How Cleansers Work

Cleansers interact with the skin’s moisture barrier as well as the skin’s pH to emulsify dirt and oil for easy removal. As dirt or debris is usually embedded in the barrier’s outer layer of oil, removing this dirt can disrupt this naturally protective surface.

The health of the skin’s moisture barrier is important as this barrier preserves water and natural oils to moisturize and maintain the smoothness and flexibility of the skin. It also serves as your skin’s protection against injury from chemicals or bacteria. Harsher cleansers can disrupt this barrier, as well as irritate the skin and affect the skin surface pH, which scientists believe plays a role in regulating how this barrier functions and protects us from bacteria. Studies show that the barrier’s regeneration and repair happens more slowly at a neutral pH than at the skin’s natural acidic pH. Changing the skin surface’s pH balance can increase the skin’s sensitivity to potential irritants.

Cleansing with water, soap or a liquid cleanser will affect the skin’s moisture barrier, although soap will have the most impact and will make the skin’s pH more alkaline. Liquid facial cleansers clean more gently, with less disruption of the barrier and have a smaller effect on the skin pH. Some of the new synthetic detergents will remove dirt and disrupt the outer layer of oil, but then work to ensure the skin barrier is left intact by restoring the oil.

Moisturizers and hydrated skin tips

If you aren’t sure what they do, moisturizers are used to replace natural skin oils to cover tiny fissures (or openings) in the skin, and to provide a soothing protective film. Thus, evaporation of the skin’s moisture is slowed, which helps to improve the appearance and feel of dry and aging skin. An effective moisturizer increases water content, reduces water loss, and restores the skin’s ability to retain water.

Who doesn’t want smooth, hydrated, healthy skin? From basic formulas that claim to keep skin moist, to concoctions that promise an end to aging skin and wrinkles, the choice of a skin moisturizer can be overwhelming. You can look at information on moisturizers for different skin types.v

(Scientists say a moisturizer will smooth skin to temporarily make wrinkles less apparent, but unfortunately, moisturizing your skin will not have any long-term effect on wrinkles.)

Look for products that:

* help to make the skin smooth and supple
* duplicate and enhance the skin’s natural moisture retention mechanisms
* are good to sensitive skin - hypoallergenic, non-sensitizing, fragrance free, non-comedogenic (Read about Sensitive Skin Other Skin Conditions.)
* absorb rapidly and last long

Remember, too, just because a product has a certain ingredient, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has enough of it to make a difference. Dermatologists look for a number of substances to complete a moisturizer’s make-up:

* Emollients such as plant and mineral oils, shea and cocoa butter, petrolatum, cholesterol, silicones or animal oils (including emu, mink and lanolin). These lubricating ingredients soften and smooth skin while helping it to retain moisture.
* Water-binding agents that keep water in the skin, called Humectants, are important for skin damaged by sun and dehydration, but they won’t help your skin retain water.
* Occlusives, which are substances that physically block water loss in the stratum corneum, or layers of the skin, include: Petrolatum (in a minimum concentration of five per cent is the most effective occlusive), followed by lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones such as dimethicone, which act as a protective part of skin barrier creams.
* Soothing agents and anti-irritants, such as bisabolol, allantoin, burdock root, aloe, licorice root, glycyrrhetinic acid, green tea and chamomile extract, are added to many moisturizers to help skin handle ingredients that may cause irritation.
* Pure mixtures of amino acids are useless as moisturizers, while pure solutions of glycerin are ineffective, and propylene glycol by itself is irritating. However, alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid or glycolic acid, appear to help reduce roughness and scaling.
* Vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E, get mixed reviews. Some experts say these ingredients have the ability to heal and hydrate, while others insist there’s little evidence of their effectiveness when applied topically, especially in the quantity found in most moisturizers.

