Brighten Up Dull & Tired Skin

As we grow older and are constantly exposed to the UV rays of the sun our skin starts to appear dry and dull. This is the result of the outside layer of the skin getting excessive build up and is not exfoliated on a regular basis. Build-up is especially noticed after we have spent the summer in the sun. It?s more apparent to women since we realize that our make-up doesn't look as fresh and our foundation begins to fade within a couple of hours. Our make-up and foundation is actually being absorbed into the accumulated dead skin cells, which gives a very tired and unhealthy look to the skin.

To keep your skin vibrant and healthy on a regular basis, you must have a regimen that incorporates exfoliation and nourishing the skin. Your regular skin care program does not have to be a department store or drug store solution. You can prepare an all nature skin care program right from your kitchen table and manage to get the same results if not better results that your store bought product promises.

Exfoliation:

You should exfoliate at least 2-3 times per week (daily is even better) to keep the skin?s healthy glow. One solution for exfoliating the skin in an in expensive way is to use sugar. Yes, Sugar! Glycolic acid which is found in most AHA (alpha hydroxyl acid) products is from sugar cane. You can benefit from glycolic acid by using sugar for exfoliation.

Simply mix ? to 1 teaspoon of sugar in with a small amount of your favorite skin cleanser. Wet your face and massage the cleanser/sugar mixture over your face for 1-2 minutes. Rinse your face with lukewarm water to remove this mixture and you will instantly feel a difference in your skin.

Nourish:

Give your skin a refreshing drink with a simple nourishing facial mask. The ingredients are powerful and can be found in your kitchen. Combine one or more main ingredient with a liquid ingredient for to make a wonderful facial mask. Base your ingredient choices on the health properties of each item.

Base Ingredient:

• Honey ? It is a humectant (which draws in moisture) and it has antibacterial qualities that also stimulates and smoothes the skin.
• Mango - Provides natural fruit enzymes which also exfoliates the skin and the oil in mangos help moisturize.
• Avocado - A naturally rich moisturizer has essential fats and oils.
• Oatmeal ? Moisturizing and slightly exfoliating

Liquid Ingredient:

• Milk ? Enzymes and Lactose acid to exfoliate and milk fat to condition the skin.
• Aloe Vera Gel ? Healing and softening.
• Egg White ? tightening and conditioning.

You will want to follow your treatments with your favorite hypoallergenic moisturizer. For best results, these treatments can be done 2-3 times a week to help keep your skin youthful and vibrant.

Danielle Sims explored her library of alternative health, herbal books, and aromatherapy books and created a blueprint for making her own body wrap formulas at home. Now she offers this information in an e-book entitled Wrap Yourself Slim: Body Wrap Exposed. Monthly newsletter is also available at her web site. For more information go to Body Wraps Exposed

Natural MakeUp: Organic Ingredients Make a Better Product

What makes an ingredient natural? More and more leading make-up companies are responding to the demands of today?s educated market and offering their customers make-up containing natural and organic ingredients. Women - and more and more men - are realizing the benefits of leaving behind the man-made ingredients used in cheaper cosmetics and looking for the quality and results that come from natural make up. Cosmetics that have been made using quality ingredients - natural products close to the original state, and, whenever possible, organic certified.

One of the most popular ingredients you find in any natural make-up is almond oil. It is excellent for dry, rough skin and very sensitive skin. You will see it used as a base in massage oil, body lotions and many many bath products. Because it is so gentle it can be used on even a baby?s skin. Almond oil is a natural moisturizer and protects then skin beautifully- making it a great choice for those is drier climates. Adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil, such as rose oil or lavender to almond oil makes wonderful massage oil.

Using natural and organic certified products only serves to enhance the healing qualities of natural ingredients. Reputable companies will not indulge in cheap mass produced ingredients such as petrochemicals, lauryl sulphate, parabins, laureth sulphate and low grade alcohol. Alcohol, which is used as a preservative is still an ingredient - but only food quality and plant derived - such as beet root. Fragrance and colors are never artificial ? artificial scents and additives are to be avoided when looking for a true natural make-up.

You will see the ingredient grape seed extract in a myriad of products. It has restorative properties and is a valuable ingredient in natural make-up - especially face creams and moisturizers. Grape seed extract comes from the tiny seeds of red grapes. Grape seed is extract is rich in anti-oxidants - in fact there are more antioxidants found in grape seed than in vitamins C and E. Grape seed extract will help maintain the skins? elasticity and is a key ingredient in any face cream.

