Skip to content

{ Tag Archives } skincare

Clear Up Dry Skin Fast and Naturally

Xeroderma, the medical name for dry skin, occurs most commonly on the lower legs, arms, the sides of the abdomen and thighs and is a very common condition.

The use of natural or synthetic cosmetics to cover the appearance of the face and condition of the skin, like controlling the pores and covering blackheads, is common among many cultures.

Skin is one of the most important parts of the body; it’s our largest organ. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. The outermost layer of epidermis consists of 25 to 30 layers of dead cells.

If you break out on the skin around your eyes, it could be the shellac in your mascara; buy a shellac-free mascara like Ecco Bella’s. When the skin loses moisture it may crack and peel, or become irritated and inflamed. The symptoms most associated with dry skin are: scaling, which is the visible peeling of the outer skin layer, itching, and cracks in the skin.

When the oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin, the skin becomes dehydrated. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins can also contribute to dry skin or result in a chronic dry skin condition that’s not relieved by anything else. Dry skin can also be a sign of an underactive thyroid.

I can’t stress enough the importance of drinking plenty of pure, filtered water - a minimum of a quart a day. Drink freshly extracted carrot juice, if you can, every day; carrot juice is an excellent cleanser for the liver, great for the skin and contains a great deal of nutrients, all beneficial for dry skin, eczema, acne, zits, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and other breakouts. Consider taking cod liver oil or fish oil supplements, in liquid form, every day.

For any skin condition, it’s always better to take a natural approach. Dry and pat your skin gently and thoroughly after a bath or shower if it’s extremely dry or irritated. Try using a humidifier if the air is dry and you have a severe skin condition.

I buy coconut oil by the gallon; it’s cheaper for a whole gallon of coconut oil than a small jar of department store, name-brand moisturizer. Dry skin contributes to fine lines and wrinkles; coconut oil helps prevent the onset by keeping the skin soft and supple. Coconut oil is very inexpensive - a great, cheap home remedy for all skin conditions.

Use coconut oil to remove your make-up at night, like I do; it leaves a fine layer of oil to nourish your skin all night long; but better yet, apply more coconut oil. Apply coconut oil daily to your skin to heal, moisturize and soothe it.

Functions of the skin are disturbed when it’s not clean; it becomes more easily damaged, the release of antibacterial compounds decreases and it’s more prone to develop infections.

Skin that’s not clean favors the development of pathogenic organisms; the dead cells continually slough off of the epidermis and mix with the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands and the dust found on the skin, to form a layer on its surface.

Call your skin doctor if dryness and itching are preventing you from sleeping. It’s time to call your doctor for an appointment when all your home remedies do not relieve your dryness and itching. And did I mention to drink lots and lots of water every day?

For more information on coconut oil treatment for dry skin and dry skin care treatments go to http://www.Best-Skin-Care-Tips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in care for skin conditions with tips, advice and resources for women, men, teens and babies, including information on the best natural products
Also tagged
2007 05 07 True Health Comments (0)

Beauty Secrets Mothers Must Reveal To Daughters

Teenage years are tough, especially if you have a young daughter. This is the time when she experiences too many changes both bodily and emotionally. This is when she grapples with academic pressure.


There is also peer pressure to look good and appear ‘with it’ and to belong. There will be times when she will feel that she isn’t attractive enough, her nose is too long, her hair too short and her hips too huge.

This can cause great damage to her self-esteem and crush her. While you nourish her talent, shower her with love and point out that she’s a wonderful, lovable human being with a lot of blessings to be thankful for, you could help her with her appearance with the tricks only you know.

A growing girl can rely on her mother to help her develop into a strong woman with a good self-image. With growing consciousness about womanhood and femininity, your young daughter will feel the need to look good. As a mother you play a key role in helping her develop her sense of style and beauty. As she grows, hormonal imbalances will give rise to skin problems and other beauty hassles.

TALK TO HER ABOUT THE PHYSICAL CHANGES

By the time your daughter is 12, she will start noticing the changes in her body. She would feel herself growing and be conscious of body hair. She may notice her arms and legs becoming bigger, breasts growing and the waist becoming slimmer. Instead of making her feel that she needs to hide herself, you need to make her feel proud of her growing femininity during this awkward phase.