Side effects

Moisturizers aren’t without their side effects. If you have these symptoms, see your doctor:

* sweat retention (miliara rubra, i.e.: petrolatum and lanolin)
* irritation (urea; lactic acid; propylene glycol; solvents)
* allergic contact dermatitis (fragrances, preservatives, i.e. parabens, formaldehyde, Quaternium 15 and Imidazolidinyl urea; lanolin; additives, i.e.: vitamin E and aloe vera
* photo contact dermatitis (fragrances, UV filters)

The skinny on skin - five points

* Study the active ingredients listed on labels in order of the amount contained. If soothing aloe vera or vitamin C is 15th on the list, you’re not getting much of it
* Be wary of claims that products will increase your own natural collagen or elastin, whose job is to keep skin plumped up and youthful-looking. The molecules in these products are too big to actually penetrate the skin.
* Wash your face no more than twice a day with a gentle cleanser formulated for dry skin. Washing more often can dry your skin.
* Add a few teaspoons of olive oil or lavender-scented oil to your bath.
* Steer clear of added fragrance, preservatives and botanicals, which may irritate already dry skin

Get your money’s worth

Which is better? High-end brands or low-cost brands? Drugstore shelves seem to have an overwhelming choice of products, with each company vying for your dollars. Experts say that often low-cost brands are just as effective. You can stretch your money’s worth of product by applying your moisturizer on damp skin - it will absorb better.

Under Eye Dark Circles and Treatments

Dark under eye circles are more common than one might think. Though dark circles are usually temporary and not a medical concern, they can be a personal concern, especially when one’s appearance is affected.

Dermatologists know, not all skin is created equal. The same is true not only for facial complexions but for the skin on your body. As holistic dermatologist Dr. Adhami explains it, “One part can be dramatically different from the next, with varying levels of texture, thickness and even color. The skin around your eyes is a key example; it tends to be thin and is the most delicate of all. This skin is particularly vulnerable to stress, time and the harmful effects of the environment and requires special care if it is to look and function its best.”

While fatigue is commonly assumed to be the cause of dark under eye circles – surprisingly the correct culprit is nasal congestion. According to medical experts, when your nose is congested, veins that normally drain from your eyes into your nose become widened (dilated) and darker. Dark circles can also result from chronic skin conditions such as eczema or be hereditary.

Another cause of under eye circles is due to swelling while you sleep. When you lie down, gravity allows fluid to collect in your lower eyelids. Sometimes, this swelling may create the appearance of shadows below your eyes.

Over the counter products may help diminish dark circles under eyes. Look for skin creams that contain vitamin C or K, alpha hydroxy acid or kinetin. If you suffer from chronic or severe under eye circles medical treatment may be required. Treatment will include examining the underlying causes and may involve bleaching agents or laser therapy.

Natural eye creams may include exotic herbs, plants, minerals and a variety of vitamins such as vitamins A and E to help protect, hydrate, repair and dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Under eye cream should deliver a boost of moisture to the delicate skin around the eyes and prevent future wrinkles or “crows feet”

Other ingredients are equally cutting-edge. Some new eye creams contain peptides, which are basically complex molecules created in the laboratory. They are synthetic analogues of collagen, which, unlike the large collagen molecule itself, are small enough to penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. Once there, peptides stimulate the body to create new collagen and accelerate skin repair.

Whatever your choice, the options today are far-reaching. If using only natural, sustainable products are important to you, try to find under eye cream comprised of herbal extracts, vitamins or other organic natural ingredients to reduce those wrinkles and remove the dark circles. Eye cream packed with antioxidants like vitamin E to fight skin-damaging free radicals and Vitamin A to help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Unique herbal extracts help reduce the appearance of dark circles and reduce puffiness.

Your Organic Skin

Skin is the armor of the body. It is the outside waterproofing, element-fighting surface that protects our internal organs and skeletal structure from the harsh outside elements. Yet skin, overall is ignored most of the time. Healthy skin is important for a glowing completion of course, but if your body is unhealthy – your skin will be also.

The toxic world of industrialization has finally caught up with us. Producing toxic waste disasters, disease and tons of garbage buried so deep it can never breakdown. All these “modern advancements” have left our food supply as little more than a chemical compound in itself. If you can do ONE thing to give your skin and your body a fighting chance, you would be wise to choose as organic a diet as possible. To maintain a healthy skin, organically grown food is must.