Another ingredient listed on many cosmetic and natural make-up labels is Lemon Oil. You will most often find this in bath and body products, massage oil, lotions and foot care. Lemon oil is derived from a cold pressing of lemon peel. In quality natural cosmetics the oils will come from certified organic fruit. Lemon oil is believed to have energizing properties- often leaving the user feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Rose oil, sometimes called rose otto, is a popular ingredient found in many natural make-up and skin care lines. Be sure it is ?rose oil? and not ?rose essence?, which in most cases is synthetic. Synthetic rose oil has no healing benefits or therapeutic value. Rose oil is often used in skin care because of its gentleness - it is suitable for almost all skin types - especially dry or very sensitive skin. It?s also a much sought after ingredient in natural make-up because it has been attributed to the relief of depression, anxiety, spasms, tension, stress and menopausal problems. You will often see rose oil used in many bath products because of the relaxing and calming effect it has on the user. Rose oil?s delicate scent is thought to increase perception and for this reason and it is believed to have aphrodisiac properties.

Natural ingredients, organic certified ingredients are important to the quality and effectiveness of the products you put on your skin. When you are choosing a natural make-up, look at the labels and try and get a better understanding of what you are putting on your skin - and what is being absorbed into your body. Knowing what is safe and what is effective will help you make better decisions about the products you buy. Using natural sources such as plants and herbs rather than synthetic man-made chemicals is always a better choice. Look for high-quality ingredients, ingredients that are not synthetic and are certified organic on the products you buy.

LJ Bronart is freelance writer in Toronto, Canada. She hopes to promote the organic products and the use of more natural make up.

Sunless Tanning And Products

Sunless tanning, like the name suggests, is getting a tan without sun exposure, and still produces an effect similar in appearance to a traditional suntan. This method of tanning does not involve skin pigmentation or UV exposure, which is often dangerous, to set off the change in skin color. Sunless tanning is also often non-toxic and thus, is quite safe. However, tan is temporary and will wear out or fade away within a couple of days.

Sunless tanning products affect the Stratum Corneum, the surface layer of the skin or the outermost layer of the epidermis, while the Stratum Basale, the deepest layer, is affected by tanning under the sun. There is a wide variety of sunless tanning products available on the market today, such as tanning pills, sunless or self-tanners and bronzers, available in the form of gels, lotions, mousses, sprays and wipes. They can be applied at home in private, or professionally in spas, salons, and other health centers.

Many sunless tanning and cosmetic product manufacturers use an active ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the epidermis, as an active ingredient. This is because a change in skin color occurs when dihydroxyacetone creates a reaction with amino acids in the dead layer of the skin. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that sunless tanning products that contain DHA are the most effective in creating a long-lasting tan.

Erythrulose, a natural based keto-sugar which reacts with the amino acids in the keratin protein on the outer or dead surface layer of the skin, is also often combined with DHA to create a longer lasting sunless tan. However, Erythrulose, like DHA, may cause contact dermatitis, a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin, sometimes with cracks or tiny blisters.

Other types of sunless tanning products such as tanning creams, lotions or pills usually contain the amino acid ? Tyrosine. It is believed that Tyrosine aids in the stimulation and regeneration of melanin (Melanin is a pigment and the primary determinant of color in human skin). This, if true, greatly affects and accelerates the tanning process so that?s why many sunless tanning products are called tanning accelerators.

Tanning pills also belong to the category of sunless tanning products, and often contain the chemical ? Canthaxanthin. The chemical works by depositing and spreading itself all over the body, including in the skin after it?s consumed, taking on an orange-brown color. Canthaxanthin is basically a coloring agent used in foods so the FDA does not approve its use a tanning agent. However, many cosmetic companies continue to use it in large quantities as an active agent in tanning products. It has also been established that continual use of canthaxanthin can cause hepatitis and canthaxanthin retinopathy.

One of the recent additions to sunless tanning remedies is Melanotan, a melanocyte (cells located in the bottom layer of the skin's epidermis) - stimulating hormone. Melanotan works by inducing skin pigment. Although extensively tested in countries like Australia, it has to be yet approved for clinical trials in the USA.

Tanning HQ http://tanninghq.com/ articles and information about the tanning and keeping your body looking beautiful.

An Overview of Cosmetic Procedures

Cosmetic surgery this and cosmetic surgery that. To truly understand cosmetic surgery, one needs to get a grasp of the various cosmetic surgery procedures available.

