Summer Skincare and Sun Protection

Summer Skin Care Rules

Spring is rapidly turning to summer and as the seasons change so should your skin care. The following are skin care rules to follow for your best complexion all summer long.

Revive Your Skin

Winter’s cold, dry air and indoor heating really take a toll on the skin. Revive dry, tired, dull-looking skin with nutrient-rich serums and moisturizers. Look for products that contain Vitamins A, B, C, and E. Vitamin A will repair skin tissue and prevent further dryness. Vitamin B will improve surface blood circulation bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients to the skin, making the skin look alive and fresh. Vitamin C is essential for healing and fights free radicals that damage the skin; Vitamin E will have a soothing effect on the skin, repairing winter damage. Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant preventing premature aging.

Care for Your Skin Type

Skin tends to become more oily as the temperature rises, this means normal to dry skin types will likely develop into normal to oily during the summer. Choose a moisturizer with a lighter texture during the summer months; the moisturizer should still contain important ingredients that will moisturize the skin effectively. These ingredients include vitamins, humectants and botanicals. As for cleansing, more oil can lead to more clogged pores and break outs, be sure cleanse the skin properly. At bedtime, remove all make up and lightly cleanse in the morning and after any sport or exercise. A cleanser that is effective and not drying is important‒ try Vivoderm’s Facial Cleanser with Rosemary & Chamomile.

Exfoliation

It is important to exfoliate regularly to avoid clogged pores and keep your complexion looking even. However, intensive peels, dermabrasions and abrasive beauty treatments need be avoided during the summer months. These treatments make skin more susceptible to sun damage, pigmentation and scaring. Avoid invasive treatments and choose an at-home exfoliant to add to your beauty routine a few times a week to keep your skin at its best. Look for a facial scrub with papaya or jojoba beads.

Sun Protection

Sun screen should be worn year round, and it is even more important to apply sunscreen diligently during the summer months. The summer sun is more intense and damaging to the skin thus sun protection is necessary to avoid damage to the skin. Look for a sunscreen that is dual-spectrum, meaning it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the rays that cause wrinkles and skin aging, while UVB rays produce tans and burns. Applying sunscreen to not only the face but body is important. Sunscreen should be applied daily and even multiple times during the day depending on your summer activities. Sun protections no lower than SPF 30 should be applied to the face and body.

Shield your eyes

The skin around the eyes is the most delicate and tender and should always have extra protection. Sunglasses that block sunrays are a great investment in the protection of your eyes. Squinting as a result of sun glare can cause crows feet or fine lines while the intense summer rays can cause pigmentation to the delicate skin.

Summer Skin

Skin protects your body from the environment, keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The above are simple steps to protect your skin from the harsh summer environment and the damage the skin can obtain while basking in the sun. Following these simple rules will keep your skin healthy and looking great all summer long.

Summer Skincare and Sun Protection

Summer Skin Care Rules

Spring is rapidly turning to summer and as the seasons change so should your skin care. The following are skin care rules to follow for your best complexion all summer long.

Revive Your Skin

Winter’s cold, dry air and indoor heating really take a toll on the skin. Revive dry, tired, dull-looking skin with nutrient-rich serums and moisturizers. Look for products that contain Vitamins A, B, C, and E. Vitamin A will repair skin tissue and prevent further dryness. Vitamin B will improve surface blood circulation bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients to the skin, making the skin look alive and fresh. Vitamin C is essential for healing and fights free radicals that damage the skin; Vitamin E will have a soothing effect on the skin, repairing winter damage. Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant preventing premature aging.

Care for Your Skin Type

Skin tends to become more oily as the temperature rises, this means normal to dry skin types will likely develop into normal to oily during the summer. Choose a moisturizer with a lighter texture during the summer months; the moisturizer should still contain important ingredients that will moisturize the skin effectively. These ingredients include vitamins, humectants and botanicals. As for cleansing, more oil can lead to more clogged pores and break outs, be sure cleanse the skin properly. At bedtime, remove all make up and lightly cleanse in the morning and after any sport or exercise. A cleanser that is effective and not drying is important‒ try Vivoderm’s Facial Cleanser with Rosemary & Chamomile.

