Skin Care Product Reviews

Believe it or not, nail care is seasonal. Nails tend to grow longer and faster in the summer than the winter. This could be from the influx of more nutrients with a summer diet. Whatever the reason, they require more care and attention to make sure they are kept well manicured and presentable. Even office professionals know that well-manicured nails provide a boost to one’s image. If you want to grow your own nails for a polished look this summer, then here are some nail care tips to follow.

Eat Healthy

Like hair, nails are very susceptible to your diet. They respond well to a diet rich in vitamin B, folic acid and biotin. Foods that contain these elements are broccoli, whole grains, citrus fruits, peanuts, and fish. If you want your nails to be glossy, eat more fatty acids that come in foods like salmon and flaxseed oil.

Try A Natural Manicure

Instead of using polishes, you can give yourself a natural manicure. Just keep the nails trimmed and shaped nicely and buff the outside fingernails to a beautiful natural sheen. It keeps your nails fresh and also makes them look manicured, when they are not.

For A Polished Look

Most people want great nails so they can show them off with nail polish and nail art. There’s nothing wrong with that, except there are some options that are better than others. Many nail polishes contain toluene or formaldehyde and can be harsh on the nails, not to mention your respiratory system. If you are trying to reduce the number of potential chemicals you are exposed to, try to find nail polishes that are toluene or formaldehyde-free. There are some nail polishes being sold today that are based on soy or corn oils instead.

When It’s Time To Remove The Polish

Acetone is what is normally used to remove polish. This is another very harsh chemical that is used to strip the polish from your fingers. You can also find polish removers now that are acetone-free. It takes a bit more persistence to find natural products that don’t rely on harsh chemicals to work, but it’s worth it in the long run to maintain good nail care health.

Moisturize, Always

Whether you choose to use the natural products or remain in the chemical zone, your nails and your hands need natural oils to stay in good shape. If you are using a lot of nail or hand products, or even washing your hands too often, then you will be stripping those natural oils away. When you are done doing your manicure, or just as a daily nail care routine, don’t forget to moisturize your hands and provide the environment where they remain supple and strong. You can use herbal oils to moisturize your nails, or buy natural products that have a touch of aromatherapy in them to lighten your spirits. Wouldn’t it be great to have a manicure and love the smell of your hands afterwards, for a change?

Black skin care has specific needs. Black skin needs deeper moisturizing than light skin. It can be prone to acne and yet be difficult to treat because of the possibility of scarring. Treatments that fair-skinned people use may not be recommended for black skin care, like certain laser treatments or facial peels. If you understand your skin’s specific needs, you can lessen the chances of buying products that are not especially designed for your ethnic group. Black skin care doesn’t have to come labeled, but it does make it easier. Without those labels, you have to know what to look for in a product to see if it is right for you.

Heavy Moisturizing

Moisturizers that are out today are petroleum-based. The problem with petroleum-based products is that they don’t go under the surface layer of the skin to moisturizer. Often, they stick to the surface layers, producing some relief but requiring you to re-apply the product every so often. In addition, some of these products even dry out your skin more. This can be very damaging for people with black skin who require heavy moisturizing to keep their skin supple.

Try to find black skin care with natural oils. Find the oils that seep deep into the skin like avocado and olive oil. They may not be as greasy as other oils, but they are easily absorbed into the skin.

Acne-Fighting Products

Stay away from chemical peels that might lighten and scar your face. Benzoyl peroxide is a great acne-fighter, but it can also bleach the skin. It can still be used in lower concentrations, but be careful you don’t cause uneven discoloration. The heavier concentrations can also cause severe dryness, something you don’t want with black skin care. If you are fighting acne and you want something specific for black skin care, go to your dermatologist. They can recommend topical antibiotics that won’t discolor the skin as they treat the acne.

Other Products

Don’t forget that other products can interact with each other in your black skin care routine. If you use a hair gel, this can come off on your skin and clog your pores. It hardly helps if you are trying to fight acne while causing more with other products.

Keep in mind that you do need sunscreen, even if you are black. If you are pregnant and getting pregnancy mask, as more black women do, there’s even more reason to have a sunscreen. The pregnancy mask will darken with the more sun exposure you get.

