensive odor resulting from unrefined materials used. These extracts can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. Fragrance-free, then, can mean only that the product is devoid of any noticeable aroma. Irritant-free is a more reliable term to look for in a product.

Alcohol-free products may be free of grain alcohol, which is drying. However, other forms of alcohol such as lanolin alcohol or cetearyl alcohol may still be used. For persons with sensitive skin, Ms. Begoun suggests using products that list any alcohol component just before or just after the list of preservatives.

The wise cosmetic consumer will select products based upon ingredient content and performance, not upon packaging or brand. Higher-end cosmetics will not necessarily work better than those that cost less, and one brand?s product may be excellent, while another product by the same brand ineffective. Therefore, brand loyalty will not necessarily benefit the consumer.

Many department-store cosmetic companies have been merged together. In all probability, cosmetic purchases bearing three different brand names might in actuality all be distributed by the same cosmetic company. In fact, over 75% of department store cosmetic lines are presently owned either by Estee Lauder or L?Oreal.

The short and sweet of it is to forget the hype. Everyone?s skin is different. Find out what works for you, and stick with it. Following a daily skin-care regimen tailored for your skin type, using tried and true products, will give your face a healthy glow like none other.

Visit Susan?s website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

*** This article can be freely used as long as a link to A 2 Z of Health and Beauty (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.

Tips For Choosing Man Skin Care Products

Nowadays, men are increasingly taking care of their skin. We have come to realize this is not just about looking good, it?s primarily about health. But realizing this, is just the first step, then the second step becomes a little bit harder. It?s then, when ask the question: What man skin care products should I use?

First you should start getting to know your skin. Man skin care products are special depending on the type of skin you have. Look at shaving creams and face cleaning soaps for example, they have certain types: for sensitive skin, for dry skin, oily skin. Determine which skin type you have, and work from there.

Other thing you need to keep in mind is your main goal with a product. Man skin care products exist for a variety of applications, from anti-aging creams to pore cleaning products. But remember also that you should take care of all your skin as well. A younger face means not only less wrinkles but an overall healthy look.

I would also recommend to always prefer natural man skin care products. The reason? Just as the name says, it?s natural. You?ll be amazed of the quality of natural products for the skin available for men since ancient ages. Some man skin care products have us so blinded by claims of miracle chemical ingredients, that we often forget the simplicity of natural skin care.

The man skin care product market is just beginning, now that more and more men want these kind of products you?ll see new offers pop up. Don?t get caught on nice packaging and miracle claims, always stick to the facts because is your health what we are talking about here. Finally, remember great man skin care products make you feel great. Listen to your body and you can?t go wrong.

Paolo Basauri, is an expert author who writes for Man skin care products A site specialized in men skin care information & tips.

How Real Dermatologists And Plastic Surgeons Cure And Treat Fine Lines Wrinkles And Acne

Fine lines and wrinkles are a fact of aging. They make everyone look older as the skin loses its elasticity and starts to sag. Frowning and facial expressions over time can also result in the same loss of elasticity. There are thousands of various products we see hawked on TV by leading actresses and assorted hollywood stars from Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Anniston, etc... We even see them on Oprah as some of her recent Oprah's favorite things giveaways. The problem is that 99.9% of them do not work at all or minimally at best! We asked thousands of dermatologists and surgeons what the best remedies were other than plastic surgery. The answer was unanimous - a routine of TCA skin peels, mild cleansers - no harsh soaps, stay out of the sun, use sunscreen, and take vitamin E and fish oil pills. Not one of them mentioned any of the thousands of products we see on TV and in magazines that claim to cure or ease these fine lines and wrinkles.

TCA stands for trichloroacetic acid. TCA peels have long been used in doctors offices and medispas for treatment of many skin problems like sun damage, liver spots, acne, acne scarring, wrinkles, fine lines, freckles, pregnancy mask, etc... TCA peels are not cheap, but they are the most effective product or treatment available for fine line and wrinkles. They increase your skins rate of repair and they also increase collagen production. They are the most prescribed chemical peel and are, hands down, the most effective treatment for fine lines and wrinkles - and also acne! They can now be purchased for home use.

Mild cleansers are inportant as they will clean, but not overdry or aggravate your face. Cetaphil and the Target generic brand are great. They will gently emulsify dirt and oil and remove it with out overdrying your face. Products with benzoyl peroxide, like Proactive, should be avoided as they will overdry and aggravate oily skin and acne. Harsh soaps will have the same effect as benzoyl peroxide products.

The sun is your enemy. It will age your skin and does result in wrinkles and other skin problems like melanoma - the worst type of skin cancer. Use sunscreens with high SPF's like 30 - 40. You need to cover up when going out in the sun. And I can't stress it enough wear sunscreen - If youdon't think you will get cancer from being out in the sun, goto your local hospital oncology department. Most of those people didn't think they could get it either.

Vitamin E and fish oil pills will increase the hydration of your skin. They will increase the elasticity of your skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It can take a few months to see the results and they won't be as dramatic as with the TCA peels mentioned earlier, but they have been clinically proven to be effective.

There you have it - how to treat and cure fine line and wrinkles from real dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Real treatments that really work. For more information on TCA peels please see the link below.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental skin care interests. He can be reached at http://www.bestskinpeel.com.

Medical Spa's: A Physicians Perspective

Imagine visiting a facility that allows for medical grade cosmetic procedures to restore skin health and rejuvenate the face and body, maximize health and wellness while in a serene spa-like environment. You would be visiting a Medical Spa.

International Medical Spa Association defines a medical spa as ?a facility that operates under the full-time, on-site supervision of a licensed health care professional. The facility operates within the scope of practice of its staff, and offers traditional, complementary, and alternative health practices and treatments in a spa-like setting. Practitioners working within a medical spa will be governed by their appropriate licensing board, if licensure is required.? It would provide a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates traditional cosmetic procedures and wellness with alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and holistic care to maximize both health and wellness as well as beauty care. Those that adhere to the guidelines as put forth by the IMSA often have a physician on staff (preferably on site), chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritionists, and holistic practitioners.

Advancing technology allows for more dramatic non-invasive and minimal ?down time? cosmetic procedures to fit patients active social and career lifestyle. This, coupled with mainstream acceptance, has led to an ever-growing consumer demand. Numerous facilities are appearing almost daily, whether attached to an already existing medical practice or as a stand alone new practice. Even some traditional hair salons and day spa?s are enlisting physicians to come by their facility periodically to perform Botox? or Restylane? injections.

With this booming demand, many investors see an opportunity to cash in on this growing market by opening medical spas ranging from ?one of? to franchises. Many non-medical persons are opening up facilities ranging from laser hair removal facilities to medical spa?s, staffing them with estheticians, ?laser technicians?, or nurses. For a facility to purchase a laser, a physician has to be affiliated with that facility. Thus many physicians serve as Medical Director, yet have no direct clinical interaction with clients in their evaluation, treatment or follow-up.

Indeed, for some facilities the physician is not even located in the same community. Some Medical Directors have residency training in Dermatology or Plastic Surgery, while others are from different medical specialties. However, since many of these procedures and technologies are relatively new, current and ongoing postgraduate medical education and training are important.

With this rapid growth, many states medical regulations are not keeping pace with the evolving technologies, which result in loose regulatory oversight. In fact many states allow non-physicians to own and operate laser hair removal spas.

With increasing popularity and availability of these services, the incidence of injury from these ?low risk? procedures is increasing. While very rarely serious injury occurs (there have been two deaths, including one in North Carolina, associated with laser hair removal and use of topical anesthetic), troublesome injuries requiring evaluation and treatment by a medical specialist are becoming more commonplace. Injuries can include scarring, pigmentation changes, and even blindness. A study on complications from laser procedures by Vic Narurkar, MD was presented this year at the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery. He found that 82% of all laser related complications occurred in facilities that had no direct physician supervision. 1

Training is another big issue. For example, an esthetician requires a minimum of 600 hours training before being issued a license to perform skin care and superficial peels. However, to operate a laser most states have no set training requirements. In most cases the training is done by the laser manufacture and may be only a day or two in length. While lasers are generally safe in the right hands and most persons have no contraindications, there are a few medical conditions that can lead to adverse out comes. Certain medical conditions, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, adrenal or ovarian tumors, can manifest themselves by excessive facial hair or male pattern hair growth. These could be easily missed if not appropriately screened for. Certain medications can place the laser patient at higher risk for complications. Appropriate medical screening is warranted in all new laser patients.

Another concern is what happens if someone is injured. Or, while screening a prospective laser patient, concern of an underlying medical condition arises. Can most of these facilities handle these situations? Does the staff know what to do? Is the staff astute enough to notice that a mole has some suspicious features before performing a laser treatment on it? Is there a physician on site or readily available to evaluate that mole, or treat a complication?

Medical spas provide clients aesthetic and wellness care in a serene, relaxing and pampering environment. Most patients will have no adverse outcomes or are treated without injury. However with the increasing popularity of these procedures, adverse outcomes are bound to increase. Having a physician who is actively involved in patient evaluation, treatment and follow-up is an important component to preventing injury. Establishment of a training program with ongoing education and evaluation of all practitioners is paramount. Finally, the ability to treat and refer patients who are injured or have other medical concerns is also important.

1. Complications from Laser Procedures Performed By Non-Physicians. Vic A. Narurkar, MD. Skin & Aging. Sep 2005, pg. 70-71.

Donald Sudy, MD
Medical Director
ReGenesis Medical Spa & Wellness Center

What is Rosacea Symptoms and Treatments

Rosacea is a kind of skin disease which gives rise to different symptoms such as dilated blood vessels, inflammation on the skin, permanent redness, papules, pustules etc. Due to rosacea, sometimes the eyes and the other body parts are also affected. The root cause of rosacea is not known till now. It is said that people who often blush seem to develop this because their blood vessels are dilated. Rosacea may be caused by the following primary symptoms such as burning, erethymas, scaling caused due to burning or stinging, dry skin, swelling that enlarges after the portion becoming red, eye symptoms such as redness, itching or corneal damage and pimples from acne.

There are various ways to treat Rosacea. Both modern science and the traditional medicines can treat it but only when there is redness and blood vessel enlargement. Laser treatment can also cure the dilated blood vessels or the skin irregularities. The condition can also be cured with antibiotics when papules, pustules are caused. If rosacea spreads consult your physician. The physician will prescribe necessary medicines. If pimples form then clean your skin with skin cleansers.