With her breasts developing, ease her into wearing a bra. Today, there exist many brands that make bras specifically for growing girls. Help her choose the right bra from those ranges. Let her tryout various styles that will give her the right support and avoid sagging in future. Be sure that it sits comfortably on her when she is trying out the bras. The fit should be smooth and not too tight.

Do not buy a bra that puckers or squeezes her breasts, leaving bulges of flesh poking out around the sides.

HELP HER WITH SKIN CARE

According to beauty and skin care experts and even dermatologists, by the time girls become 12-13 years old, it is important to inculcate a good skincare regime. Since girls enter puberty and menstruate by this age, their skin experiences many ups and downs.

A good skin care regime at this age will make sure she has clear blemish-free skin as she grows into adulthood.

With the onslaught of hormonal changes, there is extra secretion of sebum in young skin, which makes it oilier. So girls with normal skin experience oiliness, dry skin can give rise to T-Zone and oily skin can experience eruptions and significant breakouts.

The first step to starting a skin care regime is with the cleanser. The right cleanser can balance the oil production in the skin and wash away dirt and grime, the key culprit behind the outbreak of acne. Research shows that more than an oily diet or stress, pollutants in the environment and dirt give rise to pimples as they clog the pores.

To fight regular oiliness, give your daughter a soap-free foaming cleanser. Make sure that this cleanser does not strip her skin of too much oil, which can actually trigger an increase in sebum production.

If her skin feels sensitive, then an oil-control cleansing cream is a better option. If she has acne-prone skin, consider washes that contain salicylic acid to control oil production. Look for medicated face cleansers that have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to treat pimples or glycolic acid to rid skin of dead skin cells.

If your daughter suffers from excessively greasy skin, then give her an alcohol-free toner that will close and tighten her pores. And in no condition should she squeeze her pimples or zits that can lead to permanent scarring of the skin.

Post-toning, teach her to protect her skin with a gel-based sunscreen. This will protect her skin from pollutants as well as the sun’s harmful rays, which can exacerbate oil production and, in turn, acne.

Look for a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 in it.

At night, ask her to use a light oil-free moisturiser to keep it soft and avoid dry flakes. A light moisturiser will do; she does not need separate creams for eyes. Stop her, if she wants to bleach her skin, since it can hurt existing pimples and cause damage to the young skin.

You can give her homemade masks once in 15 days to cleanse the skin from inside. A mask made of sandalwood and milk or yoghurt is gentle on young skin. Do not buy her cosmetic masks, as they are meant for more mature skin.

Encourage her to drink a lot of water, as this washes out toxins from inside. Give her, her daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables that supply the skin with nutrients and help the body develop well.

INTRODUCE HER TO MAKE-UP

With today’s increasing exposure to international fashion and beauty trends, girls are becoming conscious of make-up at a younger age than the earlier generation. In fact, many want to start using make-up earlier than you would like or approve.

Since teenage years are when girls tend to revolt against restrictions, it is a good idea to let her have a few good quality make-up products. While you can be strict about the no-makeup rule with 12-14-year-olds, by the time they turn 15, you may find yourself giving in to their demands. Let them use a nude lip gloss and maybe beige eye shadow.

She can use these when going out with friends or to a party, but make sure she is clean-faced when boarding the school bus. Emphasise on the beauty of natural skin colour and complexion; make her feel good about her fresh looks.

A bit of encouragement about her beauty will not only get her on your side but help in building her self-esteem as well. In fact, she will appreciate it if you initiate her into the world of make-up with the gift of a make-up product. Be her guide, when she goes shopping for make-up. For a 16-year-old, 3-4 make-up items are ideal to own.

A pearly or creamy lipstick or a clear lip gloss, translucent powder, clear mascara, a two-in-one powder (that works as blush and eye shadow) is enough for her make-up bag. When it comes to colours, sheer colours are ideal for teenage girls. A red lipstick or the smoky-eyed look is a strict no-no.