In light of recent organic trends in our food, organic skin care products are also gaining popularity. For healthy lifestyle and healthy skin, limiting the amount of toxins and chemicals you put in your body is a must. If the environment or living “green” is important to you, you should also be aware of companies that produce the products you buy and their manufacturing practices.

Organic Skin Care is the most rapidly developing field in the beauty industry. Now what does Organic mean? Organic refers to anything grown or raised naturally. But more specifically, it means plants are grown on certified natural land without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification or irradiation. In many cases, these organic farms are highly regulated by the Federal Food Safety Commission. Organic skin care means protecting your skin from harmful chemicals and using organic products whenever possible.

There are many organic products available on the market today. Most can be found at a local organic specialty stores, food suppliers or a national health food chain like Whole Foods. As organic products become more and more popular, many standard food stores, Like Safeway or Albertsons’ are also providing these products on their shelves. There are also plenty of websites offering organic skin or beauty care products online.

An organic product is preferable for natural skin care balance as it will generally contain far fewer chemical properties then it’s drugstore counterparts and thus have less possibility to cause inflammation or irritation. Of course, even an herbal product can have side effects as they are “chemicals” in their own right, so always be aware of the list if ingredients in the products you buy and the reactions your skin personally has to allergens.

Anti-wrinkle Creams

Are you happy with your wrinkle cream? Do you look in the mirror and still notice plenty of lines and wrinkles on your face? Then maybe it is time to change your anti-aging cream. Some excellent natural creams available are great at preventing wrinkles.

However, you don’t have to look on the shelves of your local drugstore. The best anti aging anti wrinkle cream products are not always found in the stores. Some of the anti-aging preventing creams sold in stores are in fact harmful to your skin. The ingredients in some of these products are not particularly safe. This includes fragrances, mineral oil and preservatives and are not necessary ingredients for a good safe skin care product. Read more

Combination Skin Treatments

Combination skin is characterized by a mixture of oiliness and dryness. Typically, the oily areas tend to be the T-zone, consisting of the forehead, nose and chin. The cheeks are normal to dry. The degrees of oiliness and dryness can vary. Pores may be larger in the oily areas - with pimples, blackheads and breakouts sometimes occurring - and dry areas may feel rough and irritated.

The “tissue test” can help you determine if you have combination skin. Take a tissue and hold/press it against your face. If there’s oil on the tissue where it touched your T-zone, but no oil where the tissue touched your cheeks, you most likely have combination skin.

Causes
Many factors can cause combination skin, including hormones, age, genetics, the way in which lipids are organized in our skin and even the weather. Hormonal changes can lead to changes in skin’s oiliness or dryness. Teens and young adults tend to have oilier skin, especially in the T-zone, but with age, hormones change and the oil production may decrease (but unfortunately, acne is still an issue for many adults). Also, hormones change due to menstruation and the birth control pill, which can make skin oilier in certain areas. Lipids also play a role in combination skin: These proteins affect skin’s softness and feel. When lipids aren’t evenly spread throughout the skin, certain areas will feel drier and rougher, while other areas may feel soft but oily or greasy. The organization of lipids in skin is due to genetics and hormones. Finally, weather can exacerbate combination skin. Dry cold weather can cause skin to dry out and become irritated. Conversely, hot humid weather can increase oil production. This can affect your T-zone as well as your cheeks.

Care Plan
Combination skin requires special care to balance the oily and dry areas of the face. Proper cleansing, treatment, moisturizing and sun protection are all necessary.