There are plenty of alternative medicines found in the market such as topical creams that comprise of natural oils, herbs, minerals and antioxidants that heal the acute irritation. The bacterial infection is treated with mild antiseptic agents. Consult a physician before using any medication.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1712.html

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL.

Fighting the Visible Signs of Aging

YOUR SKIN

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and is significantly affected by the aging process. Estrogen receptors have been detected on the cellular components of the skin and lower levels of estrogen influence the skin-cell metabolism. Changes in the skin collagen leads to diminished elasticity and skin strength. There is a distinct reduction of collagen production after menopause. Changes in vascularity are found following menopause. Dermal blood flow decreases significantly in postmenopausal women.

Repair functions in skin are regulated by a group of chemicals called 'cytokines.'. Included in these are epidermal cell growth factor (ECGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), and angiogenesis factor. AF stimulates the rebuilding of the microvascular system within the skin. TGF and ECGF stimulate rapid cell proliferation for the replacement of dead or damaged cells.

Excessive exposure to UV rays causes oxidation of the collagen and elastin fibers in this skin. This, in turn causes 'crosslinking'. Cross-linking causes the collagen in the skin to become tangled and stiffen. This results in sagging and loss of skin elasticity, and allow facial expressions to put deep lines and wrinkles in the skin. Some of this UV damage can be prevented by the use of sunscreens and sunblocks. Some of this damage can be reversed by the use of 'peels' - where the outer layer of the skin is removed by the use of mild acidic formulas, which removes the damaged layers and stimulates the production of a stronger, thicker layer of skin.

Free radicals are molecules created by oxidative chemical reactions within the body. These free radicals damage cellular DNA and cause mutations of the skin cells. Free radical damage can be prevented by the use of anti-oxidants, both internally and topically. Antioxidants attract and bind these free radical molecules, rendering them harmless.

Premature skin aging can be avoided by preventing excess exposure to sunlight and pollutants, as well as providing with skin with the nutrients it needs to repair itself. Provide your skin with the building blocks it needs by maintaining adequate consumption of the following nutrients:

NUTRITION FOR AGING SKIN

ZINC: Zinc is required for collagen production and elastin synthesis, as well as DNA repair. Zinc is required for DNA duplication, which is required for cell division. Zinc is required for the production of certain proteins that remove damaged or mutated tissue as well as for superoxide dismutase, a power antioxidant.

COPPER: Copper helps to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, helps to thicken the dermis, increases vascularity and oxygenation and works to stimulate superoxide dismutase.

SULFUR: Sulfur is a component of the protein Keratin found in nails, hair and skin. Sulfur is essential for the production of collagen and it is required for the production of the connective tissues.

Vitamin A: The vitamin necessary for healthy skin. A serious lack or excess intake can cause dry, rough skin, among other problems. Ascorbyl palmitate applied on the skin decreased the level of formation of free radicals*.

Vitamin C: Known for its antioxidant properties. Photoprotective properties of topically applied vitamin C have also been demonstrated, indicating its use in the prevention and treatment of skin aging. Topical applications of 5% vitamin C cream is an effective treatment, clinically shown to improve photodamaged skin.**

Vitamin D: Vitamin D has been shown to reverse skin damage, increase wound healing. Vitamin D is produced in the body in response to sunlight, and has been shown to have a beneficial affect on skin repair and hair growth. Vitamin D rarely requires supplementation, and 15 minutes of daily low-sun exposure should stimulate adequate production of this hormone-like vitamin.***

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a power antioxidant. Experiments show that that it may protect against the degradation of collagen, and prevent skin damage by environmental insult and aging.***

CoQ10 (Ubiquinone): Internal and topical application of CoQ10 has a beneficial effect of preventing photoaging. CoQ10 penetrates into the viable layers of the epidermis and reduces the level of oxidation. Reduction in wrinkle depth following CoQ10 application has also been shown in clinical trials. CoQ10 prevents oxidative DNA damage and suppresses the degradation of collagen.****

References:

*Skin protection against ultraviolet induced free radicals with ascorbyl palmitate in microemulsions. Jurkovic P, Sentjurc M, Gasperlin M, Kristl J, Pecar S. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

**Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin. Clinical, topographical and ultrastructural evaluation: double-blind study vs. placebo. Humbert PG, Haftek M, Creidi P, Lapiere C, Nusgens B, Richard A, Schmitt D, Rougier A, Zahouani H. Department of Dermatology, Hospital Saint Jacques, University of Franche-Comte, Besancon, France.

***Vitamin D enhances mitogenesis mediated by keratinocyte growth factor receptor in keratinocytes. Gamady A, Koren R, Ron D, Liberman UA, Ravid A. The Basil and Gerald Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Petah-Tikva, Israel.

***Age-dependent increase of collagenase expression can be reduced by alpha-tocopherol via protein kinase C inhibition. Ricciarelli R, Maroni P, Ozer N, Zingg JM, Azzi A.Institut fur Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Universitat Bern, Switzerland.

****Coenzyme Q10, a cutaneous antioxidant and energizer. Hoppe U, Bergemann J, Diembeck W, Ennen J, Gohla S, Harris I, Jacob J, Kielholz J, Mei W, Pollet D, Schachtschabel D, Sauermann G, Schreiner V, Stab F, Steckel F.Paul Gerson Unna Research Center, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany

Fawn Bales has studied and practiced natural and alternative medicine for over 20 years, and has also studied aesthetic technology and cosmetology. She is the co-author of two natural beauty reference books and a managing editor and partner of Botanical Beauty Lab, a women's reference for natural health and beauty information located at http://www.botanicalbeautylab.com You can reach her by email at fawn@botanicalbeautylab.com

Medical Therapies for Vitiligo

The manifestation of vitiligo?s effects on a patient?s body is seen not only through the white patches that appear but also through the weakening of the skin?s function. The occurrence of this disorder affects the melanin content of a person?s skin, thus making him more prone to the damaging effects of the sun. The primary goal of the treating vitiligo is to improve the person?s physical appearance and restore the important functions of the skin making him less susceptible to even more skin damage.

The first option is the medical therapies. When started early, topical steroid therapy helps a great deal in repigmenting the skin meaning returning the color to those white patches that have spread around the body. Doctors advice the patients to apply corticosteroids, which are a group of drugs that resemble the hormones produced by the adrenal gland. Results usually manifest after two to three months of application, taking note this is not a therapy to cure vitiligo but a treatment that can help.

Even if it is time-consuming, psoralen photochemotherapy is proving to be one of the most beneficial treatments for vitiligo patients. It is also known as the psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy). Ultraviolet A (UVA) is a type of radiation that reaches the earth?s surface and cause the skin to tan while psoralens are drugs that contain chemicals, which react with ultraviolet light. This treatment is done by exposing the skin to UVA light from a special lamp. This must be done careful so as to not overexpose the skin.

Patients who will undergo psoralen photochemotherapy have two options: oral which is taking psoralen by mouth, and topical which is done by applying the medicine to the skin. For other repigmentation options, visit Medical Therapies for Vitiligo

The manifestation of vitiligo?s effects on a patient?s body is seen not only through the white patches that appear but also through the weakening of the skin?s function. The occurrence of this disorder affects the melanin content of a person?s skin, thus making him more prone to the damaging effects of the sun. The primary goal of the treating vitiligo is to improve the person?s physical appearance and restore the important functions of the skin making him less susceptible to even more skin damage.

The first option is the medical therapies. When started early, topical steroid therapy helps a great deal in repigmenting the skin meaning returning the color to those white patches that have spread around the body. Doctors advice the patients to apply corticosteroids, which are a group of drugs that resemble the hormones produced by the adrenal gland. Results usually manifest after two to three months of application, taking note this is not a therapy to cure vitiligo but a treatment that can help.

Even if it is time-consuming, psoralen photochemotherapy is proving to be one of the most beneficial treatments for vitiligo patients. It is also known as the psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy). Ultraviolet A (UVA) is a type of radiation that reaches the earth?s surface and cause the skin to tan while psoralens are drugs that contain chemicals, which react with ultraviolet light. This treatment is done by exposing the skin to UVA light from a special lamp. This must be done careful so as to not overexpose the skin.

Patients who will undergo psoralen photochemotherapy have two options: oral which is taking psoralen by mouth, and topical which is done by applying the medicine to the skin.

Possible vitiligo cure by Jason Herbert the webmaster of
http://www.vitiligoinfo.com/

Treating Back and Body Acne

Back and body acne is a common problem for many acne sufferers. Unfortunately, there are not as many treatment options available for those that suffer from body acne, and just as with normal acne treatment, most of these treatments simply do not work. In order to put an end to stubborn back and body acne, you need to understand your skin and treat it effectively.

Body acne is different from facial acne.

Because the skin on areas such as your back is different from the skin on your face, the type of acne you suffer from can be different as well. Generally, almost all cases of facial acne are caused by an excessive production of skin oil (sebum) by the glands in your pores. This is largely the case for body acne as well. However, besides skin oil, your pores can also be clogged by a build-up of dead cells. The important thing to understand is that areas such as your back may be much more susceptible to this later cause of acne.

The layer of skin on your back is thicker than on your face, and is less frequently exposed to the elements and other factors that could aid in exfoliation (the process of shedding dead skin cells). Many people only half-heartedly wash their backs in the shower, and this may simply not be enough to scrape away those dead cells.

To make sure you?re exfoliating your entire body properly, leave that bar of soap alone. Buy some gentle body wash and a bath sponge with some texture to it. Wash thoroughly every day in those hard-to-reach places. If you need to purchase a back-scrubber to reach everywhere, then get one. Keep in mind that you shouldn?t need to scrape hard against your skin. Any sponge will usually exfoliate the top layer of your skin much better than your hands.

Once you begin exfoliating properly, you?ll probably notice results fast, but there?s still the matter of preventing acne from forming in the first place.

Take a moment to consider if you are doing anything that causes acne. If you frequently wear clothing that isn?t quite clean, you may be giving bacteria an extra opportunity to form. This is especially important for clothing that hugs close to your skin and doesn?t breath well. If you wear tight clothes and exercise, make sure not to sit around in sweaty clothes for long.

Can acne treatments help?

Chances are that many of the same acne treatments that work on your face will work on your back and body, but they may not be quite as potent on the thicker skin of your back. Reading the reviews for some acne skin care products may help you learn which one is right for you. However, if you really want to prevent acne from forming, you need to prevent your oil glands from over-producing. Internal acne treatments are the best choice for this, as they are the only treatments that can really prevent acne, and it?s also just easier to take a pill rather than trying to apply a cream in a place such as your back. There are a few vitamin supplements that can help with acne prevention.

