10 Definite Don’ts Of Great Hair CareIf the amount of money consumers spend on hair care products annually is any indication, most people are concerned about the appearance of their hair and strive to attain beautiful, healthy and stylish locks. In fact, most will go to any lengths to achieve their desired look. From professional salon treatments to over-the-counter serums, hair care is a big business.
The only problem is that while many people are buying the right hair care products for their hair, they forget to follow basic hair care regimens that will guarantee the health and beauty of their tresses. Additionally, many are also causing needless damage to their hair by participating in unhealthy hair care behavior.
So, what should you do to make sure that your hair stays healthy, shiny and strong?
To avoid all hair care disasters, follow these 10 absolute don'ts of great hair care.
Hair care don'ts
1. Avoid unprofessional and over-the-counter hair care products whenever you can. Many of these only offer false hopes and promises.
2. Do not cut your own bangs. Leave all of your cutting needs, even bangs, to your hair care professional.
3. Avoid excessive sun, chlorine and salt water during the summer months. Excessive exposure can cause severe damage that is irreversible even if you use the best hair care products.
4. Do not use clarifying hair care products on your tresses more than one time per week. They can strip hair of moisture and essential oils.
5. Do not visit a hair care salon without first getting a referral from someone you can trust. Choosing a salon based on an advertisement or sale alone is very risky.
6. Do not purchase hair color that comes in a box.
7. Never stick with an outdated look because you are afraid of looking different. Styles change for a reason. Ask your hair care professional to bring you into this decade with a new style.
8. Do not straighten your hair with a clothes iron. C'mon, this was so over in the 70s. We have straightening irons that won't damage your hair for this now. Look in the hair care isle.
9. Don't brush your hair or put too much tension on it while it is still wet. This will cause breakage. Also, do not wear tight styles such as corn rows for extended periods of time unless you have ethnic hair.
10. Never use sun-lightening products such as lemon juice or over-the-counter hair care products designed to lighten hair with the sun unless you want a very short hair cut in the future.
In the end, hair care is a very individualized and personal thing. Feel free to add your own flair and style to your hair care routine, but remember to include hair care principles that will benefit your hair and avoid those that damage it.
10 Easy Steps To Clearer SkinAt some stage in all our lives we want clearer, fresher, younger looking skin. Well it can be achieved without spending a lot of money and it can happen naturally! What you must do is persevere and over the course of three weeks your skin will begin to look fresher and clearer. Here's how;
1. Keeping your skin clean is your first priority! You must cleanse your face morning and night with a gentle, natural cleanser that not only rids the skin of dirt and grime but then treats it with an antibacterial ingredient like tea tree oil.
2. After cleansing the skin pat dry and then spray a fine toning mist over the face to cool and help close the pores while they are clean. Let this mist dry on the face.
3. When the toner has dried apply a very small amount of moisturizer over the entire face and neck. Look for a moisturizer that is made for problem skin types and contains antibacterial ingredients like tea tree oil and lavender essential oil. These ingredients are gentle but very effective at clearing the skin from blemishes and pimples.
4. Getting the right amount of restful sleep your body needs nightly will reflect in the state of your skin. Seven hours is generally adequate. Not enough sleep over a period of time will result in problems that are hard to cure such as loose skin under the eyes and dark circles.
5. The food you eat is of the utmost importance for healthy, clear skin! Make sure you are getting a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and limit your red meat intake to three or four times a week. Foods that are easily digested will help your system keep your skin nourished and promote fresh, new cell growth. Drink lots and lots of water too!
6. Cleanse the skin on your body and face with a weekly scrub. When using a body scrub start at your feet and work towards the heart, this helps eliminate toxins. Doing it the opposite direction will push the toxins back into your system. Use a very gentle facial scrub on your face and neck as these areas can be easily damaged.
7. Try an Aspirin face mask! This mask is having fantastic results on those people with open pores, pimples and acne. Crush about 15 aspirin tablets to a powder mix to a paste with a little water, less than 1 teaspoon and then apply to a cleansed face. Leave for twenty minutes to work its way into the skin and then rinse off and apply a light moisturizer. Try this weekly, after a face scrub.
8. Once a month use a home steam treatment to thoroughly draw out impurities from the face. Add boiling water to a basin or bowl and add two drops of tea tree oil. Place your face over this with a towel covering and gently let the steam open and cleanse the pores. Be careful not to let the steam burn your face. Finish with a tepid face wash.
9. Get out into the fresh air and take a walk, swim in the sea, ride a bike and have fun! The exercise will boost your system and your skin will love it.