When considering facial treatments at a spa, ask if they know how it affects black skin specifically. Laser resurfacing is a good way to even out the scarring of acne, unless you are black skinned. Then, some lasers are good and others cause more scarring. Make sure the professionals you are dealing with understand the differences between the procedures when used with dark skin as opposed to light skin. The more you know about a product or procedure, the less likelihood you will spend your money for nothing or suffer possible scarring or side-effects from the product or procedure.

Sauna has been around since the time of the Roman Empire. The laconicum was probably the predecessor the modern day sauna. It used dry heat to help the Romans relax and purify their bodies. The importance of a sauna bath has persevered even in modern day culture. Now, we know more about why a dry sauna bath can be an excellent way to increase health and vitality. Besides reducing muscle tension and pain, saunas are known to increase blood circulation and help with respiratory issues too. It has long been suggested that sitting in a sauna can help the body purify itself by releasing toxins stored in the skin.

Increasing Blood Circulation

The importance of a sauna bath in increasing blood circulation is its primary benefit. The increase in body heat can cause the heart to beat faster. It’s estimated the heart can beat 75% faster when in a sauna, similar to some types of exercise. With the increase in heartbeat comes an increase in blood circulation.

Reducing Muscle Tension

The heat of the sauna can help ease the muscles and reduce muscle pain. It can even work with arthritis pain. The environment in a sauna room can promote a bit of mindfulness meditation that can de-stress not only the muscles, but the mind as well. The sensation of relaxation is enough to make a people come back again and again for a sauna bath.

Respiratory Issues

The sauna is well known for treating respiratory issues. It can treat sinusitis, laryngitis, and forms of chest congestion. Smokers can benefit greatly from doing a sauna treatment. To increase the benefit to the respiratory system, one can add herbal essences to the sauna to help open airway passages. Some people suggest eucalyptus, but this may be a bit too strong. Peppermint is another herbal essence that cannot only help the nervous system relax but also opens airway passages. Be sure that whatever herbal essence you add, that you do not have an allergic reaction to that substance because the sauna will increase your exposure to it.

Cleansing Toxins

Sauna treatments greatly affect the tone and health of the skin. It is suggested that toxins stored in the muscles and the skin are released with a sauna treatment. The act of perspiring helps to take out toxins. The hot air can help to clear the pores and give the skin a healthy and glowing appearance. For that reason, a hot sauna is often used as a beauty treatment as well as a way to make the body healthy and strong.

Additional Importance Of A Sauna Bath

Finally, like an artificial fever, a sauna is suspected of triggering the body’s immune system. You can increase not only your red blood cells and antibodies, but it can also speed healing. With better circulation and more blood getting to injured areas of the body, they heal faster and better. Saunas can also be recommended for people who have sports injuries to help them heal naturally in record time.

Retin A cream, also known as Tretinoin, was once the miracle cream for acne and wrinkles. It still is, but there is still some caution due to potential side effects to unborn fetuses, so other options are being used for women who may be in childbearing years. Retin A is a class of cream make from a derivative of vitamin A in high doses. Studies have shown that high doses of vitamin A can be produce birth defects in unborn children. Although less than 10% of the cream appears to be absorbed into the bloodstream, the cream is still not recommended for women who are pregnant.

Other Side effects

Retin A is very drying to skin. While teens may find the drying effect good for their type of acne, adults may have acne with dry skin too. Using retin A can make the skin more fragile and red. It also makes the skin photosensitive. Doctors advise you to use sun protection when you go outdoors after being treated with Retin A cream.

The Benefits

Retin A is very effective for the treatment of acne and fine wrinkles. It is often used to treat severe acne, which can be resistant to other forms of treatment. The drying effect can be combated with moisturizers in addition to the Retin A treatment. The skin does get used to it after a period of time using it, and it can be used more frequently as the itching or burning feeling subsides. Since it is a topical treatment, there is less chance of getting it into the bloodstream, although there is still caution with regards to pregnant women or women who are in their child-bearing years.

Good Skin Care With Retin A

In addition to the Retin A treatment, the dermatologist will indicate what a good skin care routine will be for you. They might suggest washing your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. It should be done before using the Retin A cream too. They might ask you to avoid makeup or to look for makeup that is non-comedogenic, meaning it does not clog the pores. They might talk about avoiding hair products too that can leave greasy films from conditioners and aggravate the acne near the hairline.