They are for mature women; make her see that. According to make-up artist Bobbi Brown who recently wrote her book on teen beauty, dark make-up is a definite no-no.

Young girls, especially the ones starting college, look best with sheer colours. Help your daughter choose a lipstick with pink or peach undertones. Pinkish nudes are ideal for young girls; while they play up the skin tone, they are subtle enough to look natural. The idea is to help her enhance her natural complexion rather than hide flaws.

This is the time when due to hyperactive hormones and acne outbreaks, young girls may have blemishes that they may want to hide when going to college. Teach her to use a stick foundation and a light dust of powder to hide her blemishes. Your daughter may be using braces; they tend to dry the lips; so encourage her to use a tinted lip balm that will add soft colour to her lips while keeping them moisturised.

When they reach 16 or 17, many girls, will want to shape their eyebrows or be worried about body hair. While you can hold her back on eyebrows till she finishes school, encourage her to keep her underarms clean by waxing the area or using a good hair remover for sensitive skin.

If you feel your daughter has excessive body hair, she can start with waxing her legs at around 16. Maybe you can relent before her farewell from high school and let her get her eyebrows done and arms and legs waxed.

TELL HER ABOUT INNER BEAUTY

During the teen years, skin breakouts, changes in complexion, blemishes, the changing body shape and menstruation can make your young girl go into a state of stress. You may find her trying to battle these changes or developing low self-esteem about her looks. She may feel ugly, awkward and unattractive.

Combined with this is peer pressure, where other girls might stress her out with different versions of what is ideal for her age.
As a mother, your role in helping her develop a strong self-image becomes essential. You will need to spend some quality time and talk to her. Explain the changes that will make her a beautiful woman. How you treat her growing body will eventually develop her self-image.

Make her feel loved and appreciated through this phase of change. Go with her every step to make her see herself in a positive light. Finally, stress that she is beautiful for what she is and not just how she looks. With this little help from you, your young daughter is bound to grow into a beautiful young woman.

Visit Time4Tips.com for expert advice on health and beauty. Here you can also find how to develop a healthy skin care routine and the knowledge about cosmetics and basic skin care products.
Also tagged ,
2007 04 23 Uncategorized Comments (0)

Hard Water Makes For Dry Skin

It can be extremely annoying when dry skin does not seem to want to go away. Even more annoying is when you are unable to figure out why. Your skin just seems to be unable to retain moisture, even with amount of babying you do to it.



You wash carefully, put on plenty of moisturizer, and still it feels tight, looks flaky, and refuses to be soft. So what is the deal? Is there some hidden factor you are missing?

It is very likely that you are. Many people take their usual shower, perform their usual facial routine, use their specific products, and never consider the single, largest thing they are constantly putting on their skin.

Your water. A lot of people do not even know what type of water they have. Still others were not even aware they have a water type. However, most people do have a water type that they might want to know about. In your case of continuously dry skin, you definitely will want to find out.

There are in fact two different types of water; hard and soft. If you find that your skin continues to be dry even after all the work you put into it, the problem may lie in the fact that you have hard water and it is helping to keep your skin dry.

Water that is considered to be hard means the water contains a large amount of calcium, magnesium, and iron deposits. If you notice your shower or tub slowly but constantly building up deposits, such as rust, soap scum, and lime, you probably have hard water.

Not only will you be cleaning your tub more often and possibly dealing with clogs in your pipes, but you will also be left with skin less inclined to be soft. Hard water makes it more difficult for substances to dissolve in it efficiently, such as soap. When you lather (which you may also realize is difficult to do) and then rinse off, you may not be removing all the soap from your skin.

This is through no fault of your own, but rather the inability of your water to wash all the soap from your skin. Soap that remains on the skin aids in drying it out, leaving you with flaky, itchy skin. Remaining soap can also aid in the clogging of pores, giving you dry skin and a few extra skin irritations.

Because both hard water deposits and cleansing products are left on the skin, it can also cause your skin to become more irritated and susceptible to damage, especially when it comes to facial skin and the fragile blood vessels beneath. Hard water can even cause your skin to become thinner and aggravate skin conditions, such as rosacea.