Vitamin A can help by strengthening your skin cells and reducing the production levels of your oil glands. However, too much vitamin A can have serious side effects, so it?s best to take it simply with a multivitamin so that you are sure to get your recommended daily value. Zinc is a mineral that also aids in regulating your oil glands, and is a powerful antioxidant that can eliminate toxins in your skin cells. Taking a zinc supplement every day has been shown to reduce acne for many. Too much zinc can cause stomach pain, so just be sure to listen to your body.

Vitamin B5 is the safest and most effective vitamin for acne treatment. The doses required are higher than for other vitamins, but since B5 is water-soluble there is no health risk at all. Vitamin B5 assists oil regulation by enhancing the rate at which your body metabolizes skin oil, and thus can prevent most cases of acne when taken in sufficient doses.

By exfoliating properly on the outside and preventing acne on the inside, almost anyone can be rid of body acne in just a few weeks.

Don Amodeo is the webmaster of Acne-Vitamins.com, where you can find vitamin B5 acne products and a free guide to vitamins for acne. This article may be republished provided that the author's information and all active links are left intact.

The Fountain of Youth Secret

There are many myths surrounding the Fountain of Youth. But are they really all fairytales?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if such a fountain existed?

Certainly, there is no sparkling fountain, gushing magical waters that you eagerly drink and then, mirror in hand, watch as the years drop away in front of your very eyes.

But, take heart! Because, it is fabled that, up in a Tibetan monastery, deep in the foothills of the Himalayas, the secrets of biological age reversal were discovered well over a century ago. And the secrets, like most natural remedies, were remarkably simple.

The story goes that a retired Englishman, who had served in India, had heard persistent rumours about a place in the Himalayan mountains where people remained youthful well into their late years. Not only did they continue to look young but, astonishingly, they also retained their vigour.

No drugs or secret herbs were involved!

Determined to learn their secret, the Englishman returned to India, retired and enfeebled by age, and tracked down the monastery. He spent more than a year there, learning different very basic health secrets from the Tibetan Lamas, and then returned to England.

It is said he came back a new man, looking and acting twenty years younger! Fortunately, he recorded his experiences in Tibet for the benefit of his astounded friends. And so today, we have information about the secret rejuvenation yoga he learned from the Tibetan lamas.

These secrets of retaining youth were embodied in a set of rejuvenation yoga exercises that the monks practiced daily.

The exercises are very simple, and are complemented by a breathing technique, without which the exercises will lack effectiveness.

Wealthy clients of famous natural health Gurus in North America are now practicing this regimen with excellent results. Word has spread like wildfire, and now thousands of people all over the world are secretly doing this special yoga.

Reports from some practitioners are almost miraculous! They speak of youthful skin and age spots fading, grey hair reverting back to black, body aches and pains disappearing, renewed energy and overall physical and mental rejuvenation.

Contrary to all you have been taught, even as your chronological age creeps up on you, your youthful looks and vitality can endure. And it is all based on a very rudimentary principle.

The fundamental principle, on which the Tibetan yoga is based, is that our endocrine system releases a lesser supply of hormones as we age. Mother Nature made the decision that once we have passed the youthful procreating years, we no longer need to look good to attract a mate, nor do we need the drive and energy of youth. So she gradually turns off the hormonal tap. The result is the aging signs that we all dread. Our skin becomes wrinkled and slack, our hair thins, our energy level drops, and we begin to think older as we see our reflection in the mirror each day.

Modern anti-aging strategies depend heavily on human growth hormone replacement therapy, despite possible adverse side effects. We, however, always prefer and advocate natural methods, unless there is absolutely no alternative.

The rejuvenation yoga exercises are designed to activate your endocrine system, stimulating the release of your natural hormones. To accomplish this, your chakras have to have their optimum spin restored. Sounds esoteric to most people, but ?prana? and ?chi? are familiar concepts to most Asians and Chinese.

But you don't have to understand it for it to work, although it is a fascinating subject to explore. The regimen works so effectively that stories about the place where people never age has spread. It is now practiced by thousands of people all over the world, who swear by it!

You too, if you keep an open mind, can learn these exercises and drink from the mythical fountain of youth.

There are natural remedies for just about all health matters. They may take a little longer to work than drugs, but the side effects are almost always positive! And they don't cost the earth!

Roshmi Raychaudhuri & Jay Chatterjee launched their web site http://www.youngagainforever.com to promote Tibetan rejuvenation yoga, which they personally endorse enthusiastically. Roshmi is a businesswoman based in India. Jay, a retired CA and commercial finance executive, resides in Canada. Their website contains, in addition, a wealth of information on other natural health topics and remedies to keep you looking and feeling radiant.

Makeup With Contact Lenses On: How to Apply Makeup While Wearing Contact Lenses?

Ralph Waldo Emerson very rightly said, One of the most wonderful things in nature is a glance of the eye; it transcends speech; it is the bodily symbol of identity. Eye is considered to be an integral party of one's beauty and we at times completely ignoring taking care of it. The unhygienic environment around us along with inevitable aging deteoriates the beauty of eye unless we make a concious effort to take care of it. Here are few healthy tips on how to apply makeup with contact lenses on!

. Always apply cosmetics after you insert your lenses. Apply eye make-up sparingly and take care not to soil or damage a lens. Apply eye make-up on the outer lid margin only, not the inside.

. Use Eye make-up that has been specially formulated to be oil and fragrance free. Use a non-oily mascara which is water-proof to prevent flaking and excessive smudging. Mascara with lash-building fibres should be avoided.

. Replace mascara and eyeliner products very three to six months to avoid contamination.

. Avoid eye shadow that is powder. Use only gel, liquid or cream. Never use eye shadow that is frosted or iridescent. These may contain oyster shells or mica.

. Do not use eyeliner that is directly drawn on the rim of the eye. Keep all eyeliner pencils sharp enough so the wood doesn't scratch the surface of the eye.

. Remove the lenses before removing eye make up all make-up daily with an oily-free remover.

Random Tip: How to achieve the smoky eyes effect-

. Use a highlighter pencil right under the eyebrow, with a wider sweep. near the end, right on the bone. Blend. Emphasing the natural curves of your eye, use silver eye-shadow on the lid and inner corner, and a deeper gray on the socket crease, outer corner and near the lashes.

. Whip out the eyeliner and redefine the shape of your eye by making the line narrower in the inner corner and wider in the outer corner, to give it an upward slanting, almond shape.

Must Read: Skin Care Treatment and Tips - 10 skin care tips a women must know at http://www.weightloss-health.com/skin%20care%20treatment%20tips.htm

Wash your hands prior to putting in each contact, and then apply makeup.

Your mascara needs to have two magic phrases on its label: hypo-allergenic and safe for use by contact lens wearers.

Never apply eye makeup while in a car.

The odd flake of mascara fiber or the wrong eye pencil can make your eyes puff up or can bring that bloodshot effect which obviously you don't want, right?.

Random Tip: Home remedy for black spots-

Try these easy recipes to do away with black spots: Make a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and glycerin and apply it on the spots.

Grind dried basil leaf, neem and mint (100gm each). Add some turmeric powder and rose water to make it into a paste and apply it on the spots.

About the Author

Ashley Green: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

To get more free tips and advice on Eye Care, visit us at Free Eye Care Product and Eye Makeup Tips

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

Discolored Patches On Face Why Do They Form?

Discolored patches of color on the face that cover the upper lip, cheeks or forehead can make you look bad. What are they and how do they form? Let us find out more about these colored patches or melasma as it is called. This is a problem both for men and women, and not only for women, as it is wrongly believed. Let us find out more so you can stop them.

Skin- Why Do Colored Patches Form?

The color of our skin is because of melanin that is produced by cells called-melanocytes. These melanocytes sometimes get hyper active and produce much more melanin than needed. This activity can be triggered by some phototoxic allergies, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy etc. If you use a product that is photo toxic there are very good possibilities that you will develop melasma. Photo toxic means that the product is safe for use if no sun is present, but will produce allergy as soon as sunrays strike it. Hair dyes are a good example of this. In women during pregnancy and while taking birth control pills, hormones activate the melanocytes in the skin and produce more of melanin-the skin color. You will therefore get the colored patches on the facial skin.

Skin And Sun protection-

Protect your skin from sun as much as possible. The sun is activating factor for melanin. If you protect your skin from sun, you will save lot of damage to skin including keeping these colored patches away.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

C.D. Mohatta writes articles on skin problems, skin treatments and skin care. For more information about how to have a blemish free and young looking skin, please visit the sun damage section of - http://www.doctorgoodskin.com/ If you love solving quizzes on personality, relationships and career, you can try hundreds of them at Fun Quiz Cards. For sending free animated flash ecards and greeting cards on topics such as holidays, birthday, love, friendship, family, expressions, celebrations, etc. please visit Free eCards website for a very large collection of free ecards.

Eczema: Tips On How To Care For Your Skin

Eczema can best be described as a non-contagious skin condition, which is characterized by hot dry itchy skin, with symptoms that often fluctuate seasonally and even over the course of the day. Eczema typically begins in early childhood. Research indicates that eczema may be genetically determined and studies show that there is often a family history of allergies, asthma, eczema or hay fever. Children who experience eczema may also suffer from asthma or hay fever as well.

Like an allergy, eczema tends to flair up when exposed to certain triggers, especially mechanical irritants, allergens, emotional stress, heat and sweating. When exposed to an offending situation, inflammation producing cells come to surface of the skin and release chemicals, leaving the skin red, pealing and thickened. Sometimes tiny blisters form, rupture, weep and crust over.

Eczema most often appears in and round the creases of joints of the arms and legs and around trunk of the body. For some, it also emerges on their hands and on the sloes of their feet. Sufferers also experience an intense itching makes them want to scratch it, causing additional damage which can lead to bleeding and infection.

Solvents, chemicals, detergents, bleach, woolen clothing, skin care products that contain alcohol and certain soaps or fragrances are all considered mechanical irritant that can cause burning, itching or redness to the skin and bring about a flair-up. And while allergens, like food, pollens and pets, do not irritate the skin, they can also trigger a flair-up. The same holds true to emotional stress. Intense emotions such as anger and frustration can flair up symptoms. Many individuals with eczema also do not tolerate extremely hot or cold temperatures as well. High humidity can cause increased sweating, while low humidity can dry the skin.

Recommendations For Wellness

The key to controlling eczema is prevention. Avoid or reduce your exposure to things that can irritate your skin such as household cleaners, detergents, certain soaps and wool clothing.