10. Take a fish oil supplement daily. Cultures that eat a lot of fish have clearer skin and the fish oil helps eliminate toxins from the body and by now you know that is fantastic for your skin!
These ten easy tips will help you get that clear skin you so desperately want, remember to make the lifestyle changes you need to and enjoy the benefits that will come with it! A fresher, clearer more youthful looking complexion.
The secret of the youth has been searched since long time ago. Many researchers have done some experiments to find ways to slow down the aging process.
There are some techniques which have been implemented, but the most important things for us to do are being consistent in implementing healthy lifestyle and eating habits.
We can’t stop the natural change, but we can still look younger if we want to work hard to slow down the aging process.
Therefore, I’m going to help you with 10 easy steps to make you look younger:
Detox – It’s important to start detoxification, getting rid of toxin from our body. Our body metabolism has done that process, but in everyday life we are exposed to so many chemical hazards from air, food and environment. Fasting or just consuming fruits and vegetables are ways to detoxify our body.
Sleep – Having enough sleep at least 6-8 hours a day will make our skin healthier. Having a good sleep is also important because growth hormone is working during that time. It renews the old cell of our body, include the skin cell. Our skin will look fresh and young if we have enough sleep.
Food – Eating healthy and safe food everyday will make our body fit, slim and also look younger. Try to eat more fish instead of red meat. Fiber food, vegetables, fruits, and supplements are important food to consume. Drink less coffee and other caffeine beverages.
Exercise – Through routine exercise, we will feel happier, energetic, and confident. It also increases our bone density and muscle which can make our body look 15-20 years younger. Beside aerobic, walking, and swimming, goes also to the gym to do lifting exercise.
Relax – By trying to be relaxed, our face will look younger. Stress and worries appear on our face. If we can manage our stress and feel at peace, our face will look younger and attractive.
Be Positive – A positive mind and affirmation we said can bring positive life to us. Negative thought tend to bring failure and make us look older and unattractive. Meditation is one way to make positive thoughts.
Medical Check-up - Just like a car, our body also needs attention and care so it can work well everyday. Having routine medical checkups during our healthy time is important to recognize diseases as soon as possible.
Active Life – Always try to be active during your life. Activities can increase health; and if you are in your elder age, your memory will increase too.
Social Life – Happy social life can increases our spirit, bring peaceful mind, and make us feel and look younger. Communication with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others can bring happiness to us.
Performance - Start to look at our performance. Is our body weight ideal for us? If not, try to fix that to the best ideal weight. Also look to the skin, hair, nail and teeth. Those are important as they will show our age. Looks good and feels good will increase our performance.
There are several ways on how to cure back acne. Bacne – a short term for back acne is just like any ordinary forms of acne. It can appear as pimples, blackheads, pustules or in severe cases it would look like an acne cyst. This commonly appears during puberty when the sebaceous gland starts to function aggressively. Male, female, teenagers or adult, back acne does not have a particular range of age nor gender and practically can affect anybody. Below are some ways to treat bacne.
1. Wear cool clothes and put some powder at your back to prevent perspiration. This is a vital way on how to cure back acne. Change clothes if you have perspired too much on it to prevent further back acne build up.
2. After doing a vigorous activity, you would probably give off too much sweat. Take a shower immediately or if not possible, wipe your perspiration using towels with soft fabric such as cotton.
3. Pat dry you skin after taking a shower. Do not rub the towel. It might irritate your skin and cause inflammation on your back acne.
4. If your back acne is not yet severe, you may still use anti-bacterial cleansers that are designed for facial acne. Nowadays, there are also anti-acne soaps that can be used not just for the face but for body as well. Avoid using regular soap. These soaps may not meet the demands that your sensitive skin needs.
5. Avoid carrying back packs until your back acne clears up. This would prevent your back from heating up which results to more perspiration and breeding ground for bacteria that causes back acne.
6. One of the best ways on how to cure back acne properly is to use gels or creams containing at least 10 percent benzoyl peroxide. They can be bought at drugstores even without any prescriptions from a dermatologist (skin doctor).
7. Studies show that benzoyl peroxide works better when used with products having alpha-hydroxy. This will heal and dry up back acne two times faster.
8. Some people also have natural techniques on how to cure back acne. One home remedy for treating back acne is to use homemade Sodium Hydrixide (Lye) soap while adding some tea tree oil in it. This does not dry and heal acne faster but would definitely give you a softer skin.
9. Exfoliate once a week. If you don’t want to spend money on buying expensive body scrubs, you may use sugar instead to take off all those dead skin cells. Do it on the affected area such as back and buttocks.