Exfoliation

It is important to exfoliate regularly to avoid clogged pores and keep your complexion looking even. However, intensive peels, dermabrasions and abrasive beauty treatments need be avoided during the summer months. These treatments make skin more susceptible to sun damage, pigmentation and scaring. Avoid invasive treatments and choose an at-home exfoliant to add to your beauty routine a few times a week to keep your skin at its best. Look for a facial scrub with papaya or jojoba beads.

Sun Protection

Sun screen should be worn year round, and it is even more important to apply sunscreen diligently during the summer months. The summer sun is more intense and damaging to the skin thus sun protection is necessary to avoid damage to the skin. Look for a sunscreen that is dual-spectrum, meaning it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the rays that cause wrinkles and skin aging, while UVB rays produce tans and burns. Applying sunscreen to not only the face but body is important. Sunscreen should be applied daily and even multiple times during the day depending on your summer activities. Sun protections no lower than SPF 30 should be applied to the face and body.

Shield your eyes

The skin around the eyes is the most delicate and tender and should always have extra protection. Sunglasses that block sunrays are a great investment in the protection of your eyes. Squinting as a result of sun glare can cause crows feet or fine lines while the intense summer rays can cause pigmentation to the delicate skin.

Summer Skin

Skin protects your body from the environment, keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The above are simple steps to protect your skin from the harsh summer environment and the damage the skin can obtain while basking in the sun. Following these simple rules will keep your skin healthy and looking great all summer long.

Natural Anti-Aging Products and Tips

While the right skin care products can do wonders over time, there are occasions when you need an instant lift. Whether you’re prepping for a party, reunion, or date night, these quick tips will get you out the door looking gorgeous and radiant.

Anti Aging products include facial cleansers, toners, moisturizers and facial masks as well as sun protection.

This natural facial cleansers that contain Aloe Vera, Vitamins A and E, gently remove dirt and make up which could damage and clog your skin. In addition, it promotes vitality to the skin by maintaining and adding moisture.

Facial toners with grape seed and green tea extracts can enrich the skin with minerals and natural ingredients to hydrate normalize and tone the skin.

Herbal anti aging masks should be free of preservatives and chemicals.Looks for masks enriched with a concentration of botanicals, vitamins and enzymes. Once on the skin, the mask promotes capillaries to increase blood flow and delivery of oxygen. Components like lavender, cumin, vitamins C and E have powerful antioxidant properties and fight free radicals. The herbs nourish the skin, assist in building collagen and promote healthy tissue regeneration. This unique combination of botanicals will calm blemishes, fight bacteria, minimize spots caused by sun damage, pregnancy and acne.

Intense moisturizers are the top anti-aging product to help reduce wrinkles and dry skin. Anti oxidants, vitamins like vitamin A and E and minerals will hydrate dry and dull complexions. Zinc repairing creams will further heal, repair, nourish, and protect your skin against sun damage and environmental toxins.

Anti aging regimens are designed to promote health, youth and radiance for your skin. Every product should be designed to work in synergy with the others in order to restore and maintain flawless and fresh skin.

2. Banish Dark Circles
At least you can look like you got a full 8 hours
After 40, skin loses elasticity and thins, which can make you look tired and allow blood vessels to show through, heightening discoloration. Concealer lightens dark circles, gives lids the appearance of a lift, and brightens your face. Here are three steps to cover correctly.

1. Choose the Right Hue: Pick a yellow-based formula that’s at least two shades lighter than your skin tone.
2. Apply It: Using a small-headed concealer brush, apply a dab along the lower lashes to the innermost corner of eyes and the hollows of the nose. You can also use your ring finger, which has a naturally light touch and added warmth to tap and gently blend.
3. Set: A dusting of a sheer, loose, yellow-toned powder locks the concealer in place.