Use a moisturizer on your skin every day to help keep it soft and flexible.

Don?t scratch even if it itches! Scratching can further irritate the skin and can even cause the skin to break and crack, opening the door to infection.

Take the time to identify your triggers. This can help you to avoid or limit your exposure to the offending item even better. If you think a food item is causing your problems, talk to your doctor about getting an allergy test or try an elimination diet to help you identify the offending product.

Be sure to dry your hands completely after you wash them.

Wear gloves when your hands will be exposed to anything that can irritate them.

Learn to manage your stress through regular exercise, breathing techniques, biofeedback, meditation and yoga.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has been shown to help reduce the inflammation, dryness and scaleness often associated with eczema. GLA can be found in evening primrose oil, borage oil and currant seed oil.

If your skin becomes infected, the herb Oregon grape has been used for hundreds of years to treat infections and a variety of skin problems.

Natures Sunshine?s Golden Salve is a blend of herbs, oils and beeswax that sooths and moisturizes rough, chafed, chapped skin.

A homeopathic remedy for eczema may help relieve the itching and irritation associated with eczema and dermatitis of the skin and scalp.

? Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved.

Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of the books ?Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4? and ?The Power Within?. It is it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates and enlivens her work. Let Dr. Louise help you bring health healing and wholeness back into your life. Medical Intuition & Energy Medicine Certification training classes are now forming. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or call (972) 475-3393 for more information.

Best Tanning Bed Lotions

When it comes to finding the best tanning bed lotions you will find that there are many choices of tanning lotions to choose from. In fact a quick search on Google will find you almost 900 different types of tanning lotions to choose from to include bronzers, indoor tanning bed lotions and the widely popular tingle factor suntan lotion. Tanning lotions are primarily used to acquire a deep natural looking tan when exposed to the warming and soothing rays of the sun. Although these sun tan lotions will turn your skin into the dark bronze color you so desperately crave they do very little to prevent the sun's harmful rays from damaging your skin. So please keep that in mind when utilizing any store bought tanning lotion.

So now that we have established the many different tanning lotions available on the market why would you consider a sunless tanning lotion? Well, for starters a sunless tanning lotion would be a good choice for the title of best tanning bed lotion because it's made primarily for tanning indoors under the intense rays emitting from the professional grade tanning beds that are sold for commercial tanning salons as well as for tanning in the privacy of your on home. With the ability of not relying on the sun in order to produce a stunning tan these lotions become very easy and convenient to use in any indoor setting. When used properly many of today's top tanning lotions, also serve as a moisturizer that protects your skin while allowing for a natural looking tan to develop.

Tanning bed lotions became extremely popular several years ago due to the national warnings regarding the harmful effects on the dun's rays on the body while exposed to the sun even for a short period of time. They have since evolved into tanning sprays that not only protect the skin but also enrich it making the cell structure stronger and healthier. Tanning bed lotions are popular wherever tanning salons exist which is pretty much everywhere from California to Maryland and even in Florida.

Sadly when people see a tan or have a tan they think of it as a beauty symbol or status of some sort when in reality all it truly reflects is damaged skin cells that if consistently burnt could lead to serious side effects such as skin cancer. And it doesn?t stop there because we have migrated from the best tanning bed lotions to tanning pills and tanning accelerators but their use has slowed down due to the harmful effects they render to the skins normal cellular life. However if someone simply must have a tan pigment to their skin then the sun less tanning lotions do offer a safer way to achieve the golden tanned look they want without as many harmful side effects.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Tanning-Bed-Solutions.com He provides more information on the best tanning bed lotions, tanning beds and lamps that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Thinking Of Visiting Your Local Tanning Salon?

Commercial tanning beds have come a long way in the last few years. The commercial tanning beds in your local salon should be safer than ever before.

There are many kinds of commercial tanning beds. You may want to do a little research on which commercial tanning beds are the best to use.

When you use commercial tanning beds you may be running a risk of health issues like skin cancer. If you do some research you will be able to decide if commercial tanning beds are for you.

Before you use commercial tanning beds you should check to see if you have any moles, skin discolorations, or freckles. Keep an eye on these when using commercial tanning beds to make sue they don?t change in color, texture or size.

There are some people who should not use commercial tanning beds. If you are under 16 you may want to avoid commercial tanning beds.

There are certain medications that can not be taken if you plan to tan in commercial tanning beds.

People who are very fair and do not tan well or at all should not use commercial tanning beds. If you have a history of skin cancer in your family, the use of commercial tanning beds may not be a good idea.

Did you suffer from a really bad sunburn as a child? You may want to avoid commercial tanning beds.

Some people have a medical condition that becomes worse when they are exposed to sunlight. If this describes you, you should not tan in commercial tanning beds.

If you are thinking of using commercial tanning beds you have the best information so you will be able to tan as safely as possible.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Tanning-Bed-Solutions.com. He provides more tanning bed information on tanning bed bulbs, tanning bed lotions and tanning bed information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

A Personal Skincare Program for You

Why is it that all of us cannot keep the skin we were born with. Well I?ve still got my skin but it has changed and, according to my mother, it has changed a lot. It would also need to have stretched a bit, well in my case stretched a lot. As we get older, things happen to our skin, like wrinkles. I have them but I am a man so I can get away with it. Unfortunately, ladies find it harder to get away with having a few wrinkles. As a man, I am not too bothered by a few wrinkles and as long as I keep my skin clean, I do not bother with it much and no one really notices. What we do notice though is skin on women, and because many men are somehow genetically programmed to be uncaring and insensitive about your skin, you spend a great deal of time and effort to make your skin look good.

Why is it then that men can get away with wrinkles but women cannot? Is there anything you can do about it? If you adopt a skin care program then this should help to affect how your skin looks and more importantly it will affect how you feel as well, and that is very important. You have to remember that the skin is the largest organ in your body and so by adopting a skincare program you are looking after yourself.

So what can you do about it? Well to start with after every shower even after you have dried yourself your skin is still damp and by applying moisturizer you are trapping moisture into your skin which is a great plus factor. Another one is to drink water and this hydration helps your skin as well. However, if you notice that even after this your skin is always dry and sometimes a little flakey, just visit your doctor to check things out. One other reason you should quickly visit is if there is a major change such as dark, (or lighter), skin patches and any changes or growth to moles you may have. Get these checked out just to make sure you have no problems.

One thing to watch out for is the effect the sun has on your skin. The sun is at its fiercest when it is highest, which is generally at midday, so just take care. Applying a good sunscreen helps, and another thing to take into consideration is that elastin, which is a substance in your skin, breaks down under strong sunlight. This can cause the skin to sag so just be careful. It is a pity about the effects of sunlight on skin as most of us feel much happier when exposed to sunlight.

Rather than buy every skincare product on the market there is a lot you can do to help your skin by developing your own personal skincare program.

Healthy skin is helped by a healthy diet, and a healthy diet is usually a balanced diet containing fresh vegetables and fruit. Both of these have been found to contain antioxidants which can help your skin protect itself from day to day living. To get the best values from fruit and veg though it must be fresh or only lightly cooked.

Another important factor in skincare is skin hydration and this is helped by drinking a sensibly amount of water. I have seen it suggested that 4 to 8 cups a day is sensible but if you are drinking bottled mineral water check the chemical makeup of the water as some are high in sodium which means high salt levels. Do not fall into the trap that drinking 4 to 8 cups of coffee a day, (which is mainly water after all), is as good for you. Coffee contains plenty of caffeine which helps the body to dispose of water. I had a great idea that I would drink beer instead of coffee as that is mainly water, but drinks containing alcohol, (including wine,) do not class as water either. It does not have to be bottled water either; tap water is fine as long as it is pure and clean. Not at bedtime though as drinking late at night means your body may retain this water causing your skin to stretch a little which is not something you want to happen.

Your skin also stretches when you become overweight and after a diet, and loosing weight, you will need to exercise to tone your skin into shape again. A younger person has more flexible skin but when you are older your skin is not as flexible and it becomes harder to tone your skin after loosing weight. The answer is not to try and put on weight in the first place but that is not always easy especially as we get older. However please try to keep weight gain off your skin care program as the two do not go together.

Whatever you decide to do, do some research and find out what will work best for you. One way of doing this is to talk to people selling skincare products in stores. Although their job is to try and sell you their product, they will still give you good advice. You could ask your friends as well, as some of them may be able to guide you in the right direction. Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

Ric Wiley is an established writer and Internet author. His latest advice site about skincare can be found at http://www.skincare-today.info

Sun Smarts: How to Safeguard Your Skin This Summer

Like many abusive relationships, America?s love affair with the sun is littered with the wrecks of romantic images. From Coco Chanel?s Deauville glow to Farah Fawcett?s sun-kissed skin, bronzed beauty was de rigueur for generations?until scientists in the 1980s exposed it as a destructive trend with irreversible, DNA-altering effects.

?Photodamage and skin cancer can, in part, be attributed to the belief that tans are fashionable,? says Dr. Andrea Lynn Cambio, a New York?based dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. Equally insidious is ?the notion that having a tan is being healthy,? notes Dr. Alison Ehrlich, director of clinical research and assistant dermatology professor at George Washington University. The fact is, a ?healthy? glow is anything but; it?s the visible manifestation of skin damage.

Light Trap
Today some Americans are still lost in a tan warp, but most are aware of the sun?s dangers, including burning, premature aging, and skin cancer. Sunscreen sales are at an all-time high, but so too are rates of UV-related illnesses. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. The depleting ozone layer, earlier detection, and the aging population have all been cited as factors, but many dermatologists believe the greatest culprit is human behavior?the fact that people aren?t adequately protecting themselves.

?Many people believe the myth that sunscreen allows them to stay outside all day without accumulating sun damage,? says Dr. Susan Sweeney, fellow of pediatric dermatology and dermatologic surgery at UMass Memorial Health Center. Although it?s important to wear sunscreen, she also stresses that these products offer just one layer of defense. Moreover?and contrary to what?s often printed on product labels?dermatologists emphasize that there?s no such thing as ?sunblock.? And similarly, no sunscreen is capable of guaranteeing all-day protection; even a sweat- or water-resistant formula must be applied repeatedly over the course of the day.

Equally unsettling is the fact that most people select a sunscreen based solely on its SPF (sun-protection factor)?a number that only tells part of the story. According to Sweeney, ?SPF refers only to protection from UVB light? (the wavelengths that are primarily responsible for sunburn). Although scientists once believed that UVB was the sole wavelength to blame for long-term skin damage, studies have now shown that UVA is also a dangerous carcinogen.

