YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Facial Cleansing for Specific Skin Types

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:57:00 +0000

Cleansing is a vital step in your skin care regime. Proper cleansing with products specific for your skin type will improve your overall appearance. Daily cleansing is important to remove dirt and bacteria, sweat, air pollution, excess oils and in addition cleansing exfoliates the skin surface to promote circulation.

Proper cleansing starts with clean hands. This prevents the transfer of bacteria to your face. Apply your cleansing cream at the forehead and then sweep the cleanser over the face, lips, and neck. Massage the cleanser into your skin in a gentle circular motion. Eye make up can be removed with specially formulated eye creams, as some facial cleansers are not suited to be applied to the eye area. Thoroughly rinse your face with cool or tepid water (not to hot or to cold). Extreme hot or cold water can cause flushing and break sensitive capillaries in the skin. Hot water will open the pores and expose these pores to environmental pollution and dirt.

The best cleanser is those that clean the skin without stripping them of the natural fatty oils that protect and waterproof the skin. Removing excess oils in the skin can be accomplished without harsh soaps and strong cleansing creams that dry out the skin. This drying affect leaves the skin exposed to bacteria, cellular damage, and prone to fine lines and wrinkles due to lack of moisture.

Below are easy recipes for various skin types:

Normal Skin

No matter what skin type, choose mild liquid or soap gels for cleansing your face. Soaps made for bath, body and hands tend to be drying no matter what skin type and should be avoided on the face and neck. When buying store bought cleansing creams look for avocado, coconut, or wheat germ. These natural ingredients are suitable for normal skin types. In addition, below is a facial cleanser for normal skin types:

Gentle Facial Cleanser

1/2 cup oatmeal or cornmeal

plain yogurt (add enough yogurt to form a paste)

Mix ingredients to form a paste. With your fingertips and in an upward circular motion, gently massage the paste into your skin. Rinse with warm water and then apply a toner and moisturizer.

Dry skin

First, stay away from hot water when cleansing the face and neck. The hot water opens the pores and extracts the natural moisture quickly. Your cleansing creams should contain non-detergent ingredients that will rinse off easily. When selecting your cleansing cream look for products that contain natural ingredients such as almond, olive or jojoba oils. Below is an easy cleansing recipe for dry skin types:

Honey Cleanser (For Dry Skin)

*Castile soap

1 Teaspoon Honey

Wet face. Pour a little castile soap into the palm of your hand, add honey. Mix honey and soap into a lather, wash face.

*Castile soap is made from vegetable oil as opposed to animal fat like other soaps. Oils used in castile soap include olive, coconut, almond, hemp, and jojoba

Oily skin

Avoid wax-based cleansers, as they are prone to clog pores. An easy recipe for oily skin is as follows:

3 tablespoons oatmeal

2 teaspoons witch hazel

a few drops of water

Dampen oatmeal with few drops of water then add the witch hazel. Apply to your face with an upward and outward circular motion. Rinse with lots of warm water. This recipe is good for all kinds of skin. If you have dry skin add a little oil such as olive oil.

Combination skin

Use a foaming face wash in the morning to keep oily areas at bay. Your evening skin care regime you should use a cream cleanser to soothe the dry areas. The oatmeal recipe above is suited for all skin types and would be useful for combination skin types.

Sensitive skin

Cleanse with gentle, milky, water-soluble lotions and tepid water. Avoid gels or soaps that contain drying alcohol, preservatives, or strong-acting acids. Avoid exfoliating scrubs or astringents, which can cause inflammation.

1 cup dried chamomile

4 tablespoons honey

1 cup milk

8 teaspoons wheat germ

Steep chamomile in milk for a few hours. Strain, keeping liquid. Add honey and wheat germ to liquid mixture. Blend well. Place in a bottle. Refrigerate any used portions. Keeps up to a week.