10. You may seek professional help in case of very severe back acne. Theirs is nothing to be ashamed about. Dermatologists are willing to help people suffering this kind of skin problem. They would probably recommend medicines that needs prescription, antibiotics that should be taken orally, topical treatments, retinol or even oral contraceptives (for female only).
So there you go. These are only ten of the most effective ways on how to cure back acne.
12 Tips for Eyeshadow
Your makeup is as important to your finished look as the clothing you wear, in fact, it can actually be more important. We've all spotted women who didn't have a clue how to apply their eye shadow. But we've also saw women who know how to apply it properly and they look put together and beautiful. Don't you want to be one of those women? Of course - and we are going to give you some top tips so you can do just that.
Great news - putting your eye shadow on correctly really isn't difficult at all. It really is just a matter of finding the right technique and look for you and your personal style. Don't worry if it takes a few tries to get it right. Check out these tips:
1.
Always apply a base coat on your eyes just as you do to the rest of your face. Loose power works or you can apply your foundation to the eye area. It gives a nice even palette to work with.
2.
Blend, blend, and then blend some more. I can't stress this enough. Try an experiment. Blend one eye and then just use a brush and apply the other eye. You'll instantly know what I'm talking about and you'll never forget to blend again.
3.
If you want dramatic eyes, take your eye shadow brush, dip it into water, and then into the shadow, then apply. It will give you a much deeper, dramatic color.
4.
If you have blue eyes, wear purple, violet, taupe, gray, deep blue, and black. Funky colors include fuchsia, turquoise, and silver.
5.
If you have green eyes, wear purple, plum, forest green, brown, and khaki. Funky colors include light green, gold, and bright purple.
6.
If you have brown eyes, wear champagne, copper, brown, apricot, khaki, and beige. Funky colors include royal blue, tangerine, hand hot pink.
7.
Everyone can wear navy, powder blue, and charcoal. Fun colors include silver.
8.
Apply a lighter shadow in the inner corner of the eye to reflect and make your eyes look younger.
9.
If you want your eyes to appear larger, use a light color on the inner corner, and a darker shade in the middle of the eye area.
10.
Practice until you get the application of your eye shadow down to a science. When you get good, your make up will look more natural and more polished.
11.
Apply your dark shadow only to the eyelids from the lash line to the crease in the eyelid. Apply your medium shadow from just below the eyelid crease to the brow bone.
12.
Highlight along the brow bone. Doing it this way will make your features stand out naturally and beautifully.
So there you have it. With these top tips you now know how to apply your eye shadow so you will look your best.
Remember that while you're practicing all these steps, that you should take notice of what works best for you. Practice by yourself, or practice with a friend if you find it easier to ask someone else's opinion.
And one more thing. If you make your face more youthful looking with wrinkle creams that gives results, then any make up that you have will be so much more effective.
So go for it and get gorgeous right away!
20 Simple Wrinkle Erasers
Aging of the skin is a natural process by which the collagen and elastin, that keep our skin looking firm and youthful, begin to decline, this results in wrinkles. Cell production and cell quality also diminish over time resulting in wrinkles. These factors unfortunately are out of our control, though diet and supplements can slow down the process, but it won’t stop it.
The influences that are within our control are largely environmental such as pollution (eg; smoking) and sun damage. Here are 20 easy ways to reduce wrinkles and slow down the aging process.
1. Stop smoking (It’s #1 for a reason)
2. Always wear sunscreen whether it’s cloudy or sunny and don’t sunbake.
3. Hydrate your skin by drinking about 8 glasses of water a day.
4. Use skin care products that contain antioxidants and AHA's.
5. Moisturize the skin on your face twice daily.
6. Reduce stress. (Try reading, exercising, meditating) 15 minutes a day is a good start.
7. Reduce alcohol consumption. Over indulging can put enormous strain on your system and will accelerate wrinkles forming.
8. Eat healthily by incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
9. Sleep at least 8 hours every night.
10. Eat fish three times a week. Great for the skin and general health.
11. Check with your doctor about taking supplements, your diet may be lacking some of the important ones.
12. Use an eye cream for the delicate skin around the eyes nightly.
13. Facial scrubs remove the build up of dead cells that can increase the appearance of wrinkles, try this weekly.
14. Use natural skin care products that will nourish your skin and give it lots of vitamins and minerals to help it stay fresh and healthy.
15. Jojoba oil resembles the skins natural oils. Dab this around the eyes to keep wrinkles at bay.
16. Take vitamin C supplements and use products that contain vitamin C, it will help boost your collagen.
17. Start a good skin care routine in your 20’s. Prevention is easier than the cure.
18. Honey is known worldwide for it’s beneficial abilities. Use a honey mask weekly. Simply apply the honey to your face and neck and leave for 30 minutes then rinse off. This mask will "feed" your skin with nutrients.
