Saturday, December 31, 2011

Benefits Using Baking Soda for Health and Beauty

So you are staring into your refrigerator at 3 AM looking for something to eat. All you have a half empty bottle of ketchup and a box of baking soda. While this might not settle the appetite in your stomach, it can be applied to your skin to make you wake up looking younger. So how does it help?

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has numerous qualities that make it a great health and beauty product. If you have a free moment, go into your bathroom and check out the facial cleanser you are using. Look at the ingredient label and count how many of the ingredients you can pronounce. If you can't pronounce more than 50% of them, it's time to look into washing your face with something else. Most facial cleansers are expensive and baking soda has cleansing properties that are pure and without added chemicals. When mixed with water, baking soda creates a paste that is great for cleaning your skin after a long day. It will help remove makeup and leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. If you want to create a facial mask, simply leave the product on your skin and let it dry for about fifteen minutes. Then wash it off and notice how great your skin feels. Furthermore, you can add it to your bath and your entire body will feel the effects.

Aside from skincare, baking soda can also be added to your favorite shampoo. Oftentimes your hair gets filled with chemical buildup from the hair sprays, gels and other products you use on a daily basis. Adding baking soda to your hair routine will help rid your hair of extra buildup. Some people do this everyday, but you can add just a teaspoon to your shampooing once a week to reap the benefits.

For years baking soda was used to clean your teeth and mouth. Instead of using expensive toothpastes, you can actually use baking soda directly to clean your teeth and gums. The taste can be quite strong, so feel free to mix it with your favorite flavoring, or just reserve it for emergency use.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Wonderful Benefits of Natural Skin Care Lines

Don't you agree that natural skin care lines are not all what they seem to be. You may even find that some of the most expensive products are actually less effective than the cheaper alternatives.

There are the ones that really work well and it has been said that some of these make your skin more radiant, smoother looking and youthful than what would have been possible if you didn't use it.

We Have One Problem Though

There are thousands of products that claim to be natural and help your skin regain its youthful look. But, unless you become an expert in this field, how are you to know which one of these myriads of natural products really work?

The issue is, of all the products out there how many actually do what they say and eliminate years of aging of your face.

What Natural Skin Care Lines Promise to Do For Your Skin

We have taken a closer look at what some of the best products promise to do for your skin -

    Wrinkle softening creams that are rich in Green Tea properties, turmeric and grapeseed helps to target areas such as wrinkles and fine lines
    Ingredients matter and another popular product encourages resilience, helps to create a desired effect on our skin, provides natural fragrance that is nurturing where each ingredient is selected from organically grown plants
    Then there's a product line that is purely organic, said to combine the healing powers of cocoa, honey and aloe vera in its line of products
    Another company claims that it uses only whole organic herbal extracts as well as organic essential oils with its products and that the products are additive and chemical free.

Powerful Ingredients That Make a Difference

There are certain benefits that the consumer of powerful skincare ingredients will gain that involves rich textured creams protecting all skin types and that serves to hydrate our skin. It is also said to soften and nurture the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and it protects our skin from moisture loss.

Down below is a list of the magic ingredients that we so often find in natural skin care lines -

    Turmeric, grapeseed, vitamin E and green tea serves as natural antioxidant protection
    Carrot Root Extract and Rosehip Oil that have hydrating and restorative properties
    Avocado oil, Safflower oil, macadamia oil, marshmallow oil and aloe vera oil all combine to help with intense moisturizing that have soothing effects on the skin
    Retinyl palmitate and lactic acid to keep the skin exfoliated and helps prepare our skin for other restorative ingredients

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

How To Get Natural Glowing Skin Through These Easy Techniques?

Who doesn't want natural glowing skin? Overtime cellular build up on the surface of the skin can cause skin to look dull and dry. Every woman wants to have flawless, flowing skin just like the celebrities we see on TV, on the cover of magazines and in movies. But who has the money and staff to keep up with the celebrities? For us normal people getting natural glowing skin takes time and comes from well cared for skin. It normally takes 3-6 weeks to see radiant results on the skin. Follow these daily skin care tips to jump-start the skin renewal process and reveal smoother, fresher, younger looking skin.

Wash Your Skin
Healthy skin renews itself every 2-4 weeks. You can encourage your skin renewal by washing your skin on a daily basis. Washing your skin removes dirt, grime and toxins that accumulate on the surface of your skin throughout the day. To avoid losing the moisture in your skin, limit your shower time to 10 minutes. Also, use warm water not hot to open up and cleanse your pores. Ditch your bar soap and replace them with gentle cleansers or moisturizing body wash. Deodorant bar soaps can be harsh on the skin stripping it of moisture and leaving your skin dry, itchy and irritated. Body washes are less abrasive and can contain natural oils to put moisture back into your skin.

Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the process by which you speed up cell turnover on the skin. By exfoliating 1-2 times a week you encourage the skins renewal process leaving the skin better able to repair itself, retain moisture and produce collagen. Although there are expensive exfoliating products available all you really need is a washcloth or a loofah. Lightly scrub the skin in a circular motion to remove dead skin cells to reveal fresher, more vibrant skin beneath. Your skin will look brighter and feel softer. Remember do not exfoliate too frequently.