The ingredients in this recipe add a variety of benefits to your skin. The Chamomile is one of the most used herbs in the cosmetic industry. It is used in soaps and cleansing creams to soothe and soften the skin. The milk a natural alpha hydroxyl acid that helps the skin exfoliates and removes dead skin cells off the surface of the skin. It is very hydrating and soothing to the complexion. The wheat germ contains vitamin E and B, which makes this ingredient nourishing and very soothing. In addition, the granular texture gently sloughs off dead skin cells, which makes it a perfect ingredient for sensitive skin.

Carol Belanger, author of 300+ Skin Care Recipes

For wonderful homemade skin care recipes, including body scrubs, facial peels and masks, etc., visit completeskincaretherapy.com

22 Skin Care Tips and Hints To Younger Looking Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:14:00 +0000

This is a list of twenty-two common and obscure skin care tips. These cover most aspects of skin care. Chances are there is at least one you have never heard or thought of on this list.

Use a lip balm with an SPF of 15 or to keep them moist and protected from the sun.

Try wrapping duct tape around warts for 5-7 days. Remove for a day. Repeat as needed.

Besides keeping legs elevated, stay active to prevent the pooling of blood that leads to varicose veins.

For a luxuriant treat get rose petals from your local florist to add to a warm bath.

Install a water softener to combat dry skin and softer skin overall.

Though they may seem soothing long hot showers rob the skin of its essential oils.

Wash your face using warm water instead of hot.

After showering pat yourself dry instead of rubbing vigorously. Your towel should be used for drying off, not exfoliating.

Make a promise to start taking better care of your skin, from the inside and out, right now.

Moisturize after bathing while the skin is still slightly damp to lock in moisture.

Use an extra pillow while sleeping to elevate the head and reduce bags under your eyes.

Buy wraparound sunglasses with full UV protection to minimize crow's feet.

Educate yourself about some of the main ingredients, natural and synthetic, found in skin care products. As a well-educated consumer you will be doing your skin a favor by selecting the products with the ingredients that will work best for you.

The best way to 'treat' freckles is to accept them as a part of what makes you special.

To reduce itching caused by eczema try applying a cold compress or taking a cool bath.

Aspirin taken as soon as you think you have sunburn will help the blood flow better, thereby possibly reducing its severity.

Even mild soap can be too harsh to use to wash your face. Look for soap-free and moisturizing cleansers instead.

You can tell when all traces of makeup have been removed when there is no residue left on your cleansing pad or cotton ball.

While usually used in self-improvement circles, positive affirmations can be used for skin care too. Repeat out loud things like..."I have healthy radiant skin"..."My skin is soft and smooth"..."I enjoy the compliments I get on my beautiful skin".

Yoga is a wonderful exercise for taking care of your skin. It keeps your muscles limber and reduces stress. Both of which add to a youthful appearance.

To battle cellulite you can try topical creams and lotions, but nothing beats professional massage.

Unfortunately, just because a product claims to be hypoallergenic does not mean it will not cause an allergic reaction in you. You may still have to try several products before finding one that works for you.

Cindy Russell has studied and researched skin care and the aging process for over 17 years. Cindy is also the author of "The Secret Science Of Skin Care And Aging" a free ebook that she offers at her website http://www.anti-agingskincaresolutions.com for more great articles and beauty tips you can also visit her Squidoo lens here: www.squidoo.com/antiagingskincareproducts

Is Your Skin Getting These Benefits From The Sun?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:10:00 +0000

To sun or not to sun, that is the question. You hear people talking about skin cancer and the incredibly harmful rays that it extends to the earth. These rays encourage growth in trees, plants, animals, and humans. How do you know what is truth? Are the suns rays good for your skin or are they bad for it? Actually, these rays are both.

The rays which are emitted from the sun are called the broad spectrum of Ultraviolet (UV) rays. Many of them are very intense and can be harmful to your skin through over exposure. This harm to you skin can result in a number of things: slower healing, accelerated aging, hyper pigmentation, and skin cancer, to name a few. To protect your skin from the full spectrum of UV rays, you need to use a good sunscreen. This does not have to be expensive; the protective factor listed on the packaging determines how well you will be protected. I recommend that you purchase an organic sunscreen because you will not be adding even further toxins to your skin.