19. Aloe Vera and Avocado oil both have the ability to prevent the skin from drying out; they are both used to improve the skins elasticity.
20. A soothing way to help achieve a wrinkle-free face is to lie on your back with your knees elevated by placing a pillow or cushion beneath them.
Try this when you are watching TV or reading.
A Beautiful Complexion Is More Than Skin Deep
When you see someone with beautiful skin, that person radiates good health and vitality. Usually, that kind of radiance requires more than just slathering on any old facial product.
A healthy lifestyle and great skin-care habits produce glowing, youthful-looking skin. So what you put in your body is equally as important as what you put on it.
Here are some tips for naturally gorgeous skin.
* Maintain a balanced diet. Consuming too much refined food, such as sugar, can drain the body of essential vitamins and minerals. This, in turn, encourages wrinkles and premature aging. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, such as fruits, vegetables and fish. Also, drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
* Exercise. Working out brings more oxygen to your skin cells, leaving you with skin that's nourished and more firm. Exercise also helps reduce stress. Studies show that too much stress can potentially aggravate skin conditions, such as acne and hives.
* Find natural skin care products. The most revolutionary skin-care products today merge nature with science. For example, the new Nature's Gate Organics Advanced Skin Care line takes the best that Mother Nature has to offer and combines those ingredients with formulations that are scientifically proven to benefit the skin.
Nature's Gate Organics' Oh What a Night, a cream that hydrates skin overnight using walnut seed extract and European beech tree buds, shields against early visible signs of aging. Have a Vine Day, a day cream that contains chardonnay grape seed extract, helps tired-looking skin look visibly lifted and smoother. And Forget Your Lines, a wrinkle diffuser serum that works like natural Botox, helps to de-stress skin.
* Protect your skin from harsh rays. Exposure to the sun can cause premature aging and skin discoloration, increasing your risk of skin cancer. Apply sunscreen daily and wear a brimmed hat whenever possible.
Surgery is often a popular choice for wart removal. Usually following home treatment and chemical applications on the warts that has failed, surgery remains a common choice for many who seek wart removal. The reason is simple: surgery works. It’s effective, simple surgery, usually performed in a doctor’s office or outpatient center, causes a minimum of pain, very little scarring in the hands of a talented, skilled professional and is usually covered by insurance.
There are two forms of commonly used surgical techniques used for wart removal.
The first is a combination of electrosurgery and curettage. Electrosurgery means using tools that send a small electrical charge into the head of the wart, effectively burning it. Curettage means cutting the wart off completely using a surgeon’s knife or a specially designed spoon shaped device intended for this use. Most often, these two procedures are used together, sending the wart into shock with the electricity and then removing it with the spoon shaped surgeon’s knife. Lately, state of the art lasers have been used with growing popularity and enviable success rates. They effectively burn off the wart by shooting an intense beam of light into the base or root of the wart, severing its blood supply and killing it.
The wart is usually left to die if it is internal or it might be cut off after the laser treatment. Whatever treatment you choose for wart removal, you can rest assured that even if it is new, it has been tested frequently and perfected before it has been used on you. Go to your doctor at the onset of any symptoms or irregularities you may notice in or on your body. Let him diagnose your problem and then discuss the possible treatments. And if you elect wart removal, trust in medical science to have found just the right way to go about it for maximum success and minimum pain.
Nowadays, it is estimated that more than 100 million people around the world wear contact lenses. These items are very popular and technology improves them daily making them even more desirable.
Why do people wear contact lenses?
There are people who wear contact lenses, instead of glasses, for esthetical reasons. They like themselves better with contact lenses than with glasses. Another reason that determines people to wear contact lenses is the cosmetic one. There is a great variety of decorative contact lenses that can change the eye’s appearance. And there are those who appreciate their practical side. They cannot play certain sports with glasses; they use devices that are incompatible with glasses etc. There is that category of people who are forced to wear contact lenses for therapeutic reasons. In their case, the contact lens is not an option. The contact lens can be a bandage in the healing process of different diseases or injuries of the cornea and it is a luxury that heals. There is also a combination between the two reasons - colour lenses with correction power which actually please a lot of persons.
The first contact lenses ever made were developed out of glass. After that, new types appeared, as the ones made of Plexiglas and the rigid gas permeable ones, but, nowadays, the soft contact lens is the most appreciated. Modern materials include silicon hydrogel or other plastic polymers like etalficon A, galyficon A, senofilcon A (used in the fabrication of Acuvue contact lenses). Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are recommended to the persons with dry eyes as these lenses contain no water that could evaporate during the wearing.