Saving Your Skin
There?s no safe haven from the sun (even daylight in indoor spaces can be harmful). But with a little diligence and a preventative plan, you can take significant steps toward safeguarding your skin.
Broaden your horizons: ?Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with both UVB and UVA protection, an SPF of 15 or higher, and ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which scatter and absorb UV light,? Cambio suggests. According to Sweeney, sunscreens that contain avobenzone (Parsol 1789), such as Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 30, may also be helpful in protecting against UVA rays.
An ounce of prevention: All too often, people don?t apply enough sunscreen for the product to be effective, or they opt to spot-protect just their faces or shoulders. Sweeney recommends using at least a full ounce of sunscreen to cover the entire body.
Make it a habit: ?Many people remember to wear sunscreen at the beach, but they should be wearing it every day,? says Sweeney. For best results, incorporate it into your morning routine.
Over and over: Because sunscreen loses its efficacy throughout the day, it must be smeared on again and again. ?Apply it 30 minutes prior to exposure, then reapply every two to four hours,? says Ehrlich.
Run for cover: Clothing, hats, and sunglasses are potential lifesavers outdoors, Ehrlich explains. If you?ll be outside for an extended period of time, Cambio suggests seeking out shady areas.
Watch the clock: The best way to screen out the sun is to circumvent it, especially during peak exposure times (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). When possible, Cambio recommends avoiding the midday sun.

Safer Screening
Today's sunscreens are giving women what they want?greaseless, broad-spectrum protection in clever, convenient packages. In some cases, they?re even doing double duty as moisturizer, foundation, or lip gloss.

For lightweight, full-body coverage, try Phytomer Og?nAge Protective Anti-Aging Cream Sunscreen SPF 30, Hampton Sun SPF 30 Lotion, or Clinique UV Response Cream SPF 50. For faces, look for vitamin-rich formulas that moisturize and protect, such as Cellex-C Sun Care SPF 30, MD Formulations Total Protector SPF 30, or Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40. To protect the delicate skin around the eyes, try a specially formulated sunscreen such as Carita Paris Eye Control Suncare SPF 15 or Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care; for lips, BeneFit and Kiehl?s each offer SPF moisturizing lip balms in sheer and tinted formulas. And for a safe sun-kissed look, self-tanners such as Biotherm Sunfitness Protective Self-Tanner Tinted Cream SPF 15 impart an instant-gratification glow, while DuWop Revolution Tinted Body Moisturizer with Shimmer SPF 15 offers both UV protection and a hint of sparkle.

Tara Mattarazzo is the editor-in-chief of Beauty Addict Magazine http://beautyaddictmag.com For more articles on beauty, hair care, skin care, makeup, fashion, shopping, fitness, women's health, and more, visit Beauty Addict Magazine at: http://beautyaddictmag.com/

An Introduction To Natural Skin Care

Research indicates that self-confident people perform well at work and have secure relationships. Great looking skin makes one feel good and adds to self-confidence. While some people are born with flawless skin, others have to work hard to achieve it. Even individuals blessed with a lovely complexion need to take care of their skin regularly.

Natural skin care involves the application of naturally occurring materials to cleanse, refresh, and nourish skin. These materials are readily available, inexpensive, and harmless unless one is allergic to any of them.

Different skin types require different skin care products and beauty regimens. People with normal skin can use a number of natural aids to enhance their looks. A mask made of fresh apple juice and honey can be applied on the face and neck and rinsed off after 20 minutes. A mix of orange-peel powder, oatmeal, and milk can also be used effectively.

Oily skin tends to be problematic, especially during adolescence. A mask of raw egg whites and freshly squeezed lemon juice can help to reduce the oiliness. This mask should be washed off with warm water. A mask made with grated cucumber and rosewater can also work magic on oily skin.

Dry skin tends to get drier with age and to look rough. A concoction of mashed ripe banana, honey, and olive oil can be applied to refresh and nourish dry, tired-looking skin. Ripe strawberries, mashed and mixed with fresh cream can also be used.

Two masks should ideally be applied on combination skin, simultaneously. One mask should take care of the T-zone and the other, the rest of the face and the neck. Alternatively, one can add olive or almond oil to the same mask to take care of the drier areas. A mask made of oatmeal and yogurt can be applied to the T-zone. Honey can be added to this mask, for the drier zone.

To sum up, natural skin care can improve the texture of all skin types, at a minimum cost. However, this care has to be supplemented with a nutritious, low-fat diet, regular exercise, and plentiful sleep to obtain glowing skin that earns praise.

Skin Care provides detailed information on Skin Care, Skin Care Products, Natural Skin Care, Anti Aging Skin Care and more. Skin Care is affiliated with Natural Skin Care Products.

The Wonders of Green Tea It can Help With Acne Care

Green tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. The craze for green tea exceeds taste, as this beverage?derived from the white-flowered plant, Camellia Sinensis?is continually proving its health and wellness benefits.

A native to Asia, green tea is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are known for their ability to help fight diseases and maintaining healthy cell structure. Antioxidant research has shown that antioxidants help prevent cancer, reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, and can even lower blood cholesterol levels.

Researchers are now linking the antioxidants in green tea to acne prevention.

It has been long known that placing a warm tea bag on an acne blemish or similar growth will help to draw the toxins out of the lesion, promoting quicker heal times.

Current research has shown that green tea extracts fight bacteria, reduce redness and inflammation, and can deter hormone activity. All three of these symptoms are present in acne blemishes.

According to the findings reported to the American Academy of Dermatology by dermatologist Dr. Gan-Wong, when compounded into a cream with a content of 3% green tea extract, acne treatment results were comparable to using a topical solution containing 4% benzoyl peroxide, a common treatment for acne.

Dr. Gan-Wong?s findings were based on an independent study of just over 100 acne suffers. The test subjects were randomly split into two groups, with one group receiving the green tea treatment and the other receiving a benzoyl peroxide treatment. Neither group was aware of the treatment they received, nor were the dermatologist who documented their progress.

After a twelve week period, significant improvements in the reduction of acne and redness were noted in the patients using the green tea extract. The results were comparable to the results of the benzoyl peroxide users.

Additionally, dermatologist noted improvements in skin tone on the test subjects who were using green tea extract cream, and green tea users reported fewer cases of dry skin and allergic responses.

Thus, green tea extract cream had proven to offer the same benefits in the treatment of acne as benzoyl peroxide, with fewer side effects.

Benzoyl peroxide is a crystalline powder that is used in tire and plastic production as well as cosmetics. Benzoyl peroxide can irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory tracts, and is on OSHA?s hazardous substance list as a precaution against prolonged exposure.

What makes using green tea extract appealing as an acne treatment is that green tea is all natural.

Furthermore, it gives the holistic community a welcomed study on something that has been recommended by holistic healing practioneers for years. It is quite probable that green tea has MANY medicinal properties yet to be verified by western science. This seems very likely, considering the vast amount of anecdotal evidence regarding the healing properties of green tea.

So, on a holistic level, there is now one more scientifically backed treatment for acne available to those who want to avoid the harmful side effects of the various chemical acne treatments.

With this in mind, those who want to treat their acne, but hate the redness and irritation caused by using benzoyl peroxide and other chemicals on the skin, there is now a scientifically proven, all natural treatment. Green Tea!

BIO:
Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and currently provides information on treating acne, pimples, and zits, via an objective informational skincare website, http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com

Dandruff Are You Sure It's Dandruff?

Everybody hates dandruff. No body likes the falling white flakes and the itching scalp. we all try many shampoos and treatments, both natural and chemical to get rid of dandruff. I want to ask many of you who suffer dandruff- how are you sure that you are having dandruff? Unless a doctor diagnosed it as dandruff, how can any one be sure that he/she is suffering dandruff if it is not clearing after many washes? May be you are suffering from something else? Let us look at the other problems that may confuse you.

Dandruff and other scalp problems-

There are many scalp problems that itch and produce scales and white flakes. Psoriasis is one of the tough ones. Unless you get it diagnosed and get treated it will not go away. Many cosmetic applications may cause allergic dermatitis or irritant contact dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis or commonly called eczema can also appear on the scalp. Seborrheic dermatitis is one of the common scalp problems that mimic dandruff.

What is dandruff?

In dandruff what we see as white flakes are skin cells. Our skin regenerates itself every month. The new cells travel from the bottom of the skin layer to the top in a month and the dead cells are shed. These are so microscopic and small in quantity that we don't notice this shedding of cells. In dandruff this shedding increases. That is how these dead cells with skin oils form white flakes and we can see them.

Dandruff and diagnosis-

If you are not able to get rid of dandruff after trying many formulas, it is time that you visit a doctor and get the proper diagnosis done. Once you are sure that it is dandruff, you can take proper measures and get a shiny scalp.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

The author C.D.Mohatta writes articles on skin, hair and nail problems, treatments and care. For more information about how to have good skin, hair and nails, please visit- http://www.doctorgoodskin.com/. Read articles, advice and tips on love, dating, relationship and break-up on Love articles. If you love to solve quizzes on Personality, Friendship, Love, Dating, Relationship etc. please visit http://www.funquizcards.com/ Try as many free quizzes as you want.

I Need Antiaging Cream But Do It Really Work?

I remember catching a side glimpse of myself in a mirror one day and thinking: ?Where the heck did that aging skin come from?? It was almost as if I?d grown old overnight. To torture myself still further, I kept looking at myself under different lights, in different mirrors and at different angles just so I could worry myself sick about something I couldn?t change. Or could I?

I decided right there and then that I would not grow old gracefully and would try everything within my physical and financial power to slow down or at least cover up this inevitable aging of the flesh.

First stop was to read up and get educated on some of the anti aging products out there. I decided that the creams and non surgical treatments had to be explored before the surgeon?s knife.

Okay, so we?re all smart enough these days to know that the claims for magic anti-aging cream this and miracle anti-aging cream that, are not truly going to stop or reverse the aging process, but they can make aging more pleasing, more attractive, and therefore more acceptable overall.

I remember my great-auntie Pamela and how good she looked for her age. I asked my mother if she had any secrets for here youthful looks and she said that auntie always avoided exposure to the sun. Ah, where have we heard that one before? The trouble is that we don?t care when we?re young, and most of us bask in the summer sunshine for hours at a time as we compete for the best tan in town. I later found out that years of harsh exposure to the sun?s rays, plays a latent game and it?s only when we hit middle years does all that previous tanning kick-in as it begins to age our skin in quite a cruel and premature manner.