Cosmetic surgery is one of the most talked about topics in the media today. People from all walks of life - from celebrities to soccer moms ? are going under the knife to have their faces and bodies modified. If you're considering having a surgical cosmetic procedure performed, you might be wondering what cosmetic surgery procedures are available to make yourself look and feel better. Well, the technology of body modifying surgery has been steadily evolving over the last 50 years, and now there are more cosmetic surgery procedures available than ever.

One of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures that is performed on a regular basis is liposuction. Liposuction is the process of removing excess fat deposits under the skin by using a vacuum. A small incision is made in the skin of the area that you wish to remove fat from, and then a thin tube called a cannula is inserted. In order to aid the suction, fluid may be pumped under the skin that includes an anesthetic. Another option is to use an ultrasound probe to break up the fat deposits. The liquefied fat is then suctioned through the cannula. Since there is only a small cut made in the skin, recovery is relatively easy, and the procedure usually leaves only tiny scars or no scars at all.

Another cosmetic surgery that is performed routinely is a rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty comes from the Greek words for ?nose? and ?to shape? and it is the medical term for a nose job. In rhinoplasty, surgeons reshape the nose by removing and transforming the cartilage in the nose, as well as changing the shape of the skin around the nostrils and smoothing out the tip of the nose. Surgeons can perform these types of cosmetic surgery procedures with only a small incision at the base of the nose, or some will do a ?closed? procedure where there is no incision required. Nose jobs have become commonplace among many different age groups and social groups, and many people elect to have this surgery to correct bumps and crooked appearance of the nose that was either present at birth or caused by an accident.

A third popular procedure is one that most people think of when cosmetic surgery procedures are mentioned. Breast enhancement surgery is very popular and one of the most performed procedures. The use of silicone implants, however, has been banned for some time. Enhancements are now done with saline solution implants or some derivative. With improvements in technology, however, silicone implants are about to become available again.

There are many more cosmetic surgery procedures available for those who wish to modify different parts of their body and face, such as face lifts, tummy tucks, and even buttocks implants. Cosmetic surgeons today specialize in helping to create a new look for patients who have small imperfections or large amounts of correction needed ? and the field is still evolving.

Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com - a directory of plastic surgeons.

Better than Botox?

What?s NOT better than Botox?

Just a quick disclaimer here, I cannot speak from experience, because I have never had a Botox injection. The reason I?ve never had one is because I consider myself a fairly healthy person. I do not go to the doctor to get drugs unless absolutely necessary, and I don?t take antibiotics either. In fact, when I found out that there were antibiotics in milk, I switched to Organic milk.

I just cannot fathom voluntarily putting poison into my face. Botox is a drug derived from Botulinum Toxin A. - A deadly poison produced by Clostridium Botulinum - the bacterium that causes botulism. What! I want to look good, but I don?t want bacterium in my face!

I prefer to use special anti-aging creams in my search for relief of lines and wrinkles. With a wrinkle cream, I can put it all over my face if I want to; it won?t paralyze my face in that particular area; and if it is not working, I can use something else. (Another thought about Botox - if your natural lines cannot move at all, do you think you might get more lines in other, not so natural areas of your face? ? I?m pretty sure that happens!)

I have a friend who is into natural remedies. She puts a piece of tape on the lines between her eyes before she goes to bed at night, trying to diminish that wrinkle line most of us have grown to accept. This works in it?s own small way, but I wouldn?t want to go to bed with tape all over my face (I have lines between my eyes, beside my eyes, on my mouth, etc.) If I stopped smiling I could greatly reduce these lines, but I?m not going to do that either.

The problem with the tape is that it may help you stop frowning while you sleep, but it does not help rejuvenate the skin. You need to incorporate Peptides in an anti wrinkle cream to aid the skins healing process. These protein molecules, found naturally in the body, send out signals when damaged skin is in need of repair, helping your skin start its natural wrinkle reduction process.

You should use a product that contains at least three patented peptides that target both upper and lower layers of the skin, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. One product that I use is OHT Peptide-3.

With OHT Peptide-3 you get the benefits of youthful looking smooth skin without the adverse serious side effects. You can use it in the privacy of your own home, and you will still be able to move your face when you?re done.

I will choose the creams every time because, as I said before, I?m not going to stop smiling ? it is what I do best!

Evelyn Grazini is a Health and Wellness Researcher, and the Editor at ?aHealthStop? Your One Stop Shop for Health, Wellness, and Beauty. Find Discount and Natural Vitamins, Skin Care, Hair Care, Weight Loss, Home Health, and More! http://www.ahealthstop.com

http://www.ahealthstop.com/Recommends/OHTPeptide3