Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Keeping Skin Youthful

The young rushing to grow old and the old doing all that it takes to stay young is one of the most observable ironies in life. Well, blame the latter to vanity, or, perhaps, let’s be thankful for it. So that this time, it would be vanity’s chance to strike ‘coz staying young is just a simple routine that would spell a huge difference. And to boost this regimen, some experts share relevant tips for a younger-looking skin.

Clean face properly

Remove all traces of cosmetics on your face by using cotton balls and moisturizing cream. Using lukewarm water (that also opens pores for deeper cleansing) and a soap-free, non-comedogenic, and mild cleanser, gently rotate your middle and pinky fingers upwards avoiding hard rubbing that could damage your skin. Make sure hands are clean to prevent spreading bacteria and dirt which can worsen acne and other skin problems.

Massage face wash on skin for about 60 seconds to wipe away dirt, bacteria, pollutants, and product residue. Rinse at least three times to remove residues that will clog our pores. After patting skin dry, use an alcohol-free toner that preferably contains glycolic acid or alpha hydroxy acid. These acids can educe the size of you pores and can give you instant results.

Use soap on select areas

To maintain the softness of skin, soap should be applied only on select areas--your face, underarms, feet, groin, and buttocks. These are the areas that need the cleansing effects of soap so other areas won’t be unnecessarily stripped off of its natural skin oils. Some experts say that rinsing other areas with water alone is enough to make them clean.

Moisturize while you wash

Moisturizing after cleansing is absolutely necessary. Washing the face can aggressively remove the natural oil of the skin. Moisturizing after cleansing will replenish the necessary oil that was lost. Use products which contain the leas amount of harsh additives. Pure Vitamin E and aloe vera oil can be applied too for intensive moisture treatment. Just open a capsule and apply directly on skin for that intense moisture you need.

Let moisturizer be absorbed well

Set moisturizer for at least three minutes before applying makeup. This will let your moisturizer to be completely absorbed and will help our makeup to last all day.

Clean a damp face, not a dry one

Use cleansers on damp skin. According to Dr. Mary Lupo, a professor of dermatology at Tulane University, cleansers are more likely to be irritating if applied on dry skin. This will also lock in moisture.

Splash face with cold water before a makeup

This helps shrink pores and is a trick used by makeup artists to help makeup glide on seamlessly. Moreover, smaller pores give little space for pollutants and cosmetics to reside, hence, a more radiant skin.

Apply products properly

The effectiveness of products depends chiefly upon its penetration unto the skin. For better absorption of ingredients, follow this sequence: toner, serum or treatment products (like retinoids), moisturizer, and sunscreen. This sequence will keep heavy formulas from preventing lighter ones to be absorbed well.

Move your sun shade

Change the placement of your sunshade in your car. Move this to your left to block UV rays while you are driving. If not, the left side of your face would tend to look older than the other side because of the sun damage. Nevertheless, place a shade wherever you are seated in your car. It does not only protect your skin, but also that of your fellows.

Experts have done their share, so now it’s time to do yours.

Be Breakfast-Pretty

A guide to at-home facials and skin-friendly processes

After a stressful day, take some time to relax. Put on some scented candles, put your feet up and tune up Norah Jones on your stereo. Take deep breaths as if they’re the last ones you have. Stress is already the second strongest killer in the medical field. Stress can lead to a lot of complications later on. So while it’s early, learn to combat stress by feeling good and keeping beautiful.

If you know how to cook, you might consider the kitchen “the heart of your home”. However, if you’re the kind of person who is always outside, it’s safe to say your heart is not really in your home. Maybe you’re out partying, socializing and (darn!) working. That’s not so hard to imagine if your home is usually connected with clutter and some work. Change that image! Start prettifying in your home and make it your own Beauty Mecca.

Here are some at-home skin-spoiling masks and creams to help you maintain that youthful glow.

EGG MASKS

The egg is composed of two parts: the egg white and the egg yolk. You’re lucky both can be used as facial masks raw!