Alternatives To Retin A

Other alternatives to Retin A are topical antibiotics. Sometimes Retin A treatments are also used in conjunction with antibiotic pills. For pregnant women, most doctors advise them against both antibiotics and Retin A treatments while they are pregnant. They may need to rely on more natural methods to try to control acne, which can appear because of the pregnancy. There are also natural products besides cleansers and toners that are used for topical acne treatments. They contain tea tree oil or lemon oil usually. Over the counter conventional treatments with benzoyl peroxide are also not considered safe for pregnant women. Check with your doctor first before starting any health routine while you are pregnant to find out the latest news on over the counter and natural medicines.

Dermaglow known from its excellence has just launched new - Sensitive Rx skin care line designed to treat sensitive/reactive skin. Formulated with clinically proven ingredients without any known irritants to sensitive skin.

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Sensitive Rx line contains 7 products: Gentle Foaming Cleanser, Intensive Moisture Treatment, Gentle Face Polisher, Anti-Age Eye Treatment, Light Hydrating Treatment, Anti-Redness Serum and Anti Age Treatment.

If you’ve noticed that your skin tends to get irritated easily, it might be due to a high degree of skin sensitivity. People with very fair complexions and thin skin sometimes suffer from skin that is too sensitive. It can overact to sun, wind exposure, temperature, chemicals, and even some natural ingredients. No one knows why some people are more sensitive than others to environmental factors, but it’s probably somewhat hereditary. If you know you have skin reactions to things that don’t bother other people, then you should take measures to reduce your skin sensitivity.

Remove The Stressors

You will want to protect your skin from excess environmental exposure. Too much heat, cold, sun, or wind, can make your skin blotchy and red. Always use sunscreen with SPF and with UVA protection too. Wear hats, scarves and other elements of clothing to protect your from cold, wind, and too much sun.

Try to use natural products that you can handle. Some people are even allergic to herbal oils made with peppermint and other herbs. If you aren’t sure, test it on a small patch of your skin before committing to use a product that might contain an ingredient that is not good for your skin. Avoid all artificial and petroleum-based cosmetic products. If your skin balks at the natural products, it will most likely fail with the commercial products that are petroleum-based.

Avoid wearing jewelry that is not gold. Many people with sensitive skin have contact dermatitis and cannot wear certain metals. To be on the safe side, your jewelry should be gold and never nickel-plated.

Put Up A Barrier

There are barrier creams now coming on the market to help people with sensitive skin. They are sometimes called skin shields or liquid glove creams. They work by setting up a barrier to environmental allergens that can cause a reaction in people with sensitive skin. Just be sure you aren’t allergic to the cream itself before you lather it all over your hands or any other part of your body.

Check All Your Skin Care Products

If you know you have sensitive skin, it’s time to clear out your bath and cosmetics drawers. You want to check all the products that you use for personal hygiene or beauty to make sure they are causing you discomfort. You will need to either eliminate them all together or substitute them with products that are especially made for sensitive skin. This includes facial cleansers, soaps, hair care products, conditioners, make-up, perfumes, and shaving lotions. Even your deodorant and toilet paper can cause a reaction, if you have sensitive skin. When you are dealing with sensitive skin, anything that you handle can cause an allergic reaction. Try to keep to natural products that don’t have excessive perfumes or oils. Keep your skin care routine simple and effective with all natural ingredients and use protection when you are outdoors. It may seem a bit much, but the less you are exposed to allergens, the more comfort you will have. Your skin will appear healthier and you will feel better too.

You may be seeing some new products on the market in the United States that weren’t here before. They really aren’t based on a new concept, Europe has long had sunscreens that protect against UVB and UVA rays, but they are just now being approved by the FDA for use in America. The ingredient being used to protect against UVA rays is called Mexoryl SX. Most sunscreens don’t offer that currently and L’Oreal has the FDA’s approval to market Anthelios sunscreens in the United States now.

Why Do We Need More Protection?