Now that we have discussed the bad part of sun exposure, let us talk about the good, because there is a lot of good that comes from sunshine. Of course, this is not a constant sun exposure, nor is it sun exposure between 11:00am and 3:00pm. These times of the day are when the suns rays are the strongest, which means that you are more apt to suffer the damaging effects of the UV rays on your skin. What we are talking about is a moderate amount of sun exposure on a daily basis.

Sunlight helps remove toxins from your body. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of good effects of the sun is my son. When he was born, he was bruised all over, I jokingly say that he looked like a prize fighter that did not do so well in his last fight. The truth is that he had jaundice which is a condition where your liver is not properly removing toxins from your body. The doctors sent us home on a Friday with instructions to keep him in sunlight with a lot of skin exposed as much as I could. It rained all weekend, which made it impossible to keep him in sunlight and he got worse instead of better. By Monday his skin was yellow in color, we returned to the doctor and he was immediately sent to the hospital and admitted. To cure his jaundice, he was given lots of water and kept under a UV light with only a diaper on. By helping the liver to work better, toxins are more easily removed from your entire body, including your skin. With the removal of toxins, your skin can perform much better and will look younger.

Studies have shown that sunlight has a tremendous impact on many patients' depression. This is very easily seen by looking into seasonal suicide rates. I have seen it in myself, friends, and family. When winter hits and the sunlight fades with it, spirits fall. As spring comes and summer steps into the picture, moods lighten and everyone has more fun with each other. Emotional strain affects your skin in a number of ways, from triggering psoriasis to triggering skin breakouts.

The third major way that sun can help your skin is by giving your body much needed vitamin D. Among other things, vitamin D gives a serious boost to you immune system, encouraging the production of cells that fight toxins and disease in your body. When your skin has less toxins, it not only looks more youthful, but performs better. The other thing that vitamin D will do that affects how your skin looks is help keep your muscles from breaking down. By keeping your muscles from wasting, your skin has a better foundation and does not sag as easily.

While you hear all kinds of things about sun damage and the horrors of what the sun can cause, but there are not enough people who are telling us the advantages. These advantages can be gained with moderate sun exposure, not over exposure because too much sun does create the bad effects on the skin that you have heard so much about. Keep a bit of sunshine in your life (with sunscreen) and you will reap tremendous benefits.

Louise Forrest has created the ultimate FREE Health & Beauty guide. Find out how you can gain access to FREE skin care articles, tips and techniques at www.NaturalElements.co.ukLearn how you can benefit from organic skin care at www.NaturalElements.co.uk

Five Steps to Beautiful Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:48:00 +0000

To hear the beauty industry tell it, having beautiful, flawless skin is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. It's true that you can spend as many dollars as you can afford on your skin and spend hours and hours of time in the pursuit of a flawless complexion. It is also true that you don't have to do either. Here are five easy and inexpensive steps to beautiful skin:

Step 1: Know your skin type. There are basically three skin types - dry, oily, and combination. Determining which skin type you have isn't rocket science, and you don't really need an expert to tell you if your skin is dry, if your skin is oily, or if you have both dry and oily areas of skin on your face. Knowing what skin type you have will tell you what kind of skin care products that you should purchase.

Step 2: Wash your hands thoroughly before you clean your face. Germs from your hands can be easily transferred to your face. It's amazing how often people don't think to wash their hands before they start their facial cleansing.

Step 3: According to your skin type, clean your face twice a day (morning and evening) with a facial cleanser that is right for you. If you have very, very oily skin, you will need to clean your face three times a day. Don't "scrub" your skin. Use your fingers to wash, and don't apply a lot of pressure. Use a gentle, circular motion and then rinse your face and PAT it dry...don't rub your face!

Step 4: Use tepid water to clean your face. Hot water isn't going to make your face any cleaner than warm water, and hot water tends to dry the skin. Cold water doesn't clean as completely as warm water.