If you decide to wear contact lenses, you first have to go to an ophthalmologist, no matter what your reason may be. The doctor will be the one to decide which type of contact lenses fit your eyes best. Different factors will be considered for the prescription of a certain contact lens: the material (the silicon hydrogel is one of the newest discoveries in the field), the wearing time (daily wear, extended wear or continuous wear), the shape (spherical, toric or multifocal) and many more. Depending of the material, the contact lens can be either rigid or soft. The rigid one can be gas-tight or gas-permeable, but the soft one is always gas-permeable. There can also be a further classification made on the moisture content, on the amount of water in the contact lens.
The wearing time
A daily contact lens is safer as the risk of infection is lower than at the long term contact lens. This type does not require cleaning, being single-use only. It is sterile. And it even keeps you away from spending money on cleaning or storage solutions. On the other hand, the extended wear type of contact lenses allows people to easily wear contacts for a longer period while allowing oxygenation (they usually have a high oxygen permeability rate). Some people prefer them as their convenience is obvious, but the risk of infection is higher than at the daily type of contact lenses due to the bacterial stagnation, dust accumulation and so on.
One of the most popular contact lenses brand in the world is Acuvue, produced by Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Vistakon Company. They provide both vision and esthetical contact lenses. They design disposable lenses, making types that are to be replaced every two weeks (Acuvue, Acuvue 2, Acuvue 2 Colors, Acuvue Advanced and Acuvue Oasys) or less (1-Day Acuvue). They’ve also started making extended wear lenses.
Where to buy them from
Contact lens quality is very important. Low-quality contact lenses can damage the eye, causing irritations or hurting the eyelid or the cornea. Attention must be paid to the way the lenses are worn, kept and cleaned because, even if they are high-quality, they present different risks. So, the contact lenses must be bought from specialised stores after consulting a doctor. Places where these items are available can be found anywhere as the contact lenses are very popular. Another tendency is to acquire them from an on-line store. This method can even be less expensive and still offer the same quality. You just need the prescription. But be careful and only choose reputable stores. Your health is at stake.
Imagine browsing through skin care aisles and finding that one, perfect product that boasts of all-natural ingredients. Serendipity, right? Then you go and read the label expecting to find a virtual salad but instead finding yourself reading benzoic acid, butyl stearate, and some totally unpronounceable names. You're no botanist but you're sure that those stuff don't grow on trees. This is because most commercial items meant for skin care nowadays contain preservatives and other chemicals to maintain their consistency and shelf life. Problem is, most of these chemicals can actually irritate more sensitive skin.
What solution is there for this kind of crisis? Simple. Mix your own, homemade skin care line. There's nothing to it as most ingredients are found in your fridge or fruit basket. All-natural skin recipes are easily found in the Internet or even in magazines. Usually, these skin care mixes are composed of a combination of one or two fruits. Combinations like these can include either the fruit pulp, fruit juice, or both. Milk, water or honey are usually added to smoothen the mixture. Add-ons such as oatmeal, wheat germ, brown sugar, and dried herbs are also included for more specialized concoctions such as a pimple treatment, flaking, and oily skin.
Skin care using natural ingredients offers great variety. There are facial cleansers, scrubs, moisturizing creams, and face masks. Don't worry because indications for use are usually found with the recipes. The recipes indicate whether the mixture is for normal, dry, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. Some are even more specialized as blackhead removers or whitening solutions.
Natural skin care routine have many advantages. First, the ingredients are easily available and the choices are great. They are also natural, thus, greatly reducing risks of allergies or skin irritations. Second, the ingredients are cheap, which translates into more savings more you. Third, you can modify the recipes to suit your needs. Since the risks for irritations are minimal, experimentations are relatively safe. Fourth, vitamins and antioxidants are naturally found in fruits, while milk and honey have restorative properties. Therefore, you get the same vitamins found in commercial products while limiting or eradicating chemicals.
As these skin care recipes use natural ingredients they require refrigeration and can only keep for a week. However, it is better to make these in small quantities or batches for immediate use. In addition, these recipes contain natural hydroxy acids and vitamins for direct and instant skin rejuvenation. Also, don't forget to keep fit by exercising, having a balanced, healthy diet and regular sleep. With these pre-requisites and your new skin care solutions, you're on your way to having the healthy skin that can top what science can offer. Now, that's what you call natural.