Anyway, I can?t undo what?s already been done but that doesn?t mean I have to accept my lot if there?s any chance of changing it. I?ve read a variety of reviews from real customers on many of the popular products and some of the alternative methods used in fighting the aging process. These are reviews from folks who've already tried these products and can recommend them from experience. I suggest everyone reads customer reviews before paying for anything. A lot of these anti aging creams in particular can be very costly and the girls at the counter will quite often tell you exactly what you want to hear just to make a sale.

I?ve since found a couple of products that I have to say appear to be doing wonders for my complexion, but it will be some time yet before I get any real results from these anti aging creams as they are part of a program which boasts amazing results in just 6 months. If all fails, I?ll probably be replacing the anti aging cream with a few high street botox jabs and maybe that will progress into a cut and tuck down at the local plastic surgery, but let?s take it one step and one day at a time, as I?m not there yet.

Janis Elliot is a freelance writer, website copywriter, world traveler, and beautician. Some of her latest works can be seen at Antiallsorts dot com where she writes about Anti Aging Treatments and various other anti aging products.

Organic Skin Care The Natural Successor?

Time was the word ?organic? invoked images of knobbly, humorously shaped vegetables still caked in their mud encrusted cloaks. But things are changing and the growing demand for all things natural is, it seems, a lot more than just a passing fad. What was once seen as a responsible and old fashioned approach to looking after the environment has become part of a much more modern lifestyle drive to looking after ourselves.

Nowhere more than the beauty industry have we seen the greatest shift with new products springing up all over to match the demands of an increasingly aware public. And with momentum being added by a long list of celebrity it seems things are set to continue. But why should we bother with organic skin care, and who says it?s any better that the usual list of suspects?

?The fact is that around 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed deep into the system so we?re being affected as much by what we rub on or rinse through as we are by what we eat or drink? says Pur Natural Skincare director Linda Jones. ?Our skincare, like our food, is often imbued with a cocktail of ingredients that offer nothing but a cheaper alternative to the natural ingredients they replace?.

Studies have shown that these little nasties can build up and store themselves in parts of the body you?d really rather they didn?t! But how does organic skincare work?

Linda explains: ?In simple terms, if we?re keeping the toxins out and introducing the right mix of naturally beneficial compounds we?re improving and enhancing the skin?s natural repair and renewal rhythm?. So by opting for organic are we fighting a winning battle? Unfortunately things are never quite that simple.

All great breakthroughs have their imitations and with a lack of strict controls on labeling many ?organic? pretenders are finding a lucrative niche. It seems that in many cases it doesn?t ?do exactly what it says on the tin?. So how can we be sure that what we?re buying is the genuine unadulterated article?

?Organic certification is a good place to start? says Pur?s marketing director Simon Ford, ?but even here we have to be cautious because by their own admission many certification agencies check paper trails for organic ingredients rather than the actual product?. But unless you have a Caesaresque talent for Latin, reading the label won?t be much help.

?If you want to be sure of what you?re getting you have to read the label? says Simon. ?We spend a lot of energy translating our labels into plain English, but if you?re still not sure about something you can phone our ingredient helpline listed on the label and we?ll happily advise you?.

In the meantime here's a quick summary of the most common suspects to avoid:

AHAs ? Alpha-hydroxy acids Parabens Phthalates Sodium Lauryl Sulphate DEA ? diethanolamine

Linda Jones is the Senior Skin Care Specialist at UK based Pur Natural Skincare. For more information you can visit their site at http://www.pur-skincare.co.uk.

How to Exfoliate Dead Skin Cells

Exfoliating dead skin cells is one of the simplest ways to achieve the fresh and healthy glow of new skin. After all, that's exactly what exfoliating is -- removing the top layer of dead skin cells and allowing the new and healthier skin cells to rise to the surface. Simply washing your skin with traditional soap and water isn?t enough. To remove those nasty dead skin cells you will need to exfoliate your skin on a regular basis.

There are several reasons that exfoliating is good for your skin. Regular exfoliating gives your skin a more radiant look and a smoother feel. Over time, it can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and will contribute to your skin?s firmness and tone. It increases the blood circulation in the skin, helps to remove toxins, rids your skin of dry, rough patches, and can even help to break down and lessen the appearance of cellulite, something we would all be grateful not to have. It enhances the effects of daily moisturizing by allowing the moisturizer to penetrate the skin more deeply. Although exfoliating is good for your skin, it should be done in moderation. Depending on the strength of your exfoliating product, most dermatologists recommend that you exfoliate your face one to two times a week and other parts of your body about three times a week.

The reasons for exfoliating your dead skin cells are compelling but just how do you go about actually doing it. There are such a large variety of products on the market today that it can be quite difficult to decide where to start. First, there are several natural ways to eliminate dead skin cells. One such way is to use sea salts. Simply wet the face, or wherever you?re exfoliating, and apply a couple of tablespoons of sea salt to the dampened area. Using a washcloth or your fingers, gently massage the sea salts into your skin in a circular motion. Continue this for about two or three minutes and rinse with cold water. You can also make your own exfoliating cream by using 2 cups of brown sugar, 1 cup of Olive Oil, and ginger. Apply in the same fashion as mentioned above. The added benefit of these natural exfoliants is they are cost effective.

There are multiple products on the market today that you can choose from if going the all-natural route isn?t for you. Most of these exfoliates will contain Beta Hydroxy Acids and Alpha Hydroxy Acids. These are both non-toxic, herbal acids that are effective in sloughing off the dead skin cells on the body.

Brian Fong
http://www.NaturalVisage.com/

Exfoliating dead skin is one of the simplest ways to achieve the fresh and healthy glow of new skin.

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Beauty and Skin Care with Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.

?Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of the mind, a cloud covering the light. Dissolve the clouds by observing a balanced life with healthy habits. Nourish your mind and body. Connect with your own inner self. Celebrate your own magnificence and your beauty will always shine through.? -Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, renowned Ayurvedic physician and dermatologist

The Three Pillars of Beauty

Maharishi Ayurveda (MAV), the modern, consciousness-based revival of the ancient Ayurvedic medicine tradition, considers true beauty to be supported by three pillars; Outer Beauty, Inner Beauty and Lasting Beauty. Only by enhancing all three can we attain the balanced state of radiant health that makes each of us the most fulfilled and beautiful person we can be.

Outer Beauty: Roopam

The outer signs of beauty - your skin, hair and nails - are more than just superficial measures of beauty. They are direct reflections of your overall health. These outer tissues are created by the inner physiological processes involved in digestion, metabolism and proper tissue development. Outer beauty depends more on the strength of your digestion and metabolism, the quality of your diet, and the purity of your blood, than on external cleansers and conditioners you may apply.

General Recommendations for Outer Beauty

As we will discuss, the key to skin care is matching your diet and skin care routine to the specific skin type you have. Meanwhile, there are some valuable recommendations for lustrous skin, hair and nails that will be helpful to everyone, regardless of skin type.

1. Diet: Without adequate nourishment, your collagen layer thins and a kind of wasting takes place. Over time, your skin can shrivel up like a plant without water from lack of nourishment. To keep your skin plump and glowing:

A. Eat fresh, whole organic foods that are freshly prepared.

Avoid packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods and leftovers. These foods have little nutritional value and also they are often poorly digested which creates impurities that localize in the skin. The resulting buildup of toxins causes irritation and blocks circulation depriving the skin of further nourishment and natural cleansing processes.

B. Favor skin nourishing foods.

Leafy green vegetables contain vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and are high in antioxidant properties. They nourish the skin and protect it from premature aging.

Sweet juicy fruits like grapes, melons, pears, plums and stewed apples at breakfast are excellent for the skin in almost everyone.

Eat a wide variety of grains over different meals and try mixed grain servings at breakfast and lunch. Add amaranth, quinoa, cous cous, millet and barley to the wheat and rice you already eat.

Favor light, easy to digest proteins like legume soups (especially yellow split mung dhal), whole milk, paneer (cheese made from boiling milk, adding lemon and straining solids) and lassi (diluted yogurt and spice drinks).

Oils like ghee (clarified butter) and organic, extra virgin olive oil should be included in the diet as they lubricate, nourish and create lustre in the skin.

Use spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper to improve digestion, nourish the skin and cleanse it of impurities.

Avoid microwaving and boiling your vegetables. They lose as much as 85% of their antioxidant content when cooked in this way. Steaming and saut?ing are best.

Caring for outer beauty through knowledge of skin type

Besides these general recommendations the key to Outer Beauty is to understand the difference in skin types so you can gain the maximum benefit from your individualized skin care regimen. MAV identifies three different skin types based on which of the three main metabolic principles (doshas)- present in everyone, but to different degrees- is most dominant in your body.

Vata Skin

* Description: Vata is composed of the elements of air and space. If you have a vata skin type, your skin will be dry, thin, fine pored, delicate and cool to the touch. When balanced, it glows with a delicate lightness and refinement that is elegant and attractive. When vata skin is imbalanced, it will be prone to excessive dryness and may even be rough and flaky.

* Potential problems: The greatest beauty challenge for vata skin is its predisposition to symptoms of early aging. Your skin may tend to develop wrinkles earlier than most due to its tendency to dryness and thinness. If your digestion is not in balance, your skin can begin to look dull and grayish, even in your 20?s and 30?s. In addition, your skin may have a tendency for disorders such as dry eczema and skin fungus. Mental stress, such as worry, fear and lack of sleep, has a powerful debilitating effect on vata skin leaving it looking tired and lifeless.

* Recommendations for care

With a little knowledge, you can preserve and protect the delicate beauty of your vata type skin. Since your skin does not contain much moisture, preventing it from drying is the major consideration. Eat a warm, unctuous diet (ghee and olive oil are best) and favor sour, salty and sweet tastes (naturally sweet like fruits, not refined sugar) as they balance vata. Avoid drying foods like crackers. Drink 6-8 glasses of warm (not cold for vata types!) water throughout the day and eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Going to bed early (before 10 PM) is very soothing to vata and will have a tremendously positive influence on your skin. Avoid cleansing products that dry the skin (like alcohol-based cleansers) and perform Ayurvedic oil massage to your whole body (abhyanga) in the morning before you shower.

Pitta Skin.

* Description: Pitta dosha is composed of the elements of fire and water. If you have a pitta skin type your skin is fair, soft, warm and of medium thickness. When balanced, your skin has a beautiful, slightly rosy or golden glow, as if illuminated from within. Your hair typically is fine and straight, and is usually red, sandy or blonde in color. Your complexion tends toward the pink or reddish, and there is often a copious amount of freckles or moles.