First, let’s tackle the egg white. Separate carefully the egg white from the yolk after you’ve broken the egg shell. Next, beat the egg white until it’s foamy. Spread it all over your face in a circular motion. Avoid touching your eyes during the process. Wait until the egg white hardens on your face. You will feel a tightening of your skin after 15-20 minutes. After that, wash the egg white off your face and pat your skin dry.

Also, if you have oily skin, it is advised that you add a few drops of lemon juice into the egg white mixture. It will help minimize the oil on your face. However, if your skin is oily, do not add lemon juice. It will only irritate your skin.

Next, let’s tackle the egg yolk. The egg yolk is actually very high in Vitamin A. It helps in the “healing” of your blemishes. Just apply the yolk to your face in the same manner that you applied the egg white. Wait for 30 minutes for it to dry. Wash with warm water and pat your skin dry.

Though it may smell a bit, many experts actually swear by this technique. Eggs are better off as skin spoilers than food. At least you don’t get fat when you spread it on your face!

OATMEAL MASK

Experts advise using oatmeal for trouble-prone or acne-prone skin. This breakfast wonder is actually famous for its gentle exfoliating features. First, clean your face with water and facial wash. Never use soap as they are not designed for the skin on the face. Next, wash your face with warm water and follow it up with hot compresses (using a washcloth). Moisten pinches of oatmeal until it looks like paste and use it to scrub your face. Again, avoid the area around your eyes. Wash off with cool water to close pores.

You may also use the oatmeal as a facial mask. Just repeat the process mentioned in the preceding paragraph but instead of washing the oatmeal paste away, let it stay on your face until it dries.

You are highly encouraged to use natural ingredients in taking care of your skin. Remember that our skin is like a sponge. It absorbs everything that we put in it. In this case, if you are confident about the things that you put on your skin, then everything will go just right.

There have been countless positive feedbacks about these home-made masks. Try them! Breakfast will mean a lot more than a morning meal to you now!

How To Look Younger

The first thing you should do to look younger is to acknowledge that there are good things in store for you, and you deserve to have those. So it’s all about setting your mind to get to your end. You must value the thought that almost all good things in life are brought into fruition with the right attitude and positive thinking.

So now, are you set to defy aging and look young? If you are, then these age-defying tips will surely help you look youthful easily.

Tip 1

No matter what you do, whether you have a demanding schedule or just being lazy in your cozy home, make sure you are getting enough sleep- and a good one at that. Your eyes will first tell if you have had enough sleep. A pair of eye-bug-free and sparkling eyes definitely makes you look younger. But how many is the suggested sleeping duration?

Perhaps you were brought up thinking that you should sleep at least 8 hours a day. Well, you should not. A new study says that those who sleep 6-7 hours live longer and healthier. Too much slumber is not good for you. In fact, sleeping for five hours is better than sleeping three hours more than that.

To have a good sleep, take some natural soporifics. These are substances that can induce sleeping. Milk is a very good example. Sex and a little aerobic may also help you sleep well.

Tip 2

Keep you hair short. A long hair puts in more years to your appearance, actually making you look like a tired and worn-down witch. Trying a shorter do can improve your youthfulness. Tell your hairdresser to give you side swept bangs to expose your beautiful face. Adding layers can also make our hair look lively and shinier. A little highlight may also do. Putting on a darker hair (dark brown or black) does not only make you younger, but also coats up those grey hair.

Tip 3

Live in a clean environment. People who live older like the centenarians have some surrounding things in common: little stress, unpolluted air, good water, and unspoiled nature. Planting more trees in your area and planting more plants in your garden can help you provide cleaner air. More plants in the area mean more oxygen to breathe. Remember that what we breathe is the exact thing they exhale, and vice versa.

Tip 4

Do not put a lot of makeup. Yes, makeup can make you look pretty. But its amount, composition, and its style can make or break you. Keeping makeup light won’t make you look like a villain. Use more pastel colors and those with lighter tones instead of the dark antagonistic-like colors. Also try lipsticks with brown shade. These would make you look more natural and a lot of ears younger

Tip 5

Take care of your teeth. Ever notice there are a lot of old people who only have false teeth? This is because as we age, our body absorbs and stores less calcium (which also explains why old women are prone to osteoporosis).

