Saturday, April 28, 2007

Anti Aging Skin Care

by Gisele Brosnan

As we age, our skin begins to show the signs of time. All of a sudden normal facial muscle movement such as smiling, chewing and squinting become enemies. Not to mention that gravity and years of sun exposure (for those hard core sun bathers) reflect an image you may no longer recognize. In essence aging skin is caused by the fact that underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful and plumped up during our teens, twenties, thirties and forties begin to break down. Once the signs of time start to manifest themselves we quickly start seeing laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet or facial creases over the areas where repetitive muscle movement occur.

Until recently, signs of aging were synonymous with wisdom, experience, character and sage advice. In other words, aging meant getting better at figuring life. Today, we still want to get better at figuring life as we age, we simply don't want to look like we're older on the outside than we are on the inside.

It seems we are more determined now than ever in history to sip, drink and gulp the elixirs or potions of eternal youth. Did you know that men and women living in western countries spend several billions (yes, billion with a "b") of dollars each year on anti aging skin care products and treatments that promise to tighten the skin, smooth out wrinkles, lighten age spots, remove excess fat, eradicate cellulite, tuck tummies and erase 20 years off of our smiles. Looking 10 years younger no longer means going under the knife because there are so many other options that can make you feel great with a minimum amount of pain. Another bonus to these new procedures - the cost is far more affordable than plastic surgery.

Are you looking to find out more about treatments that change the cellular metabolism of your skin and that can combat fine facial wrinkles and blotches from sun damage? You can search the web for hours for information on non surgical rejuvenation options or simply visit our site: www.mybeautymatch.com

Get the facts about collagen or fat transfer, Botox (™)injections, injectable fillers, removing acne scars, non facial surgery options, Restylane (™), facial fillers, face lift creams, skin resurfacing, laser removal facial veins, natural skin care products glycolic acid, photofacials, anti aging skin for men and the many anti-aging skin care products.

© Copyright Beauty Match Network. All rights reserved.


About the Author
Gisele Brosnan is a contributing Editor for www.mybeautymatch.com. Our site is dedicated to providing information on anti-aging treatments and about aging well options so you can keep feeling beautiful for as long as you want. Canada! Find out which anti-aging skincare products, treatments & solutions will help you possess optimal skincare & beauty at every age.

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Skin Care and Water Temperature

by Don Amodeo

When you're suffering with acne or sensitive skin, it can sometimes seem like there are just too many factors to keep track of. With so many different acne products out there, as well as an overabundance of advice concerning everything from stress control to your diet, it's easy to overlook some of the basics such as developing good washing habits. Those seeking clear skin may use a variety of different soaps, creams and cleansers to help get their acne under control, but there's one thing that they all use: water.

For those with sensitive skin, or simply anyone who wants to get the most out of their cleansing routine, understanding the difference that water temperature makes on your skin can help make washing both more effective and safer.

So when should you wash with hot, warm, or cold water? And why?

One should start with the knowledge that very hot water is almost never beneficial as far as your skin is concerned. Hot water saps most of the natural oils from the surface of your skin, depletes water from your skin cells internally (making them less supple), and causes your pores to become swollen, leaving your skin highly susceptible to damage. The negative effects of hot water are especially evident during the winter months, as exposing your skin to cold air right after washing with hot water commonly causes redness and peeling. However, even during the summer this is a bad idea, as the effects of hot water leave your skin more susceptible to sun damage, not to mention make it easier for unwanted waste to get clogged in your pores year-round.

When washing your face and considering water temperature, the simple relationship to remember is this: Warm water causes your pores to dilate, while cold water causes them to contract.