3. Give Your Face a “Lift”
Our brains associate thick, groomed eyebrows with youthfulness
“When brows are thin and light, they make your features disappear, adding years to even the youngest looking face,” says Damone Roberts, a celebrity eyebrow artist. Fill in sparse spots with a dark brow shadow to create the illusion of thickness. Apply the powder with an eyebrow brush or a washed and dried mascara brush (aka a spooly brush) and then use your fingertip to blend it. Don’t, however, increase the height of your arch in order to “lift” your face. “You’ll go from looking youthful to looking angry,” Roberts says. Simply follow the natural contour of your brow.

4. Smooth Fine Lines
A last-minute regimen that works
One hour before your event, exfoliate and apply moisturizer; the combination offers immediate plumping that lasts several hours. “Even gentle sloughing causes skin to swell slightly, making wrinkles less noticeable,” says Elizabeth Briden, MD, adjunct associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota. Use a scrub with smooth, spherical beads that polish without causing redness (look for polyethylene at the top of the ingredient list). Follow with a moisturizer that contains zinc or comfrey - to reduce sun damage and heal inflammation.

5. Hide a Blemish
Step-by-step tips to camouflage flare-ups
“In my own battles with the occasional blemish, I’ve found that the opaque coverage offered by stick foundation works best,” says makeup guru Bobbi Brown, best-selling beauty author and founder of her own multimillion-dollar cosmetics business. Surprisingly, she says, concealer is not the solution; it’s designed to be lighter than your skin tone and will accentuate the discoloration. Choose a foundation that’s the same color as your skin and spot-apply it using a small, pointed brush; then pat with your index finger to blend. Finish by applying sheer powder with a velour puff or small powder brush. If you still see the blemish, repeat this process.

6. Soothe Redness
Relieve irritated skin naturally Soak a clean washcloth in cold milk and place it over your face for 10 minutes. “Milk contains proteins, fat, amino acids, and vitamin A—all of which reduce redness and calm irritated skin,” says David Bank, MD, a dermatologist in Mount Kisco, NY. Bonus: The lactic acid in milk exfoliates, so skin looks soft and glowing.

Natural Anti-Aging Facial Masks are also a great way to instantly add plumpness and vibrancy to dull, dry skin. Look for all natural or herbal ingredients to reduce the possibility of allergic reactions.

Five Top Ways to Age Gracefully

The biological make-up of our skin begins to show signs of aging as early as our 20s. Age shows not only on our face, neck and chest but all over. There are many ways to care for your skin and prevent premature aging. Following are five ways that you can age gracefully. These are things you can do in your daily life that will dramatically reduce signs of aging.

• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit. We all know that smoking is bad for us and affects our body negatively. Smoking
  

  smoking causes wrinkles

  contributes to premature aging and many other health problems. The many chemicals in cigarettes influence the skin’s structure and dehydrate the cells, resulting in increased aging.

• Get some sleep. Research has shown that people who sleep regularly seven to eight hours a night are healthier than those who lack sleep or over sleep. Sleeping allows the body to repair cellular damage and recharge. To prevent signs of aging on the face, try sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your stomach or side can damage skin by slowing down circulation and weakening the skin’s elasticity, resulting in wrinkles.
• Sunscreen, use it, wear it, and love it. Wear sunscreen everyday-even on cloudy or rainy days, and even if you are just going to be outside a short time. We all know that the sun has harmful affects to the skin. Sun tanning and burning damage the skin, leading to premature aging. Sun exposure over time leads to wrinkles and ugly pigmentation spots. There is no excuse to not wear sunscreen, it comes in all forms and is formulated now to be lightweight and beneficial to the skin as well as giving sun protection.
  
• Hydrate and Moisturize the skin from the inside and outside. Hydrated skin is healthy and plump, looks moist and shows few wrinkles and lines. As we age our skin loses elasticity; using moisturizers with ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that help repair the skin is the best way to restore elasticity and prevent its break down. Drink lots of water to hydrate the skin internally and use a good moisturizer. Try intense facial moisturizer or zinc repair cream by Vivoderm.
  