So avoid losing your teeth permanently. Brushing every after meal is the most basic yet the most helpful habit for a good-looking set of teeth. Use teeth whitening products that can make you teeth white and shiny. Coffee and tea can stain your teeth instantly so a brush after is really helpful.

Going to the dentist at least twice a year is very important. And never forget to drink at least two glasses of milk a day, like what we teach to the real young ones.

Escape Aging

What if you can escape the inescapability of time and just enjoy the pleasure of looking young? Quite difficult? Definitely not. Looking youthful and chirpy is just a matter of giving extra care for yourself and emphasizing your features, surely bringing out the best of what you got. So start defying your age now with some easy steps.

Stopping smoking

As early as 1800’s, it was already observed that smoking has detrimental effects on the skin. Two centuries later, people became more aware of this because these effects are evident among chronic smokers. Some of these consequences include premature lines and folds stemming from the corner of the eyes to the zygomatic area (in the aging process, wrinkles are a natural element , but smoking speeds this up); dry and leathery appearance of the skin; grey-pallor complexion; a haggard appearance; and some more.

These changes are brought about by the processes that a cigar’s ingredients bring about to the body. Nicotine, a vasoconstrictor (one that constricts the blood vessels), inhibit the smooth and easy flow of oxygen and nutrients to their destination. Nicotine also causes a diuretic effect on the body which causes a reduction of the skin’s moisture level, hereby making it tough and dry.

Carbon monoxide, a harmful component produced by smoking, has higher affinity to blood cells than oxygen. That means it reduces the amount of oxygen to many areas.

Smoking also contains a large number of free radicals that attack healthy cells and damage normal tissues.

Smoking reduces Vitamin A and collagen in the body. Vitamin A is used in the repairing function of the body. Collagen, on the other hand, is a protein that produces new and healthy skin.

Proper posture

Sitting up straight and putting shoulders back are very important for your health and appearance. A good posture can make you look slimmer, taller, and confident. Many regard people with correct posture as young, happy, and at ease with their disposition. A good posture can even give you an instant weight loss of

10 pounds in the eyes of others. Its benefits, by the way, are not just for the outside.

A correct posture primarily puts muscles, joints, bones, and your organs to where they are supposed to sit. It reduces the risk of having back and neck problems, arthritis, and other pains. A proper one too can help prevent the spine from becoming abnormally fixed which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and some problems with organs and functioning. With a proper posture, one can also experience less strain because one wouldn’t overuse his muscles.

Stretching hourly and practicing the proper posture every hour can help strengthen the muscles that will be needed to hold the body erect.

Having sex at least three times a week

A 10-year study indicated that couples who are in their 40’s who have sex at least three times a week look younger than those who enjoy it less often. The study even indicated that the faces of these couple have less lines and wrinkles, and have smoother and suppler skin. They credited this to the wonders of Oxytocin. It is a hormone released during sex that reduces stress. Having sex at nighttime is helpful, too!

It helps you to have a tight sleep so body is more rested. So, what are you planning to do now? Go ahead and feel young.

Celebrity Secrets To Staying Young

Whether we idolize them or criticize their behavior, there’s no denying that celebrities now are the epitome of beauty. But how come they are often mistaken for their age- at their flattery at that. Well, let’s find out some secrets why celebrities look younger than they are.

Eating lots of citrus and vegetables

Greens and citrus like lemons, grapefruit, and oranges are high in Vitamin C, a natural antioxidant. This wonder worker serves as a primary ingredient of collagen, a glue-like protein that binds cells together to form tissues, and makes up about 25% of the whole-body protein content. Collagen production is vital to skin suppleness, firmness and averts the onset of premature wrinkling. Collagen is, in fact, a much-endorsed ingredient in facial moisturizers and hand lotions Therefore, the more citrus and veggies celebs eat, the softer their skin becomes.