Washing with warm (not hot) water can certainly be beneficial to your cleansing routine, as expanding your pores to some degree is necessary in order to remove waste and bacteria that may be clogged within them. Soaps also tend to lather and penetrate better, making most cleansers more effective in warm water. Once you've applied a cleanser and gently massaged the lather into your face, the trick is to finish by rinsing off with cold water. In this way you finish by protecting your skin from damage, since the colder water will cause your pores to tighten back up and leave you less susceptible to damage. If you're going to be going outdoors and exposing your skin to either cold weather or prolonged sun exposure, you should probably follow with a moisturizer or SPF 15, but under normal circumstances just rinsing with cold water is sufficient.

Even with you are careful and always use proper washing habits, you should still remember not to wash your face too frequently (twice per day at most). While excess skin oil may be a bad thing, too little skin oil is also a problem. You skin needs time to provide its own natural level of protection, and if you're constantly washing that layer of protection away you're doing more harm than good.

About the Author
Don Amodeo is the webmaster of Acne-Vitamins.com, your source for vitamin B5 acne products, as well as a free guide to vitamins for clear skin. Also visit the Acne Vitamins Blog for more helpful information. This article may be republished provided that the author's information and all active links are left intact.

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST

Monday, April 16, 2007

5 Tips for Reducing Puffy Eyes

by Jenny B


Puffy eyes can make anyone look older and more stressed. Don't waste your money on big name products that claim to vanish puffy eyes. All you need is to follow these guidelines from Bath Body Junky (www.bathbodyjunky.com) and you'll be rid of puffy eyes for good.

Regulate Your Sleep Pattern: Research suggests getting more sleep can reduce puffy eyes. But don't overdo it; too much sleep can cause you to have puffy eyes too. Map out a sleep schedule between seven to nine hours and try to stick to your schedule most nights.

Drink More Water: Puffy eyes can also be the result of water retention. Drink a minimum of eight ounces per day so that your kidneys and liver can free toxins from your body and hydrate you. Not only will drinking more water get rid of puffy eyes, but it will make skin GLOW.

Cut Back on Sugar: Too much sugar consumption can be the culprit to your puffy eyes. Cut back on half of your sugar consumption this week and see if you notice any changes. To satisfy your sweet tooth, replace cookies and other baked goods with fruits and a moderate amount of natural fruit juices. Fruit is a beauty food. Too many sweets can dim your skin's natural glow.

Tea Bags and Cucumbers: Placing wet tea bags or cucumbers on your eyes has been a beauty tip for years. The fruits' natural nutritional components will help cut back on the swelling right away and relieve your eyes for as long as you keep them on.

Fruitify Soap Juice Bars: Research has shown that aloe vera can help soothe and diminish puffy eyes. All of our Fruitify Soap Juice Bars at Bath Body Junky (www.bathbodyjunky.com) are made with an aloe vera base that works wonders for your skin - and your puffy eyes.

Take these suggestions into consideration and you should be on your way to vibrant, rested eyes in no time.


About the Author
I am a blogger with Bath Body Junky .

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST

Monday, April 09, 2007

Home Remedies for Puffy Eyes

by Kevin Pederson

Eyes that are bright and sparkling attract attention. Puffy or red eyes are lack luster and make you look tired and ill. Puffy eyes are one of the most common beauty problems. Puffiness is often caused by the accumulation of fluids around the eye. Besides sleeping on your face, crying or lack of sleep, if you're menstruating or pregnant, retaining food, eating salty food or drinking water less than two hours before bed, you're likely to wake up with puffy eyes.

Rubbing aggravates irritation and tends to make your eyes puffier. For immediate relief, do not rub your eyes when you see them puffy.

Nature's best ingredients for removing puffy eyes are cucumber and potato. Take a small raw potato or cucumber, slice it into small pieces and blend to a fine consistency. Strain the excess juice and reserve the pulp. Make a cup of basil tea and mix it well with the pulp. Pour the mixture into ice tray and freeze it. Whenever you have puffy or red eyes, dab the ice cube on your closed eyes for some time. Rinse your eyelids gently and pat dry.

Use your middle finger and gently press along the eyebrow and around the eye socket. This will stimulate the lymphatic system and help drain excess fluid. The swelling will reduce.