The sunscreens that block against UVB help to protect people from getting sunburned. They do, however, still let the UVA rays penetrate the skin and cause sun damage in the form of premature wrinkling and even some forms of skin cancer. The cost may be more, but it is also a health investment in your future. As skin cancer rates continue to skyrocket in the United States, using a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection makes sense.

The Active Ingredient

You may be seeing more and more of these sunscreens come on the market. They are very popular in Europe and Canada and are known to help prevent some of the aging effects of the sun, like premature wrinkling. The active ingredient is usually called Mexoryl SX, or Ecamsule by another name. In order to tell if your sunscreen protects against both UVB and UVA rays, see if it says SX in the name or check for the active ingredient on the label.

Price Comparison

You may start to notice a difference in price with some of the newer sunscreens, like Anthelios sunscreens. The price of more protection is more money. However, the cost of health is priceless. So, when you are considering to buy a sunscreen protection that does have Mexoryl or not, you need to take the long-term health benefits into account, particularly if skin cancer runs in your family. You can offset some of the costs by changing your lifestyle a bit too.

Lifestyle Changes To Reduce Sun Exposure

Obviously, tanning out in the sun is not recommended. People who love to bake in the sun usually pay for it later in the form of premature wrinkling or skin cancer. Instead, opt for some of today’s wonderful cosmetic skin bronzers that don’t damage your skin. The aerosols are very easy to apply evenly and can give you a sun-kissed look without the danger.

Wear your Anthelios sunscreens when you are out in the sun. Apply it to all your exposed areas, including your feet. Wear hats and shirts with sleeves, if you plan to be out for a long time. Learn to re-apply the product after swimming or bathing. Make sure your product has an SPF of 15 or greater to get good sunburn protection too. Once you get into the habit of protecting your skin with Anthelios sunscreens, or any product with Mexoryl SX, you will have created a health habit that reaps multiple dividends, as you get older.

How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars

If you weren’t able to find something effective to treat your teen acne, you may not be suffering with some acne scars. These can be emotionally upsetting and disfiguring. There are options out there to help you get rid of acne scars. Some are a bit more expensive than others, but at least you now have choices you didn’t have before. There are natural treatments and ingredients that can help you treat your acne scars and they have few to little side effects.

Home Treatments

In order to get your skin tone to be more even and with less visible pitting, you will have to remove some of the top layers of the skin to expose the baby skin underneath. This actually is not a painful procedure and can be done very easily and naturally at home. If you want to know how to get rid of acne scars using natural products, this is the way to go. Use chemical peels based on alpha hydroxyl acids that are acids that come from fruits. They come in different strengths and to get a very strong chemical peel you will probably need to go to a dermatologist or health spa certified to use more intensive peels.

There are multiple types of chemical peels. Whatever you choose will require a little perseverance. The damage you got on your skin didn’t appear overnight. Don’t expect it to disappear overnight either. It will take several months of using the peels to see a difference in the skin’s appearance.

Creams

There are natural skin creams that are credited with helping people with acne scars. Rosehip seed oil is supposed to work well, but it might be due to a high concentration of vitamin C. Other herbs that are purported to help reduce acne scars are: lavender oil and aloe vera. Another natural product, which is great for scarring from acne or burns, is called Mederma. Some of these creams work best after the acne has just subsided and the scars are still fresh. Be careful combining them with your acne treatments if you are still experiencing breakouts.

Shelling Out The Big Bucks

If you want to know how to get rid of acne scars the conventional way, you will have to shell out some big bucks. You will have plenty of options though. You can remove them through dermabrasion, collagen injections, and laser resurfacing. These treatments may not be available to everyone as they can affect dark-colored skin and lighten it unevenly. You have to check with your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon if you have sensitive skin or darker skin that might be damaged with these procedures.

The treatments do leave the face red and often need to be repeated until the desired results are achieved. It can lengthy, expensive, but also very effective for some people. Cosmetic treatments are usually not covered by insurance and there are no guarantees on the final results. As always, be sure to research a particular treatment before undertaking it with any doctor or cosmetic surgeon.

Whether the problem is freckles, age spots, acne scars, or an uneven skin tone, it seems that skin whitening is a priority for people of all ages. Asian women in particular need products for skin whitening even more than other ethnicities, due to their yellow-toned complexions that darken with age. But, they are not alone in their need for skin whitening. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity or what age or even gender happen to be, skin whitening can help improve the look of your skin by evening out the tone, making it look years younger.