A Guide To Rudimentary Information For Everlasting Finger-Nails
This is why, since old times, there has been a long standing obsession with stunning looking nails initially among ladies. In the present day the market place is overflowing with different wares to facilitate you to look after your fingernails be it on the hands or toes. There is a wide variety of grooming tools and cosmetic products available just about everywhere for easy access to great nails. Let us have a look at some of the most basic tools to keep your pincers content!
Nail creams
Nail creams are one of the best invented products for hands and feet nails. The nail creams not only help you strengthen your nail by giving them a protein and mineral boost but also protect your nails from getting over dry, chipped or cracked. The nail creams are also known to avoid ail splits and cure them.
These days, nail creams come in a combination of hand and nail cream and foot and nail cream. These combinations also help to groom the hand and feet along with the nail and give them a soft and dewy feel and help get rid of calluses, dry skin etc. to give you a well groomed look.
Nail Manicure and Pedicure tools
The best way to take care of and groom your nails is to get a regular manicure and pedicure. Not only will it help your nails but also your hands and feet; not to mention giving you an opportunity to relax and pamper yourself. The tools for such treatments are varied but a few basic must haves, if you plan to give this treatment to yourself are Nail polish wipes and removers, Nail brush, Cuticle cream, Cuticle cutter, cuticle stick, cuticle pusher and finally nail cutter and file.
When looking for nail polish wipes, try and find lint free wipes as they will not leave any lint residue on your nails post the treatment, allowing you to apply smooth polish on your nails. Also, when choosing a cuticle stick or a cuticle pusher, it is wise to invest in a soft but firm rubber or soft wooden stick. Avoid using a metal cuticle stick as it is harder.
Nail Polish and Polish Remover
There is huge variety of nail varnishes to choose from today. The color pallet is astounding as are the types of varnishes available. You can choose from mild to high frosted shades to high gloss colors and from extreme glitters and metallic’s to gothic shades. Today you can even find double shaded nail paints which change color when they come in contact with the UV Rays of the sun. The choices are unlimited!
When choosing a nail polish remover, it is better to invest a few more dollars and go for a non-alcoholic remover as this will benefit your nails in the long run and prevent nail damage like dryness, breakage etc.
Nail files and buffers
Nail files and nail buffers are the most introductory nail grooming implements available today. These instrumentsare used to give shape to the nails and top them off with a smooth surface. The nail file can be used to give any shape to the nail. The most popular shapes are round and square. These shapes are great for everyday wear and give the nails a chic and elegant appearance. When filing nails to give them shape, it is important to remember to file only in one direction as not doing so will cause them to leave uneven edges and splits on the nail which can cause cracks in the long run.
If your nail surface is a bit uneven or lacks radiance you can select to use a buffer to buff the top of your nail to give it a spontaneous shine and evenness. However don't recourse to buffing more than a couple of times every three weeks or so as it strips the nail of its natural oils and also thins the nail, making it weaker and more vulnerable to damage. Always top a buffing session with an application of a nail strengthener.
A Handy Solution For Beautiful Hands
Before getting rid of dust and grime in your house, make sure your hands don't take a beating in the process. Give your hands the care and attention they deserve by following these tips:
• Lock in the Moisture: Applying moisturizer to damp skin immediately after a shower or bath allows skin to seal in the moisturizer. Choose a moisturizer that's effective and safe for sensitive skin, and free of potentially irritating fragrances or dyes.
• Guard Against Harsh Chemicals: Exposure to chemicals and detergents in household cleaning products can take a toll on hands and dry out and irritate sensitive skin. Look for gloves that are designed to keep hands looking their best. "Playtex Living Gloves have multiple layers of neoprene to provide superior protection, versus ordinary latex gloves, from the harsh chemicals found in common household cleaning products," says Joe Hourihan, a vice president of research and development at Playtex Products, Inc. Get into the habit of wearing gloves every time you clean.
• Fight Bacteria and Germs: Hourihan says Playtex Living Gloves have Ultra-Fresh® anti-microbial protection to inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew. The gloves also provide excellent hot-water protection.
• Protect Your Manicure: Your hands are your ultimate accessory and you'll want them to look good in any season. Wearing gloves whenever you're cleaning will help your manicures last longer and keep your nails from becoming brittle.
• Take Your Hands to the Spa: Warm a cup of milk in the microwave for 30 seconds (or until warm but comfortable to the touch). Soak your hands for five minutes to strengthen nails and hydrate skin.
Take a page from the model's beauty handbook and wear gloves to keep your hands looking young and feeling silky.
"My hands aren't just important to me, they're my business. So I make it my business to take care of them," says Ellen Sirot, top NYC hand model, Ford Models. "Whenever I do anything that can damage my hands, such as housework, washing dishes or even gardening, I always wear my Playtex Living Gloves."