Washing in hard water means even with good products meant to help your dry skin, you still have to fight to get your skin in the condition you want it to be. If you have well water, then you can easily obtain a water softener to help avoid hard water.

Soft water means there are fewer deposits in the water, giving your soap better lathering power and making it much easier to wash off, freeing your skin of excess soap after you towel off and giving you a better chance at softer, more moisturized skin.

However, many people get their water through public means. If you do, then if your water is not already soft, then you may have a bigger problem in trying to get soft water.

Yes, you cannot do too much to remedy the water coming out of your faucets unless you want to opt for having a major installation of a water softening unit. If you are unable to do this, you will have to learn to live with your hard water by using less soap and taking shorter showers, giving your hard water less access to your skin.

You could buy water to use for your face in order to help keep your skin from dealing with hard water, and continue using your current skin products.

Even if you are unable to do anything about hard water, at least now you can have peace of mind by knowing your water was the final puzzle piece in the dryness of your skin.

Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great FREE Beauty Tips from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk In just seconds you can access over 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on the Problem Dry Skin by subscribing with RSS

Also tagged
2007 03 06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

3 Unusual Natural Cures For Acne

I’m not quite sure that these are the natural cures for acne that anyone’s grandmother had in mind. And perhaps the term ‘cure’ should be used very loosely… However, home acne remedies remain very popular - perhaps out of a sense of frustration from those suffering from the dreaded zit. Whether toothpaste, urine therapy, or apple cider vinegar actually work, is debatable.

This article will look at the premise behind each of these options, and whether they are truly worth your time.

There are several variations to the toothpaste acne remedy. Some people swear that it alone, dabbed onto the offending zits, will clear them up. Others prefer mixing toothpaste in with several other ingredients, forming mixtures that range from simple to complex.

For example, one teenager washed her face with salty water, left it on, added more salt to her face until it was entirely covered, then washed all of that off. Finally, toothpaste was applied to the pimples, and left on for a few hours, but preferably overnight.

Most of these remedies were multi-step processes, and even when other ingredients were used, they were not mixed in with the toothpaste. Like in the example above, the other steps often cleansed the face, perhaps rinsed with cold water to close the pores. Then toothpaste was added as a final step.

There were even instructions on which types of toothpaste to use. According to some, gels don’t work as well, and whitening toothpastes were either unnecessary, or should be avoided. Given that baking soda also features in some other remedies, perhaps a toothpaste containing that could be used?

Will it work? Well, some of the reports from satisfied acne sufferers seem to indicate it may be worth a try, provided it isn’t too harsh and irritating to your skin. It certainly isn’t expensive. Some people saw results overnight, some took a few days, others longer. So, it may not be a once-off solution. One thing to be aware of is that any type of hard scrubbing of the skin can make acne worse.

Urine therapy is one that can elicit such revulsion (in me!), that it is almost hard to write about it. The theory is that one’s own urine is packed with antibodies, hormones, and other goodies that are beneficial for our health. This includes vitamins and minerals that the body has excreted, because it didn’t need.

One article I read made the very good point that if they weren’t needed the first time, they will likely be excreted again the second time. That same article points out that just because urine is not toxic, does not mean it is beneficial.

Urine therapy had its’ origins amongst some Indian mystics, and seems to be particularly associated with the tantric philosophy. As an acne remedy, it is suggested that one massages one’s urine over the affected areas. Some people leave it on overnight, assuming their partners and family can stand the smell.

The problem with urine therapy is that a lot of the justification is very unscientific and poorly supported. It is bolstered by conspiracy theories as to why this supposedly wonderful substance is ignored by the medical profession, except where scientists have extracted and tested certain elements of urine for therapeutic purposes. This does not mean, however, that therapeutic concentrations are to be found in one’s own urine.

Bottom line for urine therapy with acne? There are a lot of other good alternatives out there, that don’t smell, and don’t have waste products mixed in with them. And people on any medications should not try urine therapy.