Take a rounded metal spoon and place it in your fridge for few minutes. When it gets cold, take it out and hold the rounded portion against your eye for few minutes. This helps in reducing the puffiness.

To make your red or sore eyes look healthy and sparkling, mix 2 tbsp water to a glass of mineral water. Bathe your eyes in this solution 3-4 times a day.

Apply a cold compress on your eyes such as cloth dipped in cold water or ice cubes in a wash cloth. When the cloth feels warm, dip it in cold water again or add more ice. Repeat this at least 4-5 times or till you feel the puffs under your eyes drained out.

Applying cold tea bag wrapped in tissue on closed eyes makes the skin taut and reduces puffiness. The natural astringent in tea - tannin works wonders.
Strips of grated potato or cucumber placed under the eyes helps to reduce the swelling.

Soak cotton wool pad either in iced water or ice cold milk. Lie down with dampened pads over your closed eyes. Replace the pads when warm. Continue to till puffiness reduces. This also brightens the whites of your eyes.

By drinking enough water, your body will stay hydrated and will reduce the puffiness around your eyes.

Make sure you get enough sleep with regular timings. Inadequate sleep shows on the eyes more than on any other part of the body. Sleep soothes the eyes and relieves fatigue.

Dip cotton wool pads in ice-cold rose water. Use them as eye pads over closed eyes.
Stiffly beat few egg whites. Add a drop or two of witch hazel. Apply to the face and under the eyes with a brush. This will make the skin feel tighter and look less puffy.

If you keep your head in an elevated position while you sleep, it discourages fluids from settling around your eyes.

Avoid eating salty foods like chips, pickles, drinking alcohol that retains fluids that settles in the eye area.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader, not the site, and the writer.

About the Author
Kevin Pederson manages Home Remedies providing information on home based natural cures for most common ailments and health problems. Read on how to cure a href = http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com Puffy Eyes with Home Remedies as they are one of the most common beauty problems.

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Why Pure Virgin Coconut Oil Is Fantastic For Your Skin

by Regina Rivard


When it comes to anti-aging creams, it seems that people will try anything to look younger. The latest one I've heard about is "snail slime". Boy, I'm a big believer in staying away from chemical-ridden, anti-aging lotions but this is taking things a little too far. Still, I guess snails don't have much in the way of wrinkles so there might be something in it!

For myself though, I'm not all that keen on smearing my face with slimy snail entrails. I much prefer the lovely smell and feel of pure Virgin Coconut Oil. The most important reason though is the fact that Virgin Coconut Oil is high in antioxidants that fight against the formation of free radicals .......those nasty things we all hear about but don't really know what they do.

Put simply, free radials break down your skin's connectives tissues. The skin therefore loses its elasticity and signs of aging appear in the form of wrinkles. So, the trick is to keep the formation of free radicals down to a minimum! How do you do this? The answer is antioxidants.

The problem with a lot of conventional body care products is that they are made using refined vegetable oils. "Refined" is often a fancy name for the application of chemicals that have the effect ofstripping out all the naturally-occurring antioxidants in these oils. This means that the natural antioxidant protection against the formation of free-radicals is destroyed!

No so with pure Virgin Coconut Oil. This unrefined oil is extremely high in antioxidants that penetrate deep into the underlying tissues of your skin to prevent and protect against the formation of free radicals. This is the primary reason why this oil is regarded as the best natural ingredient lotion for the skin.

Virgin Coconut Oil will also soften and moisturize your skin, as well as act as an exfoliant in removing the outer layer of dead skin cells. This beautiful, all-natural Oil has been found to: -

Prevent premature aging of the skin. Heal and repair damaged skin tissue. Help bring back a youthful appearance Assist in the prevention of liver spots and other blemishes caused by aging and over exposure to sunlight. Strengthen the body's immune system. Aid in digestion. Help protect against degenerative disease, arthritis, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Promote weight loss.