* Potential problems: Among the many beauty challenges of pitta skin types is your tendency to develop rashes, rosacea, acne, liver spots or pigment disorders. Because of the large proportion of the fire element in your constitution, your skin does not tolerate heat or sun very well. Of all the three skin types, pitta skin has the least tolerance for the sun, is photosensitive, and most likely to accumulate sun damage over the years. Pitta skin is aggravated by emotional stress, especially suppressed anger, frustration, or resentment.

* Recommendations for care

Avoid excessive sunlight, tanning treatments and highly heating therapies like facial or whole body steams. Avoid hot, spicy foods and favor astringent, bitter and sweet foods which balance pitta. (Again, naturally sweet, not chocolate and refined sugar!) Sweet juicy fruits (especially melons and pears), cooked greens and rose petal preserves are especially good. Drinking plenty of water helps wash impurities from sensitive pitta skin. Reduce external or internal contact with synthetic chemicals, to which your skin is especially prone to react, even in a delayed fashion after years of seemingly uneventful use. Avoid skin products that are abrasive, heating or contain artificial colors or preservatives. Most commercial make-up brands should be avoided in favor of strictly 100% natural ingredient cosmetics. And be sure to get your emotional stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga and meditation.

Kapha Skin.

* Description: Kapha dosha is composed of the elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to the touch. Your complexion is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like the moon, and hair characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types, with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or pitta types.

*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha skin is also more prone to fungal infections.

* Recommendations for care

Kapha skin is more prone to clogging and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is the best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers to open the skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify the skin through the sweating process.

Inner Beauty: Gunam.

Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all experience the quick and deleterious effect on our skin from fatigue and stress.

Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not the kind that shows on a made-up face, but the kind that shines through from your soul, your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress and worry. Inner peace is the foundation of outer beauty.

Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and effective management of stress (I highly recommend the TM technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier and feel better through the day if you eat your main meal at midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is ideal.)

Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract people to you. On the other hand, being uptight or tense makes people want to walk the other way, regardless of your facial structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with attractiveness.

Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag

In order to slow the aging process and gain lasting beauty there are two additional key considerations beyond those already discussed,

1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in the body: The main deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout the body. These toxins may begin as free radicals in the body, or over time may become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to premature aging in the body. For lasting health and beauty it is essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those that have already become lodged in the body.

The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is panchakarma therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of undergoing this cleansing program once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating, localizing and hardening in the tissues. Just as we change the oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan, Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse the ?sludge? from our tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.

Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked so fresh and youthful!

Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress, eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet, juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant, detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.

2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:

The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:

Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to MAV.

Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies.

Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need. Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality.

Perform Ayurvedic oil massage in the morning (abhyanga). Morning oil massage purifies the entire body, reduces anxiety and stress, helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin cancers.

Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and circulation is key to health.

Practice pranayama (yoga breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens the mind and body. Ideally practice the following sequence twice a day. Asanas, pranayama and meditation.

Summary

Everyone's unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of natural living.

For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a healthier life. You will be rewarded by the glowing effects you will see in your mirror each day and the powerful, bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in your life.

About The Author

Nancy Lonsdorf M.D. received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins and did her postgraduate training at Stanford. She has studied Ayurveda with some of the world's most renowned Ayurvedic physicians in India, Europe and the U.S. Dr. Lonsdorf has 17 years of clinical experience with Ayurveda and is currently the Medical Director of The Raj Ayurveda Health Center in Vedic City Iowa.

Dr. Lonsdorf has authored two books on Ayurveda and women's health:

A Woman's Best Medicine (Penguin/Putnam 1995 ; ISBN 0-87477-785-2) describing the Ayurvedic approach to the major issues in women's health

A Woman's Best Medicine for Menopause (Contemporary/McGraw Hill 2002; ISBN 0-8092-9335-8) describing the Ayurvedic approach to menopause

Doctor Lonsdorf's contact information is:
Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.
1734 Jasmine Avenue
Vedic City, IA 52556
641-472-8246
web site url: http://www.ayurveda-ayurvedic.com/

info@ayurveda-ayurvedic.com

Helpful Tips To Care For Your Skin

Skin is the outer most covering of your body, which need to be kept clean and nourished. If your skin is kept in good health, then you will be feeling more beautiful, fresh and young. Your skin needs to be pampered and taken care of. The skin is the part of the body, which is exposed constantly to various types of pollutants and harshness from the surroundings. These pollutants harm the skin and the skin loses its youthfulness and glow. Here is some basic information about how to keep your skin healthy. You need to know your skin type before starting any skin care program. There are four basic skin types, normal, oily, dry and sensitive skin.

You need to wash your face to remove the dirt from it and to keep it clean. You should never wash your face with hot or cold water. Hot and cold water cause broken capillaries on the skin. Always wash your face with lukewarm water to remove the dirt and to open the clogged pores of your skin. You should wash your face as often as possible. But never forget to wash it before going to bed and in the morning. You should never go to bed with makeup on. You should use a mild cleanser suitable to your skin type for cleansing your skin. The surfactants present in the cleanser remove the dirt, and the oil secreted by the sweat glands. You should apply the cleanser gently over the face in circular motion. Then wash the face with cool water.

You need to give your skin a dry exfoliation brush in the morning to remove the dead skin cells. Exfoliating your skin is very essential in order to make it bright and glowing. The purpose of exfoliating your skin is to remove the dead superficial skin cells and to make way for the new skin cells to appear. This will give you a youthful and glowing appearance. The new cells also absorb moisture readily than the dead cells. Exfoliation also improves the blood circulation. You can use a soft natural bristle brush for dry exfoliation. If your skin is oily, then you need to exfoliate atleast 4-5 times a week. Those with dry sensitive skin can exfoliate once or twice per week. In order to keep your skin soft; you need to moisturize your skin. Moisturizers help to draw and seal moisture into the skin. This will rejuvenate the skin cells and make the skin feel soft and glowing. You should not overdo it as it can also result in clogging of the pores. You should select a moisturizer, which suits your skin type. Moisturizers also help to protect your skin from sun damage. Moisturizers with sunscreen are available which can be used in the daytime to protect your skin from the harsh UV light.

You need to invigorate your skin by massaging them in slow circular motion. This will help to improve the circulation and will also prevent formation of wrinkles. In order to have a healthy glowing skin you need to rev up your digestion. Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced healthy food. Avoid oily and junk foodstuffs. In this way you can prevent constipation and other digestive problems which are the main cause for skin ailments like acne, pimples etc.

Tanya writes on skin care tips, freckles and health care.

Collagen: Treatment For a Young Looking and Plump Skin

Collagen is such an important part of our skin. Collagen is a Greek word that means glue producing and another term for it is connective tissue.

Collagen acts as scaffolding for our body. It helps control shapes and differentiation of cells.

Collagen also helps regenerate broken bones and heals wounds. Vitamin C helps produce this important tissue in our skin.

Seventy-five percent of our skin is collagen. However, as we age, our face looses this as an effect of gravity, sun exposure and many years of facial movements such as smiling, chewing and squinting. Vitamin C in whatever amount may not be sufficient to replace the lost elasticity of the skin.

Facial movements cause's tissues under the skin to breakdown, it thus lost its elasticity, and collagen tissue breakdown means wrinkling. And because the skin breakdown happens in your face, laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet and facial creases appear and this strips you of your youthful looking and plump skin.

Your age will now show in your face, which is of course, what most women dread.

I may need to mention as well that wrinkling does not happen to older people only; it may happen to any one at any age. Even for those young girls who are successful in loosing weight may see fine lines in their face due to sunken cheeks. This is especially so for those who lost so much weight so easily.

However, do not despair, modern science have a cure for this, filler injectables using collagen or fat.

This filler injectables help to improve your facial appearance by filling the facial wrinkles, creases and furrows. Collagen injectables also fill tissue under sunken cheeks, skin depression and some types of scar. Is it not wonderful to look youthful and plump cheeked again?

You may need to know that medical experts say that for severe wrinkles such as lipstick lines that form around the mouth and of course, for those who really are older, filler injectables might not be enough. For this case, your plastic surgeon or dermatologist may need to recommend that you under go skin resurfacing procedure if you want to get rid of this severe wrinkles.

However, if your problem is just fine lines and sunken checks, filler injectable treatment might be enough for your need. Take advantage of collagen treatment because it heals faster than any other procedure.

Whether your problem needs filler injectables or skin resurfacing such as chemical peel or skin dermabrasion, your plastic surgeon may be the best person to give you the recommendation.

If finally your plastic surgeon recommends collagen treatment, then he will check you for allergic reaction on the collagen substance. This is because allergic reaction to the collagen substance is the common problem of patients who wants to undergo skin repair using filler injectables.

If your surgeon will find you allergic to the collagen injectable, he may opt to recommend fat injectable instead.

Fat injectable is not prone to allergy because the fat will come from your own body.

However, in most cases in a fat injection procedure, healing is slower than that of collagen injectable.

Finally, you may need to know that filler injectables do not last for very long time. In most cases, the good effect of filler injectable only lasts for three to six month. In rare cases and good post-operative care, the good effect might last for a year.

You may need to ask your doctor for the best care to extend the good effect of collagen treatment if you want that youthful and plump face without the dreaded wrinkles.

James Monahan is the owner and Senior Editor of CollagenCenter.com and writes expert articles about collagen.

Herbal Skin Care Secrets

Learning the right skin care is one of the most important things that you will ever do. Our faces are the first things that people see when they look at us, our faces are seen before our voices are even heard in most cases and that is why they are so important. Everything in life is about first impressions and that is why you need to start taking care of your skin from this day forward. And one of the most effective ways for you to go about doing this is with good herbal skin care.

We have all heard that we need to be drinking plenty of water each day and that our complexion can reflect what we are eating at meal time but who knows that kinds of cleansers and scrubs are really right? There are so many conflicting reports out there that this subject can be very confusing. Herbal skin care is all about boiling things down to their basics, their natural basics.

Why would you want to slather chemicals on your skin every morning and every night? It is a far better idea to choose the things that are given to us from nature, these are the kinds of skin care products that our bodies will thank us for in the end.

And if that is not the best reason for you and your lifestyle just think of all the money you can save. There are all kinds of herbal skin care products that you can make yourself right there in your very own kitchen. This is a great way to give your face new life and vitality while going easy on the wallet at the same time! I don't know about you but any skin care that works and that will save me money is the kind that I want to be using.