• A healthy lifestyle and healthy diet can dramatically strengthen the skin and prevent premature aging. Fruits, vegetables,
  

  healthy diet and skin

  nuts and other nutrient- rich produce give the body strength to fight and repair damage. If you are good to your body from the inside out, you will have less external maintenance. Part of a healthy life style is getting exercise, so get up and get moving. Fit people also tend have less heath problems. Health problems can lead to premature aging of the skin by showing wrinkles and damage earlier than those people who choose to be healthy.

There is no way to prevent aging - it is inevitable, however there are ways to slow it down. Today there is plastic surgery and amazing skin care products to improve the look and feel of skin. But it’s never too late to prevent further damage so you don’t have to take the drastic measures of plastic surgery or spend tons of money on skin care later in life.

By Tiffany Oney

Tiffany Oney is a licensed esthetician, professional makeup artist and natural skincare authority.  She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies California State University, Long Beach and interning with Vivoderm Natural Skincare in Los Angeles, California.

Anti Aging Skin Care Tips For Dry Skin

A contributing factor to dry, flaky, skin in winter is a drop in temperature. Although winter sometimes feels damp, there is usually less water in the air than on your skin and that creates a moisture vapour loss from the skin. As skin becomes drier, its surface layer stops producing the natural lipids which prevent moisture loss, and water cannot be retained so easily. Dry skin will also show wrinkles more easlit and contribute to an aging appearance.

As a result of all these factors, sometimes skin on the face and body tends to be in worse condition in the winter months than at other times of the year. In extreme cases, a constant drying effect can even lead to cracking, flaking and redness.

These four tips for helping to keep dry skin at bay during the colder months come from Dr. Kucy Pon, Olay dermatologist.

1. A moisturizer is essential - A moisturizer performs several important functions, including replacing lost water. Water-binding ingredients, such as glycerin, help keep it in the skin.

2. Create an oasis - Put some moisture back into the air by using a humidifier in your home or office. It will counteract the drying effects of indoor heat.

3. Drink lots of water - Increase your body’s natural moisture level by staying hydrated throughout the day.

4. Keep wrapped up - Dress for the season and try to limit your skin’s exposure to harsh temperatures and damaging winds.

If you have dry skin, then you probably already know it can be really difficult to care for. When you don’t look after it properly, it can become flaky, and if it gets really bad, may even become irritated and red. Although it’s possible to find plenty of products that claim to be able to solve dry skin problems, unfortunately most of their claims are sales hype.

Although most over the counter products don’t do much to combat dry skin, there are a number of things you can do to improve the condition of your skin. It’s mostly a question of making some basic changes to your daily skincare routine. It won’t take long for your skin to appear more healthy and vibrant.

With dry skin, you have completely the opposite problem to someone with oily skin. Basically, your skin is suffering from a lack of sebum, the oil that helps to keep the skin moist and supple. People with oily skin produce far too much sebum. Sebum is actually made from skin cells, and is an essential ingredient in healthy, supple skin. Because dry skin has insufficient oil, you need to replace it from both inside and outside.

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to use a good quality moisturizer. Choose a cream that is rich, but not heavy. Consider choosing a natural cream with aloe vera and chamomile. Both these ingredients are very soothing, as well as helping to reduce dryness and improve the skin’s healing abilities.

You also need to look at the type of foods you eat. It’s important to choose healthy foods, because the healthier your body, the healthier your skin will be. You may not realize this, but your skin is actually the largest organ of your body. So it needs to be nourished just like all the other organs in your body. Depending on the types of food you already eat, you might need to consider taking a supplement, such as Vitamin E, Omega-3 oils and B-Complex vitamins. Making sure you get enough of these important nutrients is a great way to improve the condition of your skin.

By nourishing your skin in both these ways, you should soon a marked reduction in the level of dryness. Helping your skin to be more supple and moist also helps to slow down the process of aging, so you’re the winner in two ways.

By Tom Turner

Anti-Oxidants And Sun Damaged Skin

Sun damage or photo damage produces both skin cancers as well as photo-aging. Photo-aging shows itself on the skin as wrinkling, scaling, dryness, and mottled pigmentation. Ultra-violet light is absorbed by skin, which in turn produces a photo-chemical reaction.