In addition to keeping your hands soft, Playtex Products Inc. is proud to make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. on behalf of Playtex Living Gloves (www.NationalBreast Cancer.org).
Following a few simple tips may be all it takes to keep your hands beautiful.
A History of Cosmetics, Part 1
With all the billions of dollars spent every year worldwide on cosmetics, sometimes we may find ourselves asking, “How did it get to this point? When did it become the norm for me to have to wake up every morning and before I even go out the door I get to paint my face from top to bottom? Surely a woman way back in history didn’t just wake up one day and apply eyelashes, lipstick, eyeliner, foundation, and rouge all at the same time. No, it was, like many things, a culmination of things from the past.
Remember the Egyptians? That was over four thousand years ago. Cleanliness and appearance were terribly important to the Egyptians. They believed the appearance was in direct link with the health of the soul. They strived to always look and smell good. And with a society who values their appearance, you’re inevitably going to have people who are going to make themselves stand out. But the Egyptians, being the innovative people they were, used cosmetics for reasons that were even smarter than just trying to look good.
Mesdemet was the earliest kind of eye shadow- a substance made of copper and lead ore. The dark shades they believed would ward off evil eyes to their own. It was also a great disinfectant and insect repellant. Kohl was a dark powder that was also applied around the eyes in an oval shape. It was a combination of lead, ash, ochre, copper, and burnt almonds. To further enhance their appearance, they would apply a mixture of water and red clay to the cheekbone area. They would also paint their nails colors of orange and yellow with a substance called henna.
As time moved on and cultures were exposed to each other more and more, the Greeks began to pick up on the many practices of the Egyptian’s use of cosmetics. They would give themselves a pale color with a foundation that contained lead in it. This proved fatal on more than one occasion. As the Romans began to pick up the cosmetics practice, the pursuit of beauty became much less about functionability and took a turn into much more exotic routes. The Romans would paint their nails with a combination of sheep’s blood and cooked body fat. An ancient Roman man once said, “A woman without paint is like food without salt.”
A History of Cosmetics, Part 2
For centuries after the Egyptian empire faded, the fashion norm around the world was a pale complexion. A tanned, sun-dried face was associated with being a commoner who worked out in the field all day alongside her husband. The upper class ladies of course did not participate in physical labor like that so they stayed inside and had white faces.
A white, pale complexion was also a symbol of wealth. If you had enough money, then you didn’t have to work. So a pale complexion was extremely important to some people. To get this look, women (and men too) would use a combination of hydroxide, lead oxide, and carbonate in a powder form to paint their faces and bodies. Unfortunately, this lead to a sometimes fatal side effect, lead poisoning.
To remedy this, chemists in the nineteenth century finally discovered a mixture of zinc oxide that didn’t block the skin from being able to breathe and kept people out of that irritating lead poisoning sickness. It worked so well that it is still used today by cosmetics manufacturers.
In the Edwardian era of London, around the turn of the century of 1900, society women with a disposable income would throw lavish parties and do a lot of entertaining to show off their wealth. As hostesses of the party, it was important for them to be the best looking woman at the function, so it was extremely important for them to look the youngest they possibly could. Women at that time who lived these extravagant lifestyles did not eat well, would not exercise, and breathed in the heavily polluted air that the cities of the time produced. They would rely on products like anti-aging cream and face cream to help hide their blemishes.
They would also go to the beauty salon. It was a little different back then than it is today. Women would sneak into the back of the salons and hide their faces as they entered. One of the most famous of these discreet beauty houses was the House of Cyclax, who would sell creams and rouges to ladies. Mrs. Henning, who was the owner, sold and created many products for her desperate customers who didn’t want anyone to know that they were getting old.
The cosmetics craze continued throughout the centuries into the 1900’s and began to see the earliest of the cosmetics industry being formed. Mrs. Henning’s House of Cyclax in London sold many products that you can still buy today from world famous companies like Avon. Another beauty salon owner found herself expanding her products to meet the demands of her upper class clientele from a facial cream that protects women’s skin from the sun to lipstick and face powder. Today, you can find a whole line of cosmetics from Helena Rubenstein.
As the years went on, the popularity of beauty salons continued to increase. In 1909, a salon called Selfridges began to sell cosmetics out in the open ver the counter. Women’s attitudes began to change and confidence grew. When the Russian ballet came to London, the influence of high art was apparent on many designers. A man named Paul Poiret was one of the first to come out with a much more vibrant and colorful look. It was also the first time that permanent cosmetics was seen. Women could tattoo their lipstick and eye shadow permanently on their faces.