Avoiding excessive alcohol

Celebrities going in and out of rehabs due to alcoholism look worn-out and spoiled. That is why a lot more celebrities keep their alcoholic intake to a minimum. Despite the sparkling delight it brings, alcohol causes skin damage and loss of moisture due to its dehydrating effects. In turn, this will cause sagging and wrinkling of skin.

A High School Musical star says its even better to soak one’s self o he beach without sun protection that drinking too much of alcohol.

Alcohol causes dilatation of the blood vessels in the skin and every time you drink, the blood vessels will dilate and stay permanently dilated until they lose their tone. Abusing alcohol will also deplete the body of Vitamin A, an important antioxidant.

Avoiding Coffee

Despite its antioxidant content, too much coffee causes skin dehydration, and even causes the body to eliminate needed liquids and minerals. It causes skin to look like crepe paper and have very little elasticity if you pinch it up into a peak. A country music diva even shared that drinking too much coffee stains her teeth and causes little winkles around her eyes to look horrible.

Celebrities who drink coffee suggest drinking a cool glass of water after a cup of coffee.

Drinking LOTS of Water

No one can dispute the role good hydration plays to a healthier skin. If hydration does not come from sodas or alcohols and only from clean water, then it has potentially helpful effects on your skin. Furthermore, water helps cells move nutrients in and toxins out, which leaves skin looking better.

Paris Hilton disclosed that she drinks more than ten glasses of water a day cause if not she notices her skin to look dull, vapid, and gray.

Limited exposure to sunlight

More exposure to sunlight puts the skin at higher risk for aging caused by free radicals. But if you cannot avoid it, use a quality high sun protection factor lotion.

A former Mickey Mouse club member uses SPF50 on her neck and face and SPF35 on her body to develop nice brownish tan where she likes.

Moisturizers

Lastly, for celebrities, using a night time moisturizer is the simplest yet one of the most necessary parts of their beauty routine. They choose a night cream with proven age-fighters like retinol.

If applied at night, this will reduce the effect of aging and the environment on your skin.

Age-Defying Hair

A lustrous, clean, and lively hair is a subject of envy for many. It is a manifestation of an optimum health and an evidence of youthful glow. While it is a frustration for some, you can transform that dull, grimy, and limp hair of yours to an enviably age-defying one too! How?

Shampoo only he scalp

If you compare skin care to hair care, shampoo is the soap that gets rid of oils, dirt, dandruff, pollutants and other impure particles that gradually assembles in hair. Just like your soap, your shampoo should also be used only unto select areas to prevent it from stripping out so much as to make hair unmanageable.

So when shampooing, remember that your hair is dirtiest and oiliest at the scalp. Shampoo just your scalp and the sudsy overflow would be sufficient to cleanse the rest of you hair without saying goodbye to your hair’s natural shine. Remember, too much shampoo eliminates too much oil that actually protects the protein structure of hair from damage, and you’re just reversing the end of your purpose. Tsk tsk

Know what to use

Many commercial shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products can damage your hair in the long run making hair look dull and weary. Choosing the right product does not only make the hair look health and beautiful but also saves hair from destruction. For very dry hair, use mild shampoo and good quality conditioner that contain humectants which holds moisture in the hair.

For greasy hair, a good nourishing shampoo should be used, while avoiding too much brushing as this excites oil glands which are already over-active. People with sensitive scalp should use organic or botanical shampoos because they have less harsh chemicals, thus, gentler to your hair. For brittle hair, a conditioner with reconstructor should be used- preferable those that contain hydrolyzed protein that penetrates the hair and strengthens its structure.

For people usually exposed to sun or blow-dryers and hair curlers, a shampoo and conditioner with thermal protectors should be used. These shield the hair against excessive heat. Baby shampoos should only be used by babies, of course, as its composition is not enough for the hair of an adult. There’s no dispute as to what people with dandruff should use.

Condition only the tips

Again if you compare skin care to hair care, a conditioner is the moisturizer that helps improve the texture and appearance of the hair. Like shampoo, soap, and moisturizers, a conditioner should only be applied unto select areas. This time, put conditioner only at the ends. This prevents the hair to sit limp at the roots which actually makes your hair look older.