The UVA light is absorbed by both DNA as well as urocanic acid, the photo-chemical reaction produces oxidation of both DNA, nucleide acid, and protein, as well as lipids, this is known as oxidative damage. Anti-oxidants have been evolved to protect against, and reverse some of the damage produced by sunlight. An anti-oxidant mechanism is very advanced in plants that protect against the damage from sun exposure.

Oxidation:

Oxidation is produced by reactive oxygen molecules. The DNA absorbs ultra-violet light mostly in the UVB (290-320 manometres) range. This produces damage mainly within the epidermis. UVA (320-400 manometres) penetrates deeper into the skin and produces damage in the epidermis, the dermis as well as affecting blood vessels. The UVA has a much more oxidizing effect on cells.

The carcinogenic or cancer forming effects of ultra-violet B produce mutations within the DNA. This initiates tumours within the epidermis. The UVA promotes these tumours as it has much more oxidizing stress on the skin than UVB. It may as a result be more cytotoxic and immunosuppressive.

Sunscreens:

Sunscreens certainly protect against ultra-violet light, the sunburning spectrum is UVB and sunscreens are very effective. Ultra-violet A is the most difficult to protect against. It is important to realize that the SPF numbers are calculated with an amount of sunscreen on skin that exceeds what most of us put on our own skin.

The SPF is calculated with a quantity of 2mg. of sunscreen per centimetre2. Most people will put on about half to one quarter of this when used as sun protection. Unfortunately, low quantities of sunscreen of per centimtre2 will have minimal sun protective effects. Usually if 5mg. per cm.2 of sunscreen is applied to the skin, the sun protective factor is in the region of an SPF of 3.

Anti-Oxidants:

Anti-oxidants play a significant part in the protective and repair mechanisms within animals and plants. This can be achieved by anti-oxidants that are produced within the skin itself or by those consumed or applied from plants. The anti-oxidant effects can be divided into those that have their protection through enzymes, and those that tend to reduce the quantity of hydrogen peroxide as well as lipid hydroperoxides.

Topical Anti-Oxidants:

The use of topical anti-oxidants has certain requirements, these have to be stable as well as being cosmetically acceptable. It is clear that anti-oxidants have a photo-protective benefit. The physiological anti-oxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and ubiquinol. Vitamin C is water-soluble and is a free radical scavenger, it is required for collagen synthesis and may inhibit elastin formation in the dermis.

It may also reduce pigment synthesis, as well as enhance epidermal barrier function. For it to be active it must be present on the skin at a pH of 3.5 or lower in order to have an anti-oxidative effect. Vitamin E is different from vitamin C, in that it is lipid soluble, there is evidence that combining vitamin E and vitamin C may be of some benefit. Other anti-oxidants to be considered will be selenium as well as zinc.

Plant Anti-Oxidants:

Plants synthesize vitamin C, vitamin E and flavones, and polyphenolic compounds.

• Silymarin
• Soy isoflavones
• Tea
• Polyphenols

These are all potent plant anti-oxidants.

Silymarin:

This is a Milk Thistle extract, the main component in terms of anti-oxidants is silybyn. This prevents lipid peroxidase action. It also has been shown to inhibit tumour promotion in animals.

Soy isoflavones:

Soy has been connected with a reduction in cardiovascular disease, and in some incidents’ of breast cancer when taken by mouth in large quantities. It has a phytoestrogen effect, which can reduce menopausal symptoms. The isoflavones are genistein and gaidzein. The genistein has a collagen synthesis effect. It is also anti-cancer. It has been used both orally as well as topically.

The genistein is a powerful scavenger of peroxyl radicals. This has a significant reduction in lipid peroxidase activity. It has been shown to reduce redness in the skin of mice which are subject to ultra-violet A. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect. The use of this compound reduces the immune suppression effect of ultra-violet light.

Tea polyphenols:

Tea is fermented initially to green, and then to black tea. The drinking of black tea has been shown to reduce the frequency of squamous cell carcinomas. Work done with green tea both topically and taken orally, shows that it reduces the ability of ultra-violet to produce skin cancers and redness, particularly in animals. The possibility of combining tea, plus vitamin E, to work together as anti-oxidants is interesting.