During the 1930’s the fashion of lipstick went to a darker shade with a variety of shades. Around the time of WW II, ingredients for cosmetics was at a severe shortage and women underwent a kind of make-down. This ended right when the war did and demand for cosmetics increased more than ever. Competitors began manufacturing a number of products to meet the demands of the female consumer.
Today’s woman is the benefactor of all these years of trial and error with a virtually unlimited choice of products for any look they want to achieve. There are literally thousands of companies who have products in this now billion dollar yearly industry. Cosmetic products sell year round and even in times of recession.
So ladies, thank your ancestors and their concern for their own appearance for your own that you have today. There were probably days when they woke up and didn’t really feel like going through the hassle of putting on their face either.
A Look At Bodybuilding As A Sport
Competitive bodybuilding is a sport in which athletes attempt to develop and maintain the perfect muscular body. As bodybuilding competitors show off their physique and perform with a number of poses, they are judged by a qualified panel of experts who will render the final decision as to the winner.
When it comes to bodybuilding, the appearance of a competitors physique is much more important than how much he/she can lift. The sport of bodybuilding, therefore, should not be confused with or compared to a competition of strength. Instead, it is one of visual appeal. Bodybuilding is open to both men and women with specialized categories for each.
For those who regularly compete in bodybuilding competitions, or are interested in participating, the main strategy for contest preparation includes a combination of resistance weight training, a customized nutrition plan and plenty of rest. Resistance training is very important in bodybuilding as it is this that causes an increase in muscle size. The importance of nutrition comes into play as muscles grow, are injured and repaired during the bodybuilding process. In order for the body to properly heal itself, a customized nutrition plan is a must. Generally, bodybuilding competitors will eat a larger number of meals per day, but in smaller quantities. For instance, rather than eating three normal meals a day, a bodybuilding competitor may divide their food up into six or seven small meals.
Because of the strenuous regimen required of any bodybuilder, athletes often enlist the help of a nutritionist and a professional trainer. These individuals can work together to make sure that the athlete is training properly and also receiving the proper amount of nutrition. Rather than having to figure out how much to eat, when to eat and how often to work out, the trainer and nutritionist will handle all of the details while the athlete concentrates on building muscle.
At the end of the day, which is often exhausting for many bodybuilding competitors, rest is essential. Not only for the obvious reasons, but it is during rest that the muscle growth occurs. Without eight hours of sleep every night, some bodybuilding competitors find it difficult to regain energy and rebuild strength after an exhausting workout. In addition, many competitors find that an afternoon nap may further increase their body’s ability to increase muscle.
Individuals who are interested in entering into the world of bodybuilding should consult with local trainers in their area. If there are no trainers to be found, a stop at the local gym may provide answers as to finding a qualified trainer. Bodybuilding is a sport that requires a lot of dedication and even more hard work, which is evident in the physique of most competitors.
The information in this article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical, nutritional or training advice regarding bodybuilding as a sport or as a hobby. If you are considering a venture into the world of bodybuilding, you must consult with a physician prior to beginning any exercise and/or nutritional regimen.
A Note From Women to Men: Get Your Own Skin Care Stuff!
Have you ever gone to wash your face only to then discover that there are just a few drops left of your prized moisturizer? This may mean that the man in your life has been using your skin care products - again.
While the basic structure of a man's skin may be the same as a woman's, his skin has quite a few unique characteristics that make sharing facial products an unwise practice. For instance, even though signs of aging appear in men's skin similarly as they do for women, they don't necessarily happen on the same time scale.
Men's skin also is thicker than women's, making it tougher and somewhat more resilient. Further, the oil glands in men's skin produce more oil than women's, giving men more "natural" moisture.
Because of differences such as these, it's clear that men and women have different health needs for their skin. Unfortunately, however, men's skin care products have been limited until recently.
As more men become motivated to feel and look their best, more products that are made especially for men's skin care needs are hitting stores' shelves. In particular, L'Oreal, one of the leaders in
technology-driven skin care treatments, has created Men's Expert, the first anti-aging line on the mass retail market for men.
Men's Expert products contain what L'Oreal calls an Active Defense System, or ADS, which is a powerful combination of active ingredients that increase the skin's resiliency and help protect it against shaving irritation.
The Men's Expert line includes products such as Power Clean, a face wash that deep-cleans skin without drying it out; Oil Controller, an anti-shine moisturizer that zaps away oil, soothes razor burn and is designed for teenagers and young adults; and Vita Lift, an anti-wrinkle and firming moisturizer that recoups elasticity for men in their late 40s.