Don't believe everything the cosmetic industry tells you. Natural skin care creams have helped millions of women for thousands of years. Visit http://www-skincare.info today.

Warts the Difference?

Why is that some people are affected by warts and others not; and are all warts the same? Well warts are caused by a virus called Human Papilloma virus, more usually referred to as HPV. Normally, antibodies in the blood destroy HPV, but in some cases, it takes refuge in the skin and creates the wart. The virus can be spread from person to person depending on the individuals immune system, often at places like public changing rooms and showers, where the surfaces have been contaminated. These DNA viruses takes hold more readily when the skin has been damaged in some way. It?s estimated that warts are a concern for somewhere between 7% and 10% of the population. About 25% of warts are gone in about 6 months without treatment, but most go away in 2 to 3 years.

There are dozens of differing types of warts often given a number to represent its category; for example common warts (verruca vulgaris) are often referred to as types 2, 4, and 7. These warts are dome shaped, firm and greyish-brown in colour, with a rough surface that may look like the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside. The black dot is a capillary vessel that carries blood to the warts. You would normally expect to find these on either the hands/fingers, knees or elbows. Finger warts can cause a child excruciating pain especially when they grow under the nail. Children will pick at the finger warts until they bleed, thus causing the warts to spread and become inflamed. Facial warts are probably the one?s that cause the most anxiety, simply by their location. Their existence can lead to deep depression, particularly in a youngster, subjected to constant teasing. Plantar warts are thickened and are seen on the under-surface of the feet (plantar is the medical term for the sole of the foot) and tend to grow into the skin, rather than coming outwards, as most other warts do. If left without treatment, they can grow to an inch or more in circumference and spread into clusters of several warts.

In the main, there are two common wart removal procedures which are undertaken. These being electrocautery (burning the wart away) and cryotherapy (killing the wart with frost). In electrocautery, a tool with a thin, needle-like, hot tip will be touched on to the wart. A scab will develop and then drop off by itself. Cryotherapy involves an extremely cold fluid such as liquid nitrogen will be applied to the wart. This causes in some cases, a mild stinging sensation and the area may turn white. A blister will form, which will break by itself in around a fortnight. Several home remedies have been successful, including: raw garlic, raw onion or fresh pineapple. There are other methods which are popular and have some credibility. Things like banana peel, radishes and bacon grease may seem a little far fetched, but none are likely to inflame the wart, so no harm can come of giving them a try.

Mick Burrows writes for http://www.warts-the-problem.info

Wart ever you thought before, click here for to know warts wart!

Beauty Basics Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Skin

Not sure what to look for when choosing cosmetics? Need some advice on taking care of your skin? Here are eight tips to help your skin look and feel it's best.

1)Select moisturizers made with vegetable oils. The lotions, creams and body oils that you use should be made with vegetable oils, not mineral oil. Vegetable oils, (like olive oil, sweet almond oil, corn oil, etc.) contain fatty acids which help to moisturize and soften the skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and does not contain anything that helps to nourish the skin.

2)Look for herbs and herbal derivatives in your cosmetics. Herbs and their derivatives (essential oils, extracts, infusions) contain natural chemicals which soothe, tone and help condition the skin. Two herbs which are especially useful in natural cosmetics are Lavender and Tea tree. The essential oils of both lavender and tea tree are gentle, natural antiseptics.

3)Once a week soak your feet in warm water, and gently exfoliate dead skin with a pumice stone. Follow up by moisturizing your feet with a natural foot oil or foot lotion.

4)Every week soak in a tub of bath salts. Salt, especially salts mined from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, are rich in minerals and help draw impurities out of the skin.

5)After a shower or bath, seal in moisture by using a body oil or lotion made from natural vegetable oils.

6)If you have blemishes and your skin is dry, moisturize your skin in the morning and at night with products that contain vegetable oils which are high in essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids help to soften and hydrate the skin and they can also help soothe minor irritations. Vegetable oils that contain large amounts of essential fatty acids are: corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and evening primrose oil.

7)Look for toners and astringents that are made without ethyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. These ingredients are solvents that are extremely drying to the skin.

8)Every time you wash your hands, moisturize them with a natural lotion or cream to help them stay soft.

Ololade Franklin publishes Making Good Scents(TM), a newsletter for people who make their own bath and body care products. For information about Making Good Scents(TM) visit http://www.MakingGoodScents.com

What Causes Adult Acne?

For many people the question of ?what causes adult acne? has been a tireless quest in search of an answer to a problem that plagues many individuals worldwide. For instance 90 percent of all adolescents and almost 25 percent of all adults are acne sufferers. In terms of gender approximately 50% of all adult men and 50% of all adult women suffer or have suffered from some form of acne. One difference in gender is where the acne outbreak takes place and the severity of zits and blackheads that form. Males more often have the severe form of acne rather than females, due to their hormones. Generally the infected areas that tend to break out most frequently (the chest and back) are unfortunately more difficult to treat.

The real cause of acne can actually be a blend of several factors. Typically there are several steps that lead to zits, pimples, blackheads and minor skin blemishes. The main cause of acne is due to the blocking or clogging of hair follicles, more commonly know as pores. Unfortunately the reasons and combination of events that cause pores to become clogged isn?t fully known. There are many contributing elements for teenagers and adults alike, which can include hereditary factors such as whether or not there is a history of acne problems and if so, to what extent, hormones, dietary and vitamin supplemental intake and stress related factors. Other forces or events that can strongly influence the development of acne and pimples include your body?s normal function of eradicating itself of its dead skin cells. If this cycle gets out of whack or becomes irregular due to climate and other environmental forces or overall body health at the time it can cause your hormones and their effect on your own body?s sebum production to increase which is bad for your complexion but outstanding for breeding acne.

When the body?s function of shedding dead skin cells becomes irregular the normal dead skin cells that combine with your body?s natural sebum oil as it drains through the skin?s surface become clogged and cause blocked pores. This substance becomes somewhat sticky, further clogging the passageway. This allows the cultivating and incubating of bacteria, which begins to grow around these clogged areas. As a normal reaction your body?s white blood cells attack the bacteria, fighting it and pushing it out of the body. The outcome of this battle between the white blood cells and bacteria leads to a growth usually within 14-day to 21-days. These growths are referred to as microcomedones. Microcomedones turn into comedones, which are more commonly referred to as blemishes, pimples or acne.

As you can see the formation of acne is based on a series of events, which starts with the blocking of pores. The outcome is usually an increase in production of microcomedones which results in the very noticeable skin blemish known throughout the world as zits, blackheads, acne or pimples.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Clear-Skin-Solutions.com. He provides more acne clearing solutions, remedies and home acne treatment information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Natural Beauty: The Benefits of Holistic Skin Care

What is holistic skin care? It?s a regimen that recognizes that your skin is not just the outermost layer of your body it?s also a reflection of your body?s internal state. Rather than just treating the surface symptoms, such as wrinkles, sallow skin, acne, dry flakes, and so on, holistic skin care aims to target the root problems in an effort to revitalize and rejuvenate the entire body. As a result, you don?t just see an improved appearance; you also feel more energized, clear-headed, and physically fit.

Prescription Drugs Vs. Holistic Treatment Options

Holistic skin care sometimes gets a negative reputation from mainstreamers who prefer to prescribe drugs for virtually every condition they encounter. The trouble is, most prescription medications and medical fixes have isolated effects, failing to take the whole picture into account. A strong oral anti-acne drug like Accutane might have the effect of reducing superficial skin oiliness and reducing acne, but only at the expense of the liver. Botox injections may plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but the effects are temporary and the safeness of the procedure is questionable.

Now what if you knew that eating salmon 10 times a week could not only plump up your skin and fill out wrinkles but also make your hair more lustrous, diminish blemishes, and improve your elimination system? Would you still opt for that Botox needle, or would you start making salmon part of your weekly diet plan?

And what if you were told that dry brushing your skin each morning before jumping in the shower could revitalize your sluggish circulatory system, boosting your energy, empowering your immune system, ridding your body of toxins, and clearing your head and skin? Would you keep taking dangerous antibiotics for your acne when simply sloughing your legs and arms with a loofah could dramatically improve your complexion? (And did you know that taking antibiotics can actually throw your whole system out of whack, killing off the good bacteria that are essential to digestion ultimately clogging up your elimination system and worsening your complexion?)

Certainly, some medicines are modern miracles, providing cures to people who would otherwise be condemned to suffering. But in this day and age, medications are so over-prescribed (and often inappropriately prescribed) that it is good to be wary before popping another pill. Many physicians in the West don?t know much about natural treatments options or alternative solutions to common skin problems. It is well within your rights as a patient to research them and discuss them with your physician or dermatologist if you so choose.

Caring for Your Skin the Natural Way

In your attempts to improve the condition of your skin, start by looking inward. Don?t just think about how you look think about how you feel.

Are you irritable, congested, upset, depressed, stressed out? If so, topical treatments alone may not do the trick. You?ve got to exercise, drink plenty of water, dry brush your skin and perhaps even get regular massages as a way to recharge your batteries, boost circulation and improve your mental state. How we look is a reflection of what?s going on inside, and that includes both our physical and our emotional health.

Pay attention to your diet a much neglected aspect of life in our modern day and age. Make sure you are eating foods that feed your skin, not foods that work against your body. Avoid excessive sugars, white flour and processed items, which trigger dangerous inflammation. Junk foods and fast foods are a big no-no. Limit your intake of meat, which essentially rots inside your gut; instead, choose plenty of veggies and fruits they will help sweep out your colon, improving absorption of nutrients and boosting your energy levels. Eat lots of oily fish, like salmon, to give your body the essential fats for proper functioning.

As you eat, try this simple and yet incredibly effective tip: chew your food thoroughly. Don?t just chomp a few times and swallow. Instead, chew at least a dozen times on each side of the mouth. Most of us don?t break down our food into small enough pieces, and this can wreak havoc on our digestion by hindering the body?s absorption of nutrients. You may be surprised to find that this simple change has a considerable impact on how you feel and how your skin looks.

Give the Holistic Approach an Honest Try

If you?re used to quick fixes and easy prescriptions, it may be hard to accept the idea that deceptively simple changes like the ones above, in combination with natural topical treatments and vitamin supplements, can have a major impact on your health and your skin?s condition. But just give them a try and you may be shocked at how quickly your body transforms. The human body is astonishingly resilient and fast to respond to positive changes you?ll see the proof in your mirror!

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