Much more work needs to be done in order to establish how combining anti-oxidants with sunscreens will have a very beneficial effect on reducing sun damage to skin.

Skincare for Sun-Damaged Skin

Many of us, women especially, can relate to the phrase, “I just don’t have the time.” Conversely, if you grew up in any generation or location that frowned upon wearing makeup or using ‘beauty products’ as ‘unnatural’, you might have recently had second thoughts as those lines began to show a little too much, or those dark spots were just getting darker.

You have lived long enough to know “beauty isn’t everything,” but the truth is, when it starts to fade, boy, does it sure seem more important!  Regardless of the circumstance that finally brought you to shock the last time you looked in the mirror, the good news is; there are always second chances when it comes to taking care of your skin.

The older you are, the more important it is to get started with a quality skin care regimen.

Three simple steps can aid your skin back the face you knew yesterday. You might have heard this before, but here it is again…just in case you need a refresher.

1. Cleanse - but gently. Too many professional skin care products strip your facial skin of the natural elements it needs to keep your skin soft and supple. Using a mild cleanser with a very light, delicate scent that won’t leave your face feeling tight and dry. For damaged, wrinkled skin, a moisturizing cleanser or cream cleanser is best.

2. Exfoliate - Many exfoliating products using sand or walnut shells can be too harsh to use daily - try to find a gentle exfoliating product – a natural clay or organic oatmeal. Natural skin care products tend to be less irritating and will not only exfoliate the grime and pollution of the day from your delicate facial skin, they also moisturize, soften, and increase your body’s collagen and antioxidant production.

3. Moisturize - Use a dry skin care anti aging lotion each morning after cleansing. Excellent high quality moisturizers not only replace vital moisture in your face but leave it soft and smooth. Additional moisture will also supplement the antioxidants your skin needs to produce to stay looking healthy and young. If you use an SPF of in your moisturizer or foundation, it will also help protect your face from sun damage throughout the day.

One more thing…

The goal of your skin care routine is to address wrinkles, dark spots and dryness with products that deliver lighting, moisturizing and anti-wrinkle ingredients.  It’s not enough to get a facial to keep your skin clear and beautiful. You need to have a great home skin-care routine. I never hurts, to get a professional facial to deep cleanse your skin at least four times a year, as the seasons change.

Every 4-6 weeks is ideal. But please, throw away the grocery-store soap and use quality skin care products that are right for your skin type. Also, if it still has to be said, wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days and in the winter. Use a good quality, high-SPF sunscreen. Sun damage is the single most important cause of premature aging. Last, if you have a tendency to engage in skin-damaging habits like smoking, excessive drinking, and tanning booths, please try to reduce or eliminate these habits altogether.

Remember, you want your skin to reflect and shine the beauty that we know you already are on the inside. Make all those years of wisdom and experience show on the outside as well.

Evening Primrose Oil - Natural Skincare Treatment

Evening Primrose Oil is a natural, and the richest, source of Gamma-Linolenic acid. It contains about 72% Linoleic acid and 9 percent GLA. Since it contains the essential GLA, evening primrose oil is highly valuable to those who cannot otherwise form enough GLA. This would include those who do not get enough essential fatty acids in their diet, drink or have drunk excessive amounts of alcohol, have low thyroid function, or have received radiation treatment. The direct source of GLA takes the pressure off the body to produce the necessary amount of GLA for optimum health.What are essential fatty acids and what makes them so essential? EFA’s play important roles in our body‘s overall health. They are part of every cell and establish and control the cellular metabolism. EFA’s are essential in four primary body functions: 1) provide energy, 2) maintain body temperature, 3) insulate our nerves, 4) cushion and protect body tissues. Two key polyunsaturated fatty acids (EFA’s) are Linoleic acid and Gamma-Linolenic acid. LA is not produced by the body but must be obtained through the dietary intake. LA acts as an energy source and is what the body converts to GLA which in turn forms other substances such as prostaglandins (hormone-like substances found in every body cell). They are critical to the body’s overall health maintenance, but need to be replenished constantly as once they serve their purpose, they are destroyed.