Moisturize
For dull or sallow complexion, your skin needs moisture. Without moisture cellular turnover takes longer, leaving you with less than perfect looking skin. After you shower, don't completely dry off, allow some of the water left on your skin to be absorbed into your open pores. This will plump up your skin reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which bounce light away from your skin. Then apply a generous amount of moisturizing cream or lotion in a circular motion all over your skin. Give it I time to be absorbed before covering your skin.

Drink Water
In addition to externally moisturizing, internal hydration is necessary for optimal cellular function. All the cells in our body need water, that's why it's so important to replenish your body's water supply daily. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day should be sufficient, however exercising and hot climates may require more intake. Drinking water also helps to flush out toxins in the blood stream, keeping skin cleaner and clearer.

Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet delivers the appropriate balance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants throughout the body and directly to the skin. Healthier skin cells appear better, fresher and more vibrant. A healthy diet should be made up of a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and proteins. A fiber rich diet will also keep your GI tract regular making sure that chemicals, toxins, preservatives and additives aren't left in your system to harm your skin. Cut out high sugar foods and high salt foods, which can stretch the skin and make you look bloated.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids should be an essential part of anyone's skin care routine. They are excellent for the skin because they reduce inflammation and help skin retain moisture. Omega 3's assist in cellular repair and defend against cell damage. Omega 3's can be consumed through fish such as salmon, nuts like walnut s or pill form. Whichever way you take it your skin will thank you by glowing.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Steps For More Effective Skin Care Can Lead To Aging Well

Skin care is an important issue that can lend itself to aging well. One well worth the time and effort it will require to become knowledgeable. As with any issue that affects appearance, you can enjoy greater confidence when you are looking your best. The right approach will bring with it all the opportunity that can be enjoyed by looking and feeling great.

Taking proper care of your skin means ensuring that your body has all it needs to keep itself healthy. In addition to basic care, there are environmental and lifestyle issues that may need to be considered as well. Activities such as smoking or prolonged exposure to the sun can leave your skin looking tired and worn out, or even increase your risk of developing signs of premature aging. Fortunately most of these issues can be addressed when you take the appropriate steps.

Fundamental care can be as simple as getting enough sleep. Fatigue leaves the body functioning less efficiently, and as a result your skin can't look its best. Once you have attended to any possible health and lifestyle concerns, it's time to consider what else you can do to keep your skin looking great. When it comes to selecting from the wide variety of commercial products that are available, a little education can go a long way.

With a range of options that cover everything from simple home remedies to costly and invasive surgeries, it's important to know more about your choices. The fundamentals of good skin care and aging well remain constant no matter which treatments you are considering. Proper cleansing, hydration, and protection won't merely prevent and treat dry skin. Done correctly, they will actually improve skin tone and texture, mask imperfections, and protect your skin from environmental threats.

Ensuring that the product you select is able to do this effectively is very important. Home remedies just won't be able to provide the care you need when it comes to skin type, or providing sufficient protection from your environment. The most effective results can only come from the right product. At the same time, it is also important to understand that many available products contain potentially damaging ingredients.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Weather's Influence on Men's Skin Care Products

Is there a direct correlation between the weather and the purchasing of men's skin care products? There may be. After working in sales at a well-established men's grooming company for the past five years, I have noticed some trends that may show how weather can influence a man's decision to buy skincare products.

1. Harsher weather environments is correlated to higher sales of men's skin care products than those of milder weather environments. "Harsher" meaning extreme weather conditions such as but not limited to freezing snow weather, or intraday weather that fluctuates greatly for example extremely hot weather in the early afternoon and then significantly cool weather at night.

So I have noticed a sales trend in the United States that the East Coast area is a larger market, in general, for men's skin care than the West Coast. From my previous work experience, Florida ranks near the top as one of the best states for the sale of men's skin care products probably due to the fact Florida is humid and its hot weather has more of a severe effect on the skin as compared to Texas' tepid weather conditions.

2. Warmer weather typically correlates to an increase in men's suncreen SPF product sales.

Arizona and California rank up there as the largest consumer states of sunscreen products per capita. This is probably due to the abundant number of sunshine days devoid of clouds that shield harmful UVA/UVB rays from us. Or maybe because more people are enjoying themselves outside at the beach or on the golf course.

One thing I would like to note which is not related to this topic but important enough to mention is when the weather is overcast with no visible signs of blue sky, it does not mean that you do not have to use a facial suncreen that day. Harmful UVA and UVB rays still penetrate your skin in any weather conditions. Use sunscreen daily!

3. Cooler non-humid weather encourages more sales of facial moisturizers.

I noticed that winter season in the East Coast is the peak season for facial moisturizers sales. The harsh winter air and ripping breezes dry out your skin whether it's your hands or face. During Winter, people living in Hawaii are not rampant consumers of moisturizers as compared to those living in upstate New York.