Proper blow-drying

The nozzle of a blow-dryer should be pointed downward to help close the cuticle, improving the sheen of our hair. For the final three minutes of blow-drying, experts suggested to switch the equipment to a cool setting to fight dry and frizz hair, and flyaways.

Have a shorter hair

According to beauty experts, long hair can age you and make you look tired and haggard, and they say that shorter hair can give you just the boost you need to look younger. So, be brave to give yourself a better cut. You don’t wanna look old with a long hair. Furthermore, tell your hairdresser to add layers as this gives hair fullness and bounce, that, in turn, makes hair look softer and shinier.

Make it shine

For a shinier hair, some people use a little amount of ale, yes, real ale to the rinsing water.

Like a fine lace

As a popular hairdresser said before, the hair is like a fine lace. It is a precious item people wear and display anywhere, anytime. In the end, whether your aim is to look younger or just plainly to look more beautiful, you will be held responsible in taking care of a precious lace.

Being Young And Healthy With Apricots

This delectable yellow-orange drupe is a source of glee to its avid fans. Whether you like it straight from your hand or in a sweet dessert, this pubescent-surfaced fruit surely delivers lots of benefits to the body. As tasty as it is, an apricot is as well helpful to boosting your youthfulness.

A younger-looking skin and healthier lives of those who include a couple of this fruit in their daily diet is an obvious evidence of what it can bring. Now let us take a closer look at how this wonderful fruit can be very useful to you.

Carotenoids

The secret of apricot’s power lies in its high-level of a mighty antioxidant called carotenoids. The oxygen-free forms of carotenoids such as lycopene, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene are the organic pigments helpful to men.

Beta-carotene is being converted by the body to Vitamin A which is beneficial to the eyes- it protects the eyes from functional deterioration, lessens the risk of acquiring cataracts, and prevents the eyes from xerophthalmia – a disease that dries the conjunctival epithelium.

Apricots also protect the heart through its famous bright red carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene protects the heart by reducing the blood levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) which causes formation of plaque in the blood vessels, which in turn, precipitate a number of heart diseases. The Department of Agriculture of the United States says that Lycopene is the most potent antioxidant among other carotenoids as this extinguishes peroxyl radicals that damage the DNA that initiates cancer. Lycopene helps in fighting breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Dried apricots are good sources of lycopene. People susceptible to these diseases should include apricots in their diet.

Other properties and benefits

Velvety apricots are also high in fiber. Apricots are used to prevent and allay constipation and can even induce diarrhea. Three apricots are enough to take effect. This means also that it can help you slash your weight, have a normal digestion, and control high blood levels of sugar. Fiber also keeps the blood vessels from being congested.

Apricots are also high in potassium that helps in regulating the blood pressue and the contraction of the heart.

The kernels of apricots are equally nutritious. Each kernel has several helpful properties that are proven to assuage cough and helps the respirator system to be toned. But before eating a kernel, the tip of the seeds should be cut off as this contains high levels of laetrile that can upset the stomach.

Apricots are also rich in Vitamin C and iron.

Apricots also help the body fight Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, and an eye-disease called Age-Related Macula Degeneration.

Around the World and Beyond

Apricot is a traditional Chinese medicine that helps in restoring lost body fluids (which also prevents dehydration) and in detoxifying the body. Without knowing why they did, the Chinese also ate apricots to improve their fertility. Now we know that this fruit is abundant in minerals that boost the production of sex hormones.

In the Hunza Valley in Himalayas, people used apricots as staple food. Many centenarians live in this area.

Because of that benefit, Europeans have long thought of apricots to be aphrodisiacs. In fact, William Shakespeare depicted apricot in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as such. In The Duchess of Malfi, apricots were depicted as an inducer of childbirth

Three centuries ago, the English used apricot oil to fight tumors and ulcers.

Officials of National Aeronautics and Space Administration said that astronauts (in flight) included apricot on their menu for a number of occasions already. In fact, apricots have been on the menu of the Apollo 15 trip.