Apple cider vinegar is usually diluted with water, and sometimes mixed with other things, including honey and jojoba oil. There are very mixed reviews about it. Some people love it, others say that at first it seemed to make their acne worse, but then it really helped to turn it around. And others, quite a few others, say it made their skin, dry, very irritated, painful, and flakey. Those with sensitive skin seem to fare the worst, so if you do have sensitive skin, avoid apple cider vinegar at all costs.

One important point is that apple cider vinegar should be diluted. And be prepared for a rather off smell. It’s probably not as noxious as urine however!

One feature of acne home remedies is that they do not work for everyone. This is true of medicine and over the counter treatments as well though. Those with sensitive skin should be the most careful, as many of these home-made treatments can be very harsh.

This includes both toothpaste and apple cider vinegar. Urine therapy may work best with those who have a strong belief in it, although there are many other effective options to explore. It’s worth keeping in mind that although some people report success with certain things, those successes have not been compared to other treatments in a controlled trial. It may be that other remedies may have been more effective after all.

References: 1. Nexus Online 2. Skepdic

Discover more about why some natural acne treatments work, and which ones are more effective. Rebecca writes on pimples, pustules, and zits here.

Also tagged
2007 02 13 Beautiful
Fashion and Beauty
True Health Comments (2)

Beautiful Glowing Skin In 20 Minutes

When you think of exercise, do you think of toning your body? Maybe you think of losing weight or building muscles.

Maybe your doctor has told you that you nave to exercise for health reasons.

There are a number of things that people think of when they think of exercise, but skin care is usually not one of them. I have seen the skin care benefits of exercise firsthand.

My oldest son has been experiencing severe acne and recently joined the cross-country running team at his high school.

After three weeks of running daily with the team, he has already begun to show a major difference in his skin.

Acne sufferers are not the only people that have their skin benefit from exercise. Exercise improves your circulation, which means that any skin will benefit from it.

Increased circulation brings more nutrients to the skin and removes more internal toxins from it. Perspiration during exercise pushes upper layer toxins to the surface and, provided you cleanse the skin after exercise, these toxins are removed.

The result is a natural glow that is associated with youthful, healthy skin. Of course, your skin will be much healthier, but it may not be as youthful, but it will appear that way.

Unlike my son, you do not have to take on an incredibly vigorous exercise; you simply need to begin doing an exercise that increases that heart rate for at least 20 minutes. Exercise that elevates the heart rate for 20 minutes or more will have keep your heart rate increased (to some extent) for the same duration after you stop the exercise.

This mean that a light aerobic workout (or other form of exercise which increases heart rate) for 20 minutes will keep a slightly elevated heart rate for 20 minutes after you finish your workout. The same is true for other time periods for longer than 20 minutes; 30 minutes increases the heart rate for 30 minutes after you finish, etc.

When I say exercise that increases the heart rate, you will need to use common sense. Lifting weights to build muscle or slow walks do not do this. Exercises that work are brisk walks, aerobics, jogging, running, jumping on a trampoline, etc. Of these, the exercise that seems the easiest, but is actually the hardest to keep up for the duration of 20 minutes, is jumping on a trampoline.

Your dermatologist will tell you that, because the skin is the largest body organ, it reaps more benefits from exercise than the rest of your body parts. Aside from the benefits from increased circulation mentioned above, Exercise benefits the skin by creating the right environment for your skin to build collagen.

Collagen fibers are the fibers that support your skin and help wrinkles from appearing. This is why you see women who work out regularly look so much younger.

As we age, the cells that produce collagen in out bodies slow down. The result of this is skin that appears loose and is dry and wrinkled. By adding a regular exercise routine, you skin gets the nutrients and oxygen it needs for these bells to perform their best. When these cells function better, your skin looks much more youthful.

Regular exercise will eventually help your muscles to relax. This seems odd since the first affects of exercise are a tightening and toning process that gives better shape to them. However, with continued exercise, your muscles pass this stage and learn to relax.

Through this relaxation, anger expression lines and crows feet will begin to soften and future lines will be slower in coming. In other words, exercise is a great, cheap anti aging solution for your skin as well as the rest of your body.