If you want your skin looking smoother, younger and more evenly textured, the first step is to stop slapping chemicals on your body. Artificial chemicals, preservatives and colorings will damage your skin in the long run. The second step is to use the best natural ingredient for your skin - in other words, pure Virgin Coconut.

- Regina Rivard Nature's Haven Skin Care


About the Author
Regina Rivard is the CEO of Nature's Haven - a supplier of natural, organic beauty products that are different & exciting. http://www.natureshavenskincare.com/

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Danger! - Filler Injections In The Eyelid To Remove Dark Circles Under The Eyes by Brooke Seckel

Recently I have received several reports of serious complications occurring in people who have had soft tissue fillers like Collagen and Restylane injected into their eyelids to correct dark circles under the eyes and other lower eyelid aging changes. Although the companies that manufacture the soft tissue fillers specifically recommend that Doctors not inject soft tissue fillers into the eyelid area, many Doctors are ignoring these warnings and injecting these fillers into the lower eyelid of patients to correct dark circles under the eyes.

So far patients have reported visible lumps on the eye and cheek area and significant swelling of the eyelids and have been told by their Doctors that nothing can be done to correct the problem. I fear much more serious complications such as injury to the eye.

Eyelid rejuvenation, that is correction of puffiness or bags of the lower eyelid and dark circles under the eyes are one of the most frequent complaints of patients seeking plastic surgery. The most effective and commonly recommended options to correct aging of the eyelid is a plastic surgery operation called a blepharoplasty . When properly performed by an experienced board Certified Plastic Surgeon on an appropriately selected patient, the blepharoplasty can safely produce excellent rejuvenation of both the upper and lower eyelids.

Many people however want to remove dark circles under the eyelids and rejuvenate the eyelid appearance but want to avoid surgery and are having soft tissue filler injections into the eyelid to plump up the dark circles. The theory is that if soft tissue filler is injected beneath the dark circle, the filler will plump up the dark circle and make it less noticeable. The technique can be successful but it is a temporary solution unlike blepharoplasty , which is a permanent solution.

The problem however is that soft tissue filler injection into the eyelid is, in my opinion, a potentially very dangerous procedure, and the companies that make the soft tissue fillers recommend against it.

The major risk is that the filler could be inadvertently injected into one of the blood vessels that feed into or drain the eyeball and if this were to occur the eye could potentially be injured and blindness could result. Worse, an inexperienced Doctor could inadvertently inject the filler directly into the eye causing serious damage.

In some cases the doctors who are doing soft tissue filler injections into the eyelid have had no training in surgery of the eyelids and do not possess the intimate knowledge of eyelid anatomy that is required to be doing invasive procedures on the eyelids. Even Ophthalmologists, the eye specialists use special care when injecting with needles around the eye.

The soft tissue fillers that are currently in use include Collagen, Zyderm, Zyplast, Hylaform, Perlane, Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra, Cosmoplast, Cosmoderm, Evolence, and others.

Perhaps in the future controlled clinical studies will be reported which show the benefits and safety of injecting soft tissue fillers around the eyelid. For now, however, the reports I have had from patients who have had complications following this technique are an early warning and should be heeded.

I recommend that patients avoid this technique. If you have dark circles and puffiness under the eyes see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and consider a blepharoplasty. If you feel that you must have a filler injected into the eyelids then by all means see a board certified plastic surgeon or occuloplastic surgeon who has experience and knowledge in eyelid anatomy and surgery. If you have a complication you want to be under the care of an experienced Doctor who can take care of the problem.

Dr Seckel


About the Author
Dr Brooke R. Seckel, Asst. Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School was recently named a Top Doctor in Boston by Boston Magazine. He is also listed as one of the Best Doctors in America. Dr Seckel is an internationally recognized expert in Plastic Surgery. Dr Seckel's office is in Boston at 617-262-2208 or at http://saveyourface.com/

0 comments

BOOKMARK THIS POST