There are several ways to whiten skin. Some are more high-tech than others. However, whitening skin can be done at home and doesn’t require any kind of medical supervision. It may not be as quick or as effective as a treatment for skin whitening done at a spa or dermatologist’s office, but with enough patience anyone can lighten their skin if they really want to.

Cream Whiteners

There are a variety of skin whitening products that are sold in most beauty shops that can do the trick. They can have different acids or vitamin extracts in them. Cream whiteners can help with lightening the skin, but there are also chemical peels that can be done at home which may be more effective.

Chemical Peels

Now, you can buy chemical peels containing concentrations of glycolic or azelaic acid. They are commercially available and require multiple treatments, but they are just topical creams. You will use them to help remove the top layers of the skin, which may be pigmented or scarred to reveal newer skin underneath. This can be one way to treat dark age spots or acne blemishes by skin whitening them at home.

If you want a stronger facial peel, they are available but often require professional intervention for a prescription or application. There are risks to people with heart conditions using phenol peels, which are the strongest. They do lighten the skin considerably and work well to even the tone.

Laser Treatments

This is the high tech alternative, which may appeal to people who want quick results. Be aware though that what may work well for a very fair complexioned person might not work well for a darker skin tone. Instead of lightening the skin, it has been noticed that laser treatment can darken skin with excessive melanin already in it. So, be very careful and check with the professional to know if your skin type can benefit from laser treatments for skin whitening, or if you are better off sticking to more conventional treatments.

Natural Alternatives

There are some natural treatments that have been used to whiten age spots or reduce the appearance of freckles. It may be surprising to know that tea tree oil can lighten the appearance of age spots and lemon juice has been an old-time skin-whitening agent for years for freckles. If you are looking for skin whitening, the answer just might be at your local health food store.

What do your hands say anything about you? A person’s health and age can sometimes be betrayed by the look or feel of their hands. Whether you are a busy businessperson who shakes hands all day or a stay-at-home parent who spends days cleaning, you want your hands to stay in tip-top condition. Besides our faces, our hands are the most exposed part of the body and when you are presenting yourself to the world you want them to say that you are a healthy, vibrant, and clean person.

In other to tell what do your hands say about you, you need to know what signs to look for. Here is a list of some potential tip-offs:

Brittle or cracked nails – What do your hands say anything about weak nails that seem to break or crack at the slightest pressure? This is an easy issue to take care of. You need to get into the habit of moisturizing your nails and hands. This can help with the look of the cuticles, the nails, and the skin all at once.

Scaly, rough skin – This type of problem can be due to many factors: environmental, dietary, poor hygiene or beauty care, or even a skin disease like eczema. In order to tell what your particular issue is, you have to begin by ruling out things that can have an adverse effect on your skin. If you are moisturizing daily, check to make sure the moisturizers are not petroleum-based. These can cause additional dryness. You want to be sure that if your work requires significant hand and skin irritation that you wear gloves and moisturize daily. You want to keep your beauty care natural and avoid too many manicures that can end up dehydrating the nails and skin. You want to maintain a healthy diet too and check-in with your doctor if the condition persists.

Nails that fail to grow – Maybe you admire those models with perfect nails and hands. Well, besides getting plastic nails, you can grow them yourself. It is important that you do eat a diet high in protein if you are trying to get your nails to grow. Healthy nails grow 1/8 of an inch per month. It can take up to three months to grow a new nail. So, be patient if growth is what you are after.

Fragile nails – You can try to supplement your diet, if you notice that your nails are fragile. Besides a high protein diet, you can add calcium and biotin supplements. Both of these are said to promote hair and nail health.

Age spots – These discolorations show up after you hit a certain age. Exposure to the sun can hasten their appearance. You will want to use sunscreen when you are out and then try something to fade the spots, if they continue to appear. Tea tree oil is a great natural product that fades age spots over time.

Now do your hands say anything about you? Hopefully, with a good health routine, proper diet, and beauty products, your hands can say nice things about you. Who knows, taking a few years off your hands might make you feel younger and healthier too.