• Cleansing: People with combination skin often have difficulty finding a cleanser that works for their unique skin needs. Formulas designed for oily skin may leave combination skin too dry, especially in the cheeks, while formulas designed for dry skin may leave combination skin greasy, especially in the T-zone. It’s best to avoid products that are either too drying or too rich. Instead, use a foaming or gel cleanser to get rid of dirt and oil without causing irritation or dryness. A cleanser to try is one that removes excess oil and impurities while still being gentle and not drying out skin.
You should also exfoliate your skin regularly to remove dry, dead, rough skin cells. These cells may be particularly prominent on your cheeks. They can flake off and block pores, causing blemishes and blackheads. Try a product that might include papaya and pineapple juice, olive derivatives and Ginkgo Biloba

Treatments: Treatment products are another important skincare component, helping to balance your skin. One treatment to try is one which moisturizes dry areas but prevents excess oil, especially in the T-zone. This product also contains antioxidants to prevent aging. Another type of treatment is a mask, and you’ll find an array of products for every skin type. Some experts advise using a hydrating/moisturizing mask on dry areas (cheeks) and a deep-cleaning clay mask on oily areas (T-zone). While using two different masks is certainly an option, you can also use a mask specifically designed for combination skin. If you suffer from breakouts, which may occur around the T-zone, use acne treatment products with salicylic acid. For problem skin, try a blemish serum or a spot treatment.

Moisturize: Combination skin needs balance, and part of that balance means moisturizing your skin. Moisturizing is especially important for drier areas of the face, but your entire face needs moisture. Some experts suggest using separate moisturizers - a lightweight one for the T-zone and a deeper one for cheeks. You may choose to use separate moisturizers, but you can also use a single moisturizer designed for combination skin. Try a lotion which balances skin with witch hazel and aloe extract to help skin stay soft. Pay careful attention to dry areas, as they may require more frequent moisturizing than oily areas. Generally, experts recommend moisturizing dry areas twice a day and moisturizing oily areas once a day. Keep in mind that your individual skin has unique needs, so you might want to adjust your moisturizer - how often you use it, where you need it and how much you need.

Sun Protection: Like all other skin types, combination skin needs protection from the sun. UVA and UVB rays can damage skin, so use oil-free sunblock all over your face daily (and on any other exposed areas). Try an oil-free sunlotion or sunblock because it protects your skin from UV rays and won’t make skin greasy.

Natural Treatments
Natural treatments such as aromatherapy oils, home-made exfoliants and masks may help treat your combination skin. For example, try mixing essential oils like chamomile, lavender and ylang ylang (just a few drops) together with your oil-free moisturizer. These ingredients have antibacterial properties and may help to rid skin of dirt or bacteria. However, if your skin is sensitive or easily irritated, or if you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t use these essential oils.

Exfoliating treatments can be made at home by mixing and grinding nuts, seeds or oatmeal along with water. These will slough off dead, dry skin cells - especially common around the cheeks. You can add citrus peels from fruit - like orange or grapefruit - to the mix and apply it to the oily T-zone.
To make a mask for dry areas, use ingredients like yogurt, mashed bananas or avocados to moisturize. On oilier areas, try pureed strawberries and apples.

Three Step Routine for Beautiful Skin

Cleanse, Nourish, Moisturize.

If you suffer from any type of facial malady, most experts will agree, the first rule of skin care is: cleanse, nourish, and moisturize. No matter what type of skin you have, this three-step routine for the care of your skin is essential to counteract the daily effects of environment, stress, and the skin’s natural process of cell degeneration. It is the very minimum you must do to maintain a normal, healthy, youthful complexion. Even if you do nothing else for an existing skin problem, keeping this regimen every day can help to improve your condition, sometimes in a short amount of time.

The basic requirements for good skin include daily cleansing, nourishing, and moisturizing that is right for your complexion type. A total facial beauty program should feature daily skincare: cleansing, toning, moisturizing, weekly facial masks, healthy eating, rejuvenating body baths, exfoliation, and of course, exercise.

Following a seasonal skin care regimen is ideal for everyone, no matter what your skin condition, as our skin fluctuates with the seasons. In winter, cold temperatures and lack of humidity make moisturizing a must. In the heat of the summer months, the humidity is higher and you are more prone to exercise and sweat, so a moisturizer may not be necessary, but a sunscreen will - then you may notice more breakouts and need a detoxifying clay mask for example.