Step 5: Apply moisturizer each and every time you wash your face. Don't skip a time, and be generous with the amount of moisturizer that you apply.

There you have it. These five steps will give you beautiful and healthy skin!

Dante Rambaldi is an guru in the field of Skin Care and has helped thousands of acne sufferers cure their condition. He runs a highly popular and comprehensive Skin Care web site. For more articles and resources on Skin Care related topics, Acne Treatments, Natural Skin Care, Oily Skin Care, Skin Beauty Mineral and much more visit his site at: skincare.explore-me.com

Beautiful photos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:08:00 +0000

You Can Grow Longer, Healthier Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:20:00 +0000

If you are looking for ways to grow longer, stronger hair or stop hair loss you've come to the right place. Forget expensive treatments, there are 5 easy things you can do to improve your hair's health that won't cost you a fortune.

One: Take Vitamins

When your mother told you to take your vitamins, she knew what she was talking about. Though genetics play a great part in your ability to grow and maintain a healthy head of hair, taking vitamins and eating a good, nutritionally balanced diet play an essential part in the hair growth process.

What types of vitamins should I take?

There are a multitude of vitamins that can contribute to healthy hair and longer hair. You should start your regimen with those most specifically linked to stronger, longer hair.

Biotin

The body needs Biotin to grow cells and maintain blood sugar levels. Along with growing hair, it also grows and strengthens your nails so, taking it has an added bonus for your overall appearance. You should take somewhere between 150 - 300 mcg daily to produce the results you want.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is one of the most essential vitamins to the hair growth process. Aside from this, it fights free radicals which damage cells. Vitamin A, however, should not be overused. Overuse can do more harm to hair than good so, keep it to a daily maximum of 5,000 IU.

Vitamin B12

The great thing about B12 is that you're probably already getting your fill of this, no supplements needed. B12 is found in chicken, eggs, and meat. Yum, yum. Though you're probably already getting a good amount of this in your favorite dishes, the recommended amount is 2 mg.

Vitamin C

Down a glass of Florida gold and make your hair shine. Citrus fruits are excellent for the hair as exemplified by the rash of hair products with citrus fruit ingredients. Taking 60 mg of Vitamin C daily can improve hair health and help you fight colds all at the same time!

Two: Stimulate Your Scalp

Despite old wives tales to the contrary, brushing the hair from root to tip is not a good idea and can actually be counterproductive to what you're trying to accomplish. The scalp, on the other hand, needs a little extra TLC (tender lovin' care for the acronym-challenged).

Separating your hair into sections and moving a brush across in a down ward motion across your scalp will be enough to bring your scalp back to life and removes debris collected in your hair follicles. This should be done every other night. Some experts suggest tapping the scalp with a brush type like a boar's bristle to stimulate the scalp.

Third: Oil Your Scalp

For those with ethnic hair, oil is key to maintaining a healthy scalp.

Even if you don't have an ethnic hair texture, the hair must have moisture to prevent damage and breakage, but for ethnic hair, which is prone to brittleness, this step is absolutely MANDATORY.

Fourth: Trim Your Ends

We have all seen them, the girls with uneven hair. Some is long, some is short and damaged. Or, the ones with long hair but it's frizzy and unmanageable. Please don't be one of these girls.

If you are or to keep from becoming one, get your split ends cut immediately. It is a good habit to get your ends trimmed monthly to prevent split ends and keeping existing split ends from doing major damage to the rest of your hair. When my hair was damaged, the first thing I did was cut my hair into a short bob to even it out and get rid of the damaged ends.

Fifth: Condition Your Hair

When hair gets dry it breaks. That is a fact. The more alcohol-based products you use and the more heat styling you do, the less moisture is retained in the hair. It becomes brittle and damaged and that leads to breakage. If you can't do without those heat styling products and the only product that tames your hair has alcohol content, the best way to protect your hair with regular use of a conditioner.

For more tips on growing your hair and links to more hair care sites, check out http://www.icangrowhair.com