Keep in mind that you cannot tone and build facial muscles like other body muscles. While there are fads concerning facial exercise and facial calisthenics, pleasing effects (if there are any) are only temporary. In fact, over time, facial exercise can actually make more expression lines and wrinkles appear.

No matter who you are of what your skin condition is, regular exercise will benefit your skin. Whether you have the acne and breakouts the younger skin is prone to or you have the lined, dry skin that older skin is prone to, exercising is going to help correct your skin related problems.

One thing that you have to remember is that, without plenty of fluids (purified water and natural organic juices), your skin will not reap near as many benefits or reap them as quickly as it could.

By Louise Forrest. Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great Free Beauty Tips from Natural Elements. In just seconds you can access over 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on Skin Care by subscribing with RSS

Also tagged
2007 01 22 Beautiful
Girl Stuff
Hot Chick
True Health Comments (0)

Ayurveda Neem Oil For Flawless Glowing Skin

The word ‘NEEM’ has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nimba’, which means ‘bestowed of good health’. Neem is a fast growing, long-lived tree with broad leaves and it has an unpleasant smell.

Almost every part of the neem tree is used, either for making medicine to treat fever, malaria, fungal infection etc or for making skin free from rashes, pimples, acne etc. Like, the barks of the tree are used to treat fever; the leaves are good for eye infection and skin ulcer; flower is used to eliminate intestinal worms; fruit is helpful for urinary disorder and diabetes; during cough and asthma, twig (stem) is used to cure; gum is used to heal skin disease; seeds and oil (extracted from seeds/berries) are good for leprosy and intestinal worms.

Neem leaves (although bitter in taste) are quite helpful in balancing the blood sugar. Traditionally, leaves of neem are crushed as pastes to apply directly on the wounds, ulcers and skin diseases. So, from the early days, neem was an active ingredient of Ayurvedic medicine.

Let’s discuss the effectiveness of neem more vividly.

Neem is a blessing to those people who are having diabetics, as it reduce insulin requirements by up to fifty percent, without altering glucose levels in blood. It even works well for those having high cholesterol levels. Neem works very effectively as insects repellent and it is not even toxic for human and pets. Neem works good on the treatment of mouth infections, like tooth decay, sore gums and even bleeding. If bark, root, fruit, flower and leaves of the neem are blended, then it can be used to cure blood diseases, wounds, skin diseases and even itching.

There are number of ways to make use of neem as beauty aid to reduce skin problems. Due to its antibacterial properties, neem is highly helpful to cure acne and eczema. It is also helpful to kill bacteria that causes spots and pimples and reduces the redness and inflammation.

To reduce acne scars, neem oil is very helpful, as it contains moisturizing properties. It also works well on irritated, itchy and sensitive skin.

Neem leaves cure skin burn. A paste of neem leaf, almond, turmeric and saffron oil is good for clean, youthful and healthier skin. The pure neem oil is very powerful and it is never recommended to use the oil internally.

To enhance the effect on skin, neem oil should be diluted either with other oils or creams or lotion. But in some cases, it can be used directly; like in case of severe hot spots, fungal infection or eczema. If neem oil is mixed with sweet almond or grape seed oil, it becomes very effective for skin treatment.

Neem is quite helpful to promote flawless and healthy skin. Neem works wonder to protect from premature ageing and makes it free from blemish, if the leaves are blended with tea tree oil, kokum butter, aloe vera and bergamot oil. If neem oil is blended with tea tree oil, grape seed oil and eucalyptus oil, it protects, rejuvenates and promotes the healthy skin. This mixture is quite helpful in regaining natural glow and texture.

So, it can be said that neem holds a huge complement about curing almost every kind of problem, whether internal or external, without any side effect. One of the amazing neem facts is that the tree is known to cure more than one hundred diseases. Now-a-days, many pharmaceutical companies as well as beauty product companies use neem as one of the key ingredients in their products.

Leonard Henry is contributing articles for the site http://www.ayucareonline.com/

Also tagged
2006 11 12 Fashion and Beauty
Food and Drink
True Health Comments (0)

A Ticket to Paradise



J-List