The most common skincare complaints include acne, eczema, psoriasis, premature wrinkles, sagging and age spots. Not all of these skin maladies will occur at the same time and not all skincare products will be necessary at all times. If you have combination skin, you may even need to ‘spot-treat’ – a moisturizer on your cheeks and a detoxifying mask on your forehead and nose, for example.

If you are a resourceful natural skincare advocate, you may already make some of your best skincare products at home. If you prefer to buy your skin care products rather than make them, it will benefit you greatly to be a knowledgeable consumer. Learn to distinguish the true natural products from the many pretenders on the market today.

Typically most skincare treatments are external. While they are vital to achieving a flawless complexion and an all-over healthy appearance, they alone are not sufficient to eliminate all skin problems completely. A topical product will alleviate only the surface issues of disease and aging, not the cause itself. For that you must also cleanse and nourish the body and mind internally - where all disorders begin. Internal skincare is equally if not more important that any external cream, especially when it comes to diet and key stress-reducing techniques like exercise, meditation and massage.

You can take years off your appearance by rejuvenating your skin if you are willing to follow a “whole-health” regimen. Make a routine of your daily skincare with proper cleansing, nourishing / toning and moisturizing as well as feeding your body nourishing, healthy foods and exercising. You will see the results for yourself through your improved complexion and an overall feeling of well-being.

Searching for the best facecream?

What is the best anti-aging cream? If you do a lot of research on the subject, you may have found the answer for yourself. But what if your old face cream isn’t performing the way it used to? Worse yet, what if you are now experiencing a reaction to a cream that used to be fine for your skin? In fact, our faces are so different and the way our body adjusts to chemicals is so different that there is not ONE perfect product out there that will suit everyone. Millions of people want a firming cream that really works. The skin care industry is awash in products that do not live up to their claims. Choosing a good safe product requires knowledge and a little trial and error.

The best products contain natural ingredients. Avoid products that contain fragrances and preservatives. These are not good for your skin and could cause harmful side effects after prolonged usage. A good firming cream does not need any preservatives. If used correctly, a long shelf life is not necessary. Do not be swayed by fancy marketing campaigns.

A firming cream that really works will firm up and moisturize your skin. It is stronger than day cream because it is designed to work all night while you sleep. Many wonder if they can buy an effective over the counter cream from the drugstore. In most cases, I would have to say yes, as long as the ingredients list remains pure. There are still some products available at the drugstore are not the best quality, but in turn, just because a skin cream comes from a famous, expensive label, doesn’t make it any less detrimental or toxic if it is full of the same chemicals.

When searching for an anti-aging cream, look to a product that targets the three main reasons of aging. These three reasons are loss of elastin, loss of collagen and low levels of oxidation and hyaluronic acid. When you are looking at products, read the label to make sure it contains organic and natural ingredients.

If a product indicates that it contains collagen, then that is not accurate. You cannot apply collagen to your skin. It has to be naturally produced by your body. There are natural ingredients that will stimulate the production of collagen, which will help restore the elasticity to your skin.

One of the best natural ingredients designed to stimulate the production of elastin and collagen is Functional Keratin. All that sagging and wrinkling is usually caused by a loss of both elastin and collagen.

In conclusion, when choosing any beauty product, you need to read your lables. The skin is your body’s main source of setoxification. It is also the first place your body absorbs harmuful chemicals - through lotions and pollution and everyday modern contacts. For a healthy, toxin-free body, you should try to reduce the number of chemicals your body has to process. This will also lead to healhier, glowing skin.

Natural Skin Care Therapy Tips for Acne

Acne is not a new problem; people have been suffering from it for many thousands of years. In ancient Egypt for instance, oils were often used to soften and smooth the skin. It is only in recent times that people have begun to use acne creams made of chemical ingredients like benzyl peroxide, among others. These can not only have unwanted side effects, like the drying of healthy skin or the bleaching of clothing, but can be very costly.