The purposes of prostaglandins include lowering blood pressure, reducing risks of blood clotting, stimulating the immune system, and regulating brain function. Animal studies at the University of Pennsylvania have also shown them to prevent arthritis. This is also being studied in humans trials in Europe with similar results. The source of EFA’s in these studies has been Evening Primrose Oil.

Preliminary studies in Sweden are relating Evening Primrose Oil to an anti-oxidant in that it also counter acts the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are most often associated with the aging process. Maintaining health is just one of the benefits of Evening Primrose Oil. It is also being studied extensively in England and Europe for its pain reduction in association with arthritis, controlling complications of diabetes, controlling liver and kidney damage due to alcohol, depression, Multiple sclerosis, skin/hair/nail repair, and most impressively, controlling sever symptoms of PMS.  It is extremely effective as a natural skincare ingredient to treat dry skin and eczema.

A study at St. Thomas Hospital in London found that when PMS suffers were given evening primrose oil three times daily, 67% of the participants were symptom-free and 22% achieved partial relief. (In all total, 89% had positive results with the evening primrose oil.) Although not as popular in the United States, Evening Primrose Oil is available at most health food stores and nutrition centers. And, as more studies become available, we will find why Evening Primrose Oil was commonly called the “King’s Cure All” in 17th Century England.

Dry Skin Diet Tips

Dry Skin Diet Tips and the Mediterranean Diet

We all know how important diet is to building healthy, beautiful skin. But did you know eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can actually help prevent wrinkles and minimize the signs of aging?
According to a recent article in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, “Eating a Mediterranean diet can halve the risk of the most dangerous form of skin cancer, research suggests.” The recent study may eventually prove regular intake of fruit, vegetables, nuts and fish may protect against malignant melanoma.

The” Mediterranean diet,” which features plenty of vegetables, legumes, and olive oils, may be a catalyst for the body to absorb and benefit from fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals, such as vitamin E, lycopene, and isoflavones. In this light, organic produce has been shown to contain a higher level of beneficial antioxidants than conventionally raised fruits and vegetables.

So, what does all this mean if you suffer from dry skin or sensitive skin? With dry skin issues, it is important to get the right types fats into your diet. But what are the right types of fats? For example, increased intake of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat in the diet has been associated with a decrease skin hydration. So consuming some saturated fats but not too many, seems to be best.
Countless studies show that an omega-3 fat deficiency is associated with dry skin and skin problems like eczema. That’s why it is important to consume adequate amounts of these essential fats, found in fatty fish, fish oils, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, etc.

Be aware of the difference from the omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils (including corn, canola, and safflower), formerly hailed as healing for the heart. Meaning, most need to eat more omega-3s and less omega-6 oils.
The dairy products you eat (and avoid) can also make a difference in skin aging. Butter, full-fat milk, margarine, and sweets should be minimal, while yogurt, cheese, and reduced-fat milk are neutral in their aging effects.

The epidermis (upper layer of the skin) is composed of 25 percent monounsaturated fatty acids. In the cell membranes, both monosaturated fats and saturated fats resist oxidation, a key process in cellular aging. Omega-6 polyunsaturated oils, on the other hand, contribute to the production of free radicals, the by-products of oxidation - also the cause of the skin aging process. This would increase both wrinkling and the risk of developing skin and other cancers, including melanoma. Polyphenols, found in fresh fruits, vegetable and herbs can protect the body’s cells against the damaging effects of oxidative stress, a process by which oxygen-rich molecules can attack and destroy cells in much the same way as rust rots a car.
Therefore, it is beneficial to eat more olive oil (a monounsaturated) while avoiding omega-6 polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, canola, safflower and others. Included in this list of foods to avoid, are the trans fats, present in margarine, most baked goods, fried, processed foods, and sweets, which are oxidized polyunsaturates, making them even more detrimental. In certain studies they have been shown to block healthy Omega -3 fats. High trans-fats content may interfere with the hormonal pathways needed for healthy fat metabolism and preventing inflammation.