It’s no mystery that our grandmothers seemed to know best. When it comes to health and skin, the more natural the ingredient, the better. Of course, there are times when natural remedies may not be as effective and that is Ok. However, just be aware of the natural options you have first, before you waste a lot of money on another product that doesn’t work. Many people today discovering the old-world secrets in caring for their bodies more naturally, and are turning to natural and herbal remedies, such as the following simple ‘kitchen cures’.

Acne Remedy #1: Make a paste of nutmeg powder and milk, and apply to your face in a thin layer. Leave on for up to an hour, or even overnight.

Acne Remedy #2: Take an orange peel and leave it to dry, and then grind it to a powder. Mix with water and apply directly to the pimple.

Acne Remedy #3: Applying garlic directly to a pimple can also be a great remedy, as garlic is a natural disinfectant.

Acne Remedy #4: Mix a spoonful each of fresh lemon juice and cinnamon. Apply to the acne overnight for several nights in a row to be effective.

Acne Remedy #5: Take fresh leaves of fenugreek and grind to make an acne remedy that is also said to be effective in reducing wrinkles. It should be left on for only fifteen minutes.

Acne Remedy #6: Papaya juice, which is high in natural enzymes, makes a wonderful acne solution all on its own.

Acne Remedy #7: Boil a cup of milk, and then allow to cool to room temperature, and add a spoonful of limejuice to make a acne face wash.

Acne Remedy #8: Mix rosewater, cucumber juice and lime juice in equal amounts. Apply to clean face and leave on overnight.

Chemical skin care ingredients you should avoid if you are acne-prone or have oily skin in combination with acne:
• Butyl stearate
• Cinnamon Oil
• Isotearyl isostearate
• Cocoa butter
• Jojoba oil
• Coconut oil
• Decyl oleate
• Myristyl myristate
• Myristyl propionate
• Octyl palminate
• Octyl stearate
• Peppermint Oil
• Isopropyl stearate
• Isopropyl, isostearate, myristate or palmitate
Try several of these natural remedies and see which one is best for you, be aware that it can take several days to have an effect. Make sure you use clean spoons and dishes to mix your remedies, and remember to wash your face as usual in between treatments.

What Are You Buying for Your Skin Care?

Many consumers are frustrated by skin care products that don’t do what they claim to. Worse still is investing in an expensive yet ineffective cream or treatment only to discover the cheapest drug-store brand would work just as well. In a world of hyper-consumerism, false advertising and a plethora of products from which to choose, how do you choose the good from the bad?

There are some great products on the market that can genuinely improve your skin’s appearance and help your skin look smoother, more radiant, and youthful. But, there are literally thousands of products to choose from and unless you spend hours a day researching beauty products, it’s difficult to find the one of the few that actually produces real results and eliminates years of aging from your face and body.

Not only should a quality skin product help reduce bags under, and fine lines around, the eyes, but it should even out coloration inconsistencies caused by age spots and other unwanted pigment concentrations.

In a marketing-rich world of super models and glamorous actors, many will understandably spend any amount of money to make themselves look better or younger. Cosmetic surgery and skin care is a multi-billion dollar industry.

As the law of supply and demand proves, the higher the demand for youth and beauity, the more manufacturers will rush to provide the solution. Many times this rush results in the creation of an inferior product with little to no research and development to back it.

All of the money goes into the marketing of the product. On the surface everything looks great. The bottles and jars that the creams come in look appealing. The magazine advertisements are glossy, complete with a youthful looking model or a well known celebrity who doesn’t even really use the products.

You can’t really blame these companies. When you are spending a fortune paying for marketing, whether it be on the product containers, magazine, radio, and TV ads, royalties paid to celebrities and models, you have to charge a lot of money for your products or you’re going to lose money.

On the other hand, this doesn’t mean you and I have to fall for these types of marketing schemes. After all, these companies aren’t going to encounter any shortage of people who will open their wallets and purses to purchase their products anytime soon. The reality is most people simply won’t take any time to research products and understand what ingredients work and what ingredients are actually bad for your skin!

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