Consuming the omega-3s and avoiding unhealthy oils that block them will help the body absorb the vital lipids needed in the skin cells and improve the hormonal actions. Since skin aging is caused by hormonal shifts that occur naturally in the aging process, it’s best to eliminate the polyunsaturated and trans fats as much as possible.

Fish oils and fish are the purest sources of omega-3 fatty acids,which can increase the lipid content of your cells. These fats have been shown to improve psoriasis and other severe dry skin conditions. If you are pregnant or nursing, please be aware of the mercury content in your fish - which has been shown to cause detrimental effects to mothers, and young children, so supplements may be the best way of obtaining these fats vital to skin health.

Dry, sensitive, and wrinkled skin can also be helped with a diet rich in antioxidants obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, kale, collard greens, turnips, romaine lettuce, broccoli, leeks, corn, peppers, peas, and mustard greens. Egg yolks and oranges contain the antioxidant lutein. Lutein is an important natural antioxidant that may help your eyes stay healthy while maintaining the health of your skin.
So, to recap your skin-healthy diet should include:
• Fats from whole foods-nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados
• A wide variety of whole plant foods
• Monounsaturated fats, such as olive or nut oils
• Good sources of omega3 oils (never heated) or in capsule form
• Moderate use of omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, canola and soy oils)
• Limited amounts of processed foods and deep-fried foods
• Pure sources of omega3 fats, including a source of essential fatty acids (EFA)

Dry Skin Tips

Many of us, women especially, can relate to the phrase, “I just don’t have the time.”  Conversely, if you grew up in any generation or location that frowned upon wearing makeup or using ‘beauty products’ as ‘unnatural’, you might have recently had second thoughts as those lines began to show a little too much, or those dark spots were just getting darker.

You have lived long enough to know “beauty isn’t everything,”  but the truth is, when it starts to fade, boy does it sure seem more important! Regardless of the circumstance that finally brought you to shock the last time you looked in the mirror, the good news is there are always second chances when it comes to taking care of your skin. The older you are, the more important it is to get started with a quality skin care regimen.

Three simple steps can aid your skin back the face you knew yesterday. You might have heard this before, but here it is again…just in case you need a refresher.

1. Cleanse - but gently. Too many professional skin care products strip your facial skin of the natural elements it needs to keep your skin soft and supple. Using a mild cleanser with a very light, delicate scent that won’t leave your face feeling tight and dry. For damaged, wrinkled skin, a moisturizing cleanser or cream cleanser is best.

2. Exfoliate - Many exfoliating products using sand or walnut shells can be too harsh to use daily - try to find a gentle exfoliating product – a natural clay or organic oatmeal. Natural skin care products tend to be less irritating and will not only exfoliate the grime and pollution of the day from your delicate facial skin, they also moisturize, soften, and increase your body’s collagen and antioxidant production.

3. Moisturize - Use a dry skin care anti aging lotion each morning after cleansing. Excellent high quality moisturizers not only replace vital moisture in your face but leave very soft and smooth. Additional moisture will also supplement the antioxidants your skin needs to produce to stay looking healthy and young.  If you use an SPF of 25, it will also help protect your face from sun damage throughout the day.

One more thing…

The goal of your skin care routine is to address wrinkles, dark spots and dryness with products that deliver lighting, moisturizing and antiwrinkle ingredients. It’s not enough to get a facial to keep your skin clear and beautiful. You need to have a great home skin-care routine. I never hurts, to get a professional facial to deep cleanse your skin at least four times a year, as the seasons change. Every 4-6 weeks is ideal.  But please, throw away the grocery-store soap and use quality skin care products that are right for your skin type. Also, if it still has to be said, wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days and in the winter. Use a good quality, high-SPF sunscreen. Sun damage is the single most important cause of premature aging. Last, if you have a tendency to engage in skin-damaging habits like smoking, excessive drinking, and tanning booths, please try to reduce or eliminate these habits altogether.  Remember, you want your skin to reflect and shine the beauty that we know you already are on the inside.  Make all those years of wisdom and experience show on